This pint-sized tempura place is right at the edge of Tsukiji's outer market, but that doesn’t stop people from queueing up. Without a doubt, the secret of Tempura Kurokawa’s popularity is the combination of freshly made batter and a searing hot deep-fry that produces reliably crisp and light tempura. The seafood is sourced fresh from Toyosu fish market each morning, and the vegetables come directly from farms in nearby Chiba prefecture.
At lunchtime, our favourite tempura bowl (tendon) is the scallop and prawn kakiage tendon (¥2,000), with tender seafood and seasonal vegetables encased in a golden net of batter, and topped with sweetened soy sauce. All tendon options (¥1,500) come with miso soup and pickles. Save room for dessert as the tempura matcha ice cream is unbeatable (¥500).
For dinner, the menu changes to a tempura tasting menu (from ¥6,000) and includes some more creative tempura items like makiyuba (tofu skin), a half-boiled egg yolk, green pepper filled with minced prawn, and carrots wrapped in nori. Tucked down a back alley, Tempura Kurokawa can be tricky to find, but look for the canary yellow noren (door curtains) and you’ll be right at its doorstep place.