I visited Tempura Kurokawa (天ぷら黒川) in Tsukiji last Saturday with my friends. As the name suggests, it’s a tempura restaurant located in a back alley of Tsukiji Outer Market. I’m sure that first-time visitors to Tsukiji would have a hard time finding it—just like I did!
They have a very small dining space with only four counter seats and two tables, each seating four people. The menu includes tempura courses and tendon (tempura rice bowls). I usually opt for a tendon during workdays, but since we were free from work this time, we decided to go for a course meal. Their courses start at 2000 yen, and we chose the “Moon (月)” course, which includes prawn tempura, for 3000 yen.
Our meal started with pickles—daikon radish and cucumber. They had a refreshing taste and were a great way to begin the meal.
On the table, they provided four types of salt: regular rock salt, matcha salt, Andean rock salt, and curry salt. Each added a unique flavor to the tempura.
All the tempura in this article is a portion for two people. We enjoyed the sound of frying and the fragrant aroma of sesame oil as we waited. The first tempura served in the Moon course was prawn legs. They were crispy, and the rich prawn flavor was amazing.
Next came the prawn bodies. Though small, they were naturally sweet, and the crispy coating paired wonderfully with the curry salt.
Then, it was time for vegetables: bean curd sheet rolls (yuba) and lotus root. The lotus root had a satisfying crunch and went well with the rock salt.
After that, we had oysters and burdock & carrot rolls. The oysters were small but packed with umami, so I didn’t even need to add salt.
One of the more unique tempura items was the yam and ginger roll wrapped in a bean curd sheet. The sticky texture of the yam contrasted beautifully with the crisp coating.
Next, we were served conger eel and taro. The taro was my favorite dish of the day!
Finally, we had a mini kakiage bowl. At Kurokawa, their kakiage (mixed tempura fritter) is famous for being filled with half-cooked scallops. The scallops were juicy and flavorful, making this dish a perfect way to end the meal.
The meal ended with a bowl of miso soup filled with prawn heads, adding a rich, umami-packed finish.
Tempura Kurokawa offers an intimate dining experience with high-quality tempura in the heart of Tsukiji. If you’re looking for a hidden gem to enjoy authentic tempura, this is the place to visit!
About
Name Tempura Kurokawa (天ぷら黒川)
Open Lunch, Dinner (reservation only)
Reservation Available for dinner time only
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