Kondo

At Kondo, the art of tempura approaches an exact science. That a deep-fried vegetable can taste so light and fresh seems impossible – so stark is the contrast between one's usual understanding of food cooked in grease and the lightly battered, sesame oil-kissed creations conjured up by chef Kondo. In fact, he refers to tempura as 'steamed cuisine', wrapping vegetables from all across Japan and ultra-fresh Tsukiji seafood into a gentle hull of batter before giving them the hot treatment. One of Kondo's standouts is the sweet potato tempura, which looks like a stump of pure gold. Fried very gently in order to maintain its sweetness and served piping hot, it's a dish you're unlikely to find anywhere else.