Tokyo Eats Part 1: Daikokuya: Tendon in Asakusa
Tendon 1600 yen
Many kakis have requested to the pics of what I ate in my recent trip to Tokyo, so I have decided to post some of the highlights over the next few weeks. The reason that I have been resistant in posting my Tokyo pictures was because I thought that it might be a little frustrating to look at something delicious and not be able to easily just go down to that stall and eat it.
However, I know that Japanese food is currently very popular in Singapore and that a lot of our readers actually travel so this series of posts may be useful for everyone to reminesce about their own experiences in Tokyo as well as to recommend other great eats there.
This is my first ever trip to Japan so the itinerary had to be carefully planned so that I can get to experience the best of the different types of Japanese cuisine. I wasn't after the fine dining, michelin star stuff, but as with the other food in this blog, it was about finding the really shiok everyday stuff that the locals enjoy.
One of the frustrating things about Japan is that even if you have the address of the restaurant, you will not be able to find the place. In the end, I had to rely on asking for directions once you know you are around the area. So I am going to pen down the directions to the restaurant while it is still fresh in my mind so it would be easy for anyone to locate.
We start with the Asakusa which is famous for the Sensoji Shrine which I am sure most tourists would make a point of visiting. One of the most popular restaurants there is this Tempura place which is reputed to have a long queue everyday for lunch. Being the Kiasu Singaporean, I got there at 11am and promptly got showed a seat just next to the main door.
I ordered the Tendon as it was the cheapest item there and everyone seemed to be eating the same thing. The prices can go up to 3000 to 4000 yen if you wanted to order the works.
The Tempura here is a little different from what I normally get. First of all it was black because they dip it in a kind of black sauce before serving it. Secondly the batter was a little different from the usual tempura. Instead of crispy all the way through, it was crisp on the outside but soft and moist on the inside and reminds me of the kind of prawn fritters mom used to make at home. Not quite what I expected, but quite tasty nonetheless. 1600 yen gets you 2 large prawns, a piece of vegetable and a rather tasty prawn cake made from a handful of little prawns.
Sensoji Shrine
To get there, you get off at Asakusa station and walk towards the Sensoji Shrine. At around the point of the photo above turn left and walk for about 3 minutes and you should be able to spot a quaint little house with the words Da4 Hei1 Jia1. (Big Black Home)
By the time I finished my lunch at around 12.30pm (had to wait 45min for my food), there was already a long queue outside the restaurant. It was reported that you sometimes you have to wait an hour just to get in so it pays to be Kiasu sometimes!
Conclusion
Quite different from the usual tempura. I just wonder why not many other restaurants serve it this style since they are so popular? If you have been there too, let us know what you think!
Diakokuya
1-38-10 Asakusa, Taito-ku
11:10 a.m.-8:30 p.m.(weekdays),
11:10 a.m.-9:00 p.m.(Saturday & national holidays)
More info and map here
31 comments:
Japan still has the best food in Asia. When I stayed there for a month, and was hosted as a student by this really rich family, they stuffed me with so much food when I came back to Singapore I had food phobia for a while.
The location was in Hamamatsu, which is bloody famous for eels, unagi. Never been in my life have I eaten such delicious unagidon, and they even deep fry the skeleton of the eel into a crunchy treat. The place I went to was quite expensive, 40 SGD or so per bowl, but was highly recommended. The chef told me that they use locally caught eel, which has far more girth (lol) than the China-bred ones that the cheaper unagidons use. True enough, the meat was as thick as a steak.
Japan has a very good food culture. And its closeness in terms of culture also makes their food a lot more acceptable to us than say, French food.
Any typical ramenya has far better quality than the likes of ew Ajisen here.
Agree with tj han...the great thing about the Japanese is their total obsession to perfection. We see this in any pursuit they endeavour. From ramen to sushi, from fountain pens to gadgets. Even stuff they don't know or don't have the tradition to make, they take great pride in appreciation. This is truly what I admire of the Japanese people - if they put their mind to it, they will perfect it.
Their food is one example. I love walking around just before dinner time just outside the restaurants...and whiff the fragrance of the cooking and preparing the appetite.
This is one place where I can still think about eating Japanese after a week there, though sometimes unable to in Singapore after a Japan trip due to the great difference in taste and passion in Japan vs Singapore. I have almost completely given up on sushi and shashimi in SG.
Even though I love French and Italian food, after a week in France or Italy, I yearn for a mee pok tar, or char kway teow when I return.
With all the interest in Japanese food nowadays, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like if the Japanese did win the war. We'd all be eating Japananese food now and speaking Japanese.
I have eaten here too! what I liked was the green chili (the vegetable you mentioned I presumed?) simmered with the rice. it was sooooo fragrant!
Hi there, man i love japanese food myself. However, i've never been to Japan so no idea how different the food there is. Still, in Singapore, i think one of the best jap food places is this little known place at Far East Square called Wasabi Tei.
The sashimi and food there is generously portioned and wonderfully fresh. No gst and service charge as well. I'll be reviewing it myself on my blog shortly after my posts on Thailand.
