Secchu Yokota
A six-seat East Village counter built around seasonal tempura omakase, with Japanese and Western influences in the surrounding courses.
How we calculate this
We combine ratings from independent platforms and weight each source by how many ratings back its score.
- Google Maps4.9323 ratingsCounted
- Yelp4.8179 reviewsCounted
= 4.9 / 5 · 2 independent sources, each weighted by how many ratings back it.
Our own Taster score is never mixed in.
Public platform ratings, shown as of when we last checked, kept separate from our own Taster score.
What diners are saying
Selected diner feedback from public sources, attributed summaries, not verbatim quotes or our own review.
In one r/finedining discussion, the main writer praises several vegetable and seafood courses and the welcoming service, but finds the eel less tender than expected and the dessert disappointing. Other participants also emphasize hospitality; one likes the atmosphere but considers the meal somewhat overpriced, while another favors the lighter frying. The useful signal is a warmly described counter experience with disagreement about value and individual dishes, not unanimous praise.
In the limited visible review sample: Repeated praise for light frying and attentive, explanatory hospitality. Several diners appreciate the intimate counter. One compares the crust unfavorably with a Kyoto restaurant; two find dessert less compelling.
Why it matters
This is a tempura destination rather than a sushi restaurant that happens to serve a fried course. Owner-chef Atsushi Yokota organizes the experience around a small counter and a seasonal tasting. For the guide, it supplies a distinct way to explore tempura: commit to a paced meal, watch the kitchen and notice how individual ingredients are handled. The current official menu describes two course options; ask the restaurant about the actual selection rather than expecting dishes from an older review.
Book through the restaurant’s official reservation link. Confirm the current seating, party-size and dietary rules before committing; this is not a walk-in noodle-house format.
Dishes highlighted in the coverage we read, not a promise of today’s menu, and not our own picks.
Online sources checked; not a same-day availability guarantee.
In the press
What critics and reporters have written, attributed summaries, not our own review.
MICHELIN’s inspectors praise the ingredient quality and personal counter experience, highlighting shrimp, eggplant and lightly battered anago. Their description also notes Japanese-Western influences around the tempura courses. This is the guide’s assessment, not a meal reviewed by The Best Tempura.
Review date not shown; accessed September 24, 2026. Mentioned ingredients are not a guaranteed current course sequence.
ContextGuide recognizes its tempura-centered cooking.
No star inferred.
ContextReview praises carefully fried seasonal ingredients and welcoming service.
Historical review; dishes rotate.
ContextLocation & visit
199 East 3rd Street, 1st Floor, New York, NY 10009 · New York City, New York
How ratings work
Diner ratings. We show each platform's public rating as of the date we recorded it, on a 5-point scale, with a link to the current rating. Our tempura rating is our own firsthand tempura score, always kept separate and never blended in.
Diner consensus. We combine independent platforms into one score, weighting each by how many ratings back it. Platforms that share the same reviews are counted once, and the consensus only appears with two or more independent sources.
Independence. How we rate and recommend is never affected by any advertising, partnership or sponsorship. Ratings and reviews remain the property of the platforms they come from.
