[Tempura Kondo] / 📍Ginza: Revisiting the restaurant where I first felt 'moved by tempura' 20 years ago
Hello!!
I visited 20 years ago and it was the first time in my life I was 'moved by tempura.' And today, I am sitting at this counter again!!
Hello!! It's Gurumani!
🔖Recommended for people like this
Those who want to try counter tempura
Those who want to visit a restaurant that is difficult to book
Those who want to enjoy the taste of a famous chef
✏️Click here for nearby restaurants→ #Gurumani_Ginza #Gurumani_Tempura
You go up to the 9th floor of a narrow building in Ginza where you'd never expect to find something like this, and when you step out of the elevator, the scent of Taihaku sesame oil drifts through the silence. Even though it's the smell of oil, it's pure and elegant. 'Ah, this place really is in a league of its own,' I realized even before I sat down.
🏠Exterior [Tempura Kondo] / 📍Ginza
🏠Interior [Tempura Kondo] / 📍Ginza
★First, let me talk about Mr. Kondo!
He trained at the 'Yamanoue Hotel' in Ginza and went independent in 1991. Since then, for over 33 years, he has been the person who 'elevated tempura into an art form.'
He is the pioneer who introduced vegetables to Edomae tempura and brought a fresh breeze to the craft. Mr. Kondo's theory is
'Tempura is not a fried dish, it is a steamed dish.'
The heat traps the moisture of the ingredients wrapped in the batter, and the ingredients are 'steamed' by that vapor. That is why the aroma and sweetness of the ingredients become one.
The tempura ingredients are prepared just before frying, calculated from the frying time. Everything is for the sake of 'freshness.' This thorough philosophy has supported his two Michelin stars (*for 13 consecutive years in the past).
There is no waste in front of the pot. He senses the oil temperature, humidity, and batter viscosity with his 'skin.' His figure is so quiet and dignified that it is mesmerizing. What is conveyed from his back is the pride of a craftsman and a concentration that feels like a prayer.
'Tempura is a dish that listens to the voice of the ingredients.' That belief resides in his every move.
📖MENU [Tempura Kondo] / 📍Ginza
【🍽Menu I had】
◆Sumire Course 9,900 yen
Two shrimp, three fish, four vegetables, rice, pickles, red miso soup, fruit
+Sweet potato
💬Impressions
▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎🍽Bon appétit🍽◀︎◀︎◀︎◀︎◀︎
◆Mozuku seaweed
Start by preparing your stomach with a refreshing acidity. The 'stage' begins here.
◆ Shrimp legs
Yes, Tempura Kondo begins with these 'legs'. The moment you bite down with a crunch, the fragrant aroma rushes through your nose. It's a dish that seems to say, 'Welcome to the world of Ginza oil.'
◆ Two types of shrimp
The first is slender and plump, with a slightly rare center. The second has a powerful elasticity, with flavor overflowing the more you chew. Kondo-san's tempura speaks through its 'heat application'.
◆ Asparagus (Australia)
The same 20 years ago, and the same today. The hot moisture bursting from inside the batter makes you instinctively exclaim, 'Hot!' This 'juiciness on the verge of a burn' is the true essence of the Kondo style.
◆ Lotus root (Ibaraki)
Fluffy and crunchy. Every time you chew, the sweetness of the lotus root increases. The oil brings out the contours of the ingredients.
◆ Japanese whiting (Edomae)
Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. A world of pure white completed by salt alone.
◆ Manganji chili pepper
A gentle sweetness follows the sharp spiciness. The temperature and lightness of the batter ensure you don't miss 'this very moment'.
◆ Scallop
Salt and wasabi. The center is perfectly rare, as if spring snow were melting.
◆ Onion
Sweet, but not just sweet. The batter is slightly thick, and the 'power of the vegetable' spreads with every bite.
◆ Sweet potato (Beni Azuma / Chiba)
This thickness, this heat application is just too wonderful!
30 minutes in 180°C oil, carefully turning it over and over to prevent burning
10 minutes out of the oil on a paper towel. The outside is crispy like a rice cracker, and the inside is moist and sweet. It crumbles the moment you touch it, yet leaves a honey-like aftertaste when you put it in your mouth. After 20 years, I almost cried again.
◆ Conger eel
Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. A craftsman's life is packed into that 'lightness'.
◆ Rice, red miso soup, and pickles
The luster of the white rice wrapping up the aftertaste, the red miso soup with clams soaking in... And finally, the meal concludes with the juiciness of persimmon.
▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎▶︎🍽 Thank you for the meal 🍽◀︎◀︎◀︎◀︎◀︎
I was moved 20 years ago, too. But eating it as I am now brings different tears. It makes me realize that when 'technique' and 'heart' are perfectly aligned, cooking becomes art.
Next time, I want to come at night and enjoy that sweet potato again with some sake or shochu.
🏠 Store Details [Tempura Kondo] / 📍Ginza
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[Store Name] Tempura Kondo
[Instagram] Could not be found.
[💰Price] 9,900 yen/person
[Business Hours]
<<Mon-Sat>>
12:00 - 15:00 17:00 - 22:00
Two-part system: 12:00 session and 13:30 session
Two-hour system starting between 17:00 and 20:00
[Location] Sakaguchi Building 9F, 5-5-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
🚃 Tokyo Metro Ginza Station, 3-minute walk (Exit B5)
[㊗️Closed] Sunday
[tel] 03-5568-0923
[Seats] 20 seats
[Cashless Payment] Cards accepted
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[Store Information]
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