Tokyo

Funabashiya Honten is a famous tempura restaurant in Tokyo that has been around for over 100 years. That’s right 100 years. T had come across the restaurant while researching for things to eat. Getting to Funabashiya Honten is not easy but luckily we had directions from a food blog called Picrumb! As with any popular restaurant a line of customers had formed before the restaurant was even open. 

After a 15 minute wait, we were seated at the counter with a clear view of the tempura master who was preparing to cook our meal. T and I opted for a set menu (¥1,875) that came with rice, miso, two kinds of fish, sweet potato, capsicum, eggplant, a prawn and a ball of shrimps. There’s also complimentary unlimited green tea.

The chefs masterfully prepare each item individually with great care – serving each item one at a time. 

Each item in the set menu is coated in golden, crisp batter. The skilful cooking of the chefs has allowed the inside to remain soft. There’s not a single trace of oiliness.

One of the more unique items is this ball of shrimps and vegetables coated in batter. 

We finish our meals, full and satisfied. The service is impeccable, the food carefully executed and the price reasonable. 

No. Once is enough for me.

QOTD: What’s your favourite type of tempura? Let me know in the comments below!

On the 22nd of December 2014, T and I arrived in Japan to begin our 2 week adventure across the land of the rising sun.

The tonkatsu broth is rich but not heavy. The red sauce adds a slight kick to the dish. The home made ramen noodles were shiko, shiko and tsuru, tsuru! Which roughly translated into English mean chewy and smooth. The slices of pork were tender and cooked just right.

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My first meal in Japan was one of my best. After hours of research in Australia, I finally settled on Sushi Zanmai in the Tsukiji Fish Market as the place to try Otoro. Although there are more famous restaurants like Daiwa and Sushi Dai, the ridiculous waiting times of 2+ hours were too long for me.  

Sushi Zanmai still had a line but the wait was around 20 minutes. They carry an extensive menu of all kinds of Sushi and Sashimi for a very reasonable price. 

If you can opt for a seat at the counter, which T and I did. From the counter, you’re able to watch the sushi chef work his magic, his quick hands forming little works of edible art.

After a quick look over the menu I settled on the Tuna Special (¥1,180), which had 5 pieces of sushi with varying types of tuna, and a Kaisen Don (¥1,480), which is rice topped with a variety of fresh fish and seafood. Like in most Japanese restaurants, there’s free delicious green tea!

After a brief wait, the sushi presented to me an incredible plate of sushi. Starting from the left we have the Tuna Gunkan-maki, which is chopped tuna wrapped around by seaweed. Next we have a seared akami sushi followed by the chūtoro and finally the luxurious ōtoro. I started with the ōtoro because I couldn’t wait to try this renowned cut of tuna. Now, I’ve eaten a lot of different types of food but nothing, absolutely nothing compares to ōtoro. It was MIND BLOWING. When people say the fat melts, it seriously melts like butter. You will never forget the first time you have ōtoro because all other sushi you have from then on pales in comparison. My tongue was dancing from the incredible texture and flavour. After my food-gasm, I moved on to the chūtoro, which was less fatty but still incredibly rich. The next three pieces were all fresh and delicious. 

While I was busy having an out of the world tuna experience, the sushi chef was diligently making my Kaisen Don. A huge bowl of sushi rice was topped with a dozen different ingredients including tuna, salmon, prawns, eel, kingfish, egg, squid, salmon roe topped by some chopped okra. Every piece of seafood was exceptionally fresh, which meant the dish required no seasoning at all. The Kaisen Don also comes with a huge bowl of miso soup!