The Best Tempura is an independent editorial guide to tempura, the counters and specialists worth seeking out, the technique behind a genuinely light fry, and the cooks who obsess over the oil.
What belongs here
Tempura is the subject; tendon is one important expression of it. A place earns inclusion when tempura is materially central to its identity, reputation, specialization, or technique, dedicated tempura and tendon specialists, tempura counters, tempura omakase, and restaurants genuinely renowned for it. A single shrimp tempura on an otherwise unrelated menu does not qualify.
How we rate
We show two kinds of rating, kept separate and never averaged together.
Diner rating. An external audience's overall assessment of this location, not a tempura-only score. We show one clearly identified provider’s own overall aggregate and its rating count, the provider’s number, not our review count, for the specific location, with a link back to the source.
Our tempura rating. A firsthand score by The Best Tempura Taster, assessing the tempura actually eaten. It runs 1–5 in half-star steps; a restaurant we haven’t reviewed is simply unrated (never zero). A positive article, a MICHELIN mention or a diner comment is attributed evidence, never converted into a star score.
- 1, Major shortcomings in the tempura tried
- 2, Uneven, with significant weaknesses
- 3, Good and worth considering
- 4, Excellent; strongly recommended
- 5, Exceptional within its style and dining context
The Best Tempura