Anyway, if you are a Japanese food lover. Give it a try and let me know if its close to what you get in Japan. Cheers and continue the good work.
wow next time we know what to eat when we visit Japan!
looking foward to your next few posts on your trip! :)
indeed this is a famous tempura restaurant, but it is not the best tempura restaurant in japan. this is just classical street style tempura like how ppl in the olden times like how people use to do it. thick batter type, japanese cuisine is awalys undergoing refinement, so everything is going a lighter and softer touch instead of the heavy touch in the past.
So where can you find the best tempura in Japan?
Yoshida used to serve tendon in that style when he was running a shop at the basement of Lucky Plaza... I think it's still on his set lunch menu now...
HXY
the best tempura restaurants are also very different and expensive kind of experience. pick up the michelin guide, there are some inside.. like kondo, fukamachi.. i suppose tenshin at regent comes into mind, for this type of tempura.
hi HXY,
instead of selecting anonymous, u can choose "Name/URL" & enter ur pen name "HXY" to show ur pen name! =)
If the Japanese did win the war, I suppose Singapore would have been very different...could be good and bad at the same time.
Anyways, yes I think the best food in Asia you can get, is seriously at Japan, where the locals place so much emphasis on hospitality not only in terms of food, but service, accomodation, entertainment. And I am pretty sure that to go to Japan is truly a blessing.
I would say that almost all the food there is made with passion, love and care so as to give their customers a satisfying experience...which shows their hospitality.
Nice girls, cars and food..
It's a men's paradise. :D
Just visited the same restaurant last week when I was in Tokyo, I also waited for about 45 minutes..
But the tempura really tastes unique and worth a try!
oh man... i wish that i was more aware about japan and its culture when i went there last year! but even then, i could tell that the food was really really exquisite. wish that i had taken more time out to appreciate and savour every moment there
I love Japanese food and its culture.
The food is really nice and unique,especially their seafood.
thanks for sharing japan feast with us =]
Oh finally ieat blogs Japan!!! Mecca of truly awesome food! What else did you eat there? Can't wait to see more. I LOVE JAPAN! Yum yum yum! Must go back with my better camera...
Dr Les
Please post all your eating haunts in Tokyo. I will be heading to Japan in 2 weeks time.
Would like to eat what the Doc eats (presumably healthy food ?) ;)
Big Tummy
Near the temple is another interesting restaurant. It serves dojo fish (loach) which is a delicacy. Served in various forms, the restaurant uses it's own well water and is 200 over years old and is run by the third generation owner, a nice gentleman who speaks fluent mandarin. The restaurant is designated a national treasure by the Japanese govt.
I tried this restaurant when I was @ Tokyo early Nov08. I went during dinner time and there was no Q at all.
I still prefer the light crispy type of tempura. This is the other tempura restaurant that I had at Shinjuku (Funebashiya Hoten Tempura)
tried Tsunahachi at Shinjuku...live eel and prawns cooked right before you.
It was a really interesting experience to eat fresh tempura.
that restaurant you went to has another branch just around the corner and it is equally packed. btw they called it "Edo style tempura"..each time i go to tokyo, i will make it a point to eat at this restaurant. This restaurant has more than a 100yrs history and even though they do not speak english, they have a photo album if you asked (for those who can't speak jap).
i have never had a bad tomyam gong in bangkok, does that mean the thais are obsessive with perfection? passion love care and hospitality? geez... those are very high praises from having good sushi. eat the food and enjoy it... but dudes, lay off the very singaporean thing to pronounce stereotypical anecdotal social commentaries.
well, certain cultures take food very seriously. the Japanese and the French are such people. i never had a bad meal in Tokyo. I ate cheap stuff like the bento sets, Japanese fast food, ramen, etc. All were quite enjoyable. They do take a lot of pride in preparing their food. Not all Simgapore hawkers take pride in what they do. That's the difference.
i never had a bad meal in places like bangkok or penang either. difference is i don't go around inferring things about the people or their culture just from that.
Japanese have a strong food culture. French and Chinese as well. This can be clearly observed. No inference is necessary. Why is there so much bad hawker food in Singapore and even JB? Many of those that I find okay are inconsistent in their quality. Why?
i totally agree with that. i visited Japan more than 6 times and the quality and consistency of food there is unquestionable. The difference is they take a lot of pride in preparing their food.
Thanks Leslie, your descriptions are helpful. I'm going to Tokyo on 23 Dec, and folks have recommended that we go to Tonki and Daikokuya.
My family ate at Daikokuya and loved the big sized prawns. The batter is soggy due to the sauce that's poured over it, so it's different from the typical crispy tempura. Didn't get a chance to try other tendon in Tokyo though, so can't really compare.
There's a tendon shop just outside Asakusa station exit that seems quite popular, with a queue forming even before it opened.
There's two branches. I ate at the one next to the hotel one night. no queue. English menu available. staff could speak and understand English. Next day I ate at the main branch for lunch. Long queue. Waited half an hour for food. staff spoke Japanese. Menu in Japanese. I liked it. It's an old traditional style tempura which gives you a warm, homey feel about it. To me, the main branch one tasted better.
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