In the small town of Miyanoshita in the Hakone Area (close to Mount Fuji) there are limited eating options. Many people come here to stay at the Fujiya Hotel, enjoy the surrounding nature and relax from the city life. Mount Fuji is right at the doorstep here and if you are lucky and the weather is clear, you can see this mountain in all its glory. We stayed at the Fujiya Hotel but were not in the mood to pay for the pricey meals here. Hotel staff recommended several options around the hotel. The tempura restaurant was the only one open on this evening so we went there ... It is located just 'round the corner and uphill from the Fujiya Hotel (to be exact). The sign says "Tenpura" and it is lit up at night luckily. You have to walk up a flight of stairs before you enter the small restaurant. It was obviously a family run operation. The mother took orders, the father prepared the tempura and the daughter worked in the kitchen ... well ... maybe they were not related at all ... It was close to closing time and we needed to order quickly. As with any place in Japan, we were thankful for picture menus. We selected several shrimp tempura entrees which were around fifteen dollars each. We sat at a table close to the counter. Behind the counter we saw a very intense chef preparing the batter, selecting the shrimp carefully, dropping it in the hot oil afterwards ... Rarely have we seen this kind of focus in a tempura restaurant. Shrimp was served in a sweet sauce over rice. It was sooooo gooood. We immediately proclaimed this restaurant as having the best tempura in the world. The batter was just right, it was hot, the shrimp was large and fresh, the atmosphere genuine Japanese. We have tried tempura in many other places but this was just the best ... So, if you ever find yourself in Miyanoshita, ask where the Tempura place is with the "Tenpura" sign. Go in there for some really good tempura. Enjoy yourself and relax. Very authentic, very good and very recommended. Tenpura
Turn left from reception and go uphill from the Fujiya Hotel
Miyanoshita, Japan |
