I revisited this restaurant with my son because he wanted to try it again since we had a delicious meal there before. We ordered the most expensive seafood tempura rice bowl, with free extra rice. The restaurant is small, with only 9 seats at the counter, and run by a couple. It's recommended to make a reservation in advance as it tends to get crowded. Surprisingly, despite being a hidden gem, half of the customers were foreign tourists. They seemed to have found this place through some research and even planned to come back the next day. However, the recent increase in inbound tourism has led to some tourists not honoring their reservations, causing inconvenience to the restaurant. It's important to respect reservations. We managed to secure a reservation for the first slot at 5:00 PM, but upon arrival, we saw that 6 people were already enjoying their meal and drinks. The tempura rice bowl was huge and delicious, definitely worth the price. They also offer individual tempura and tempura rice with tea, but I wish they had a set menu that included both. I'm not a fan of shishamo, so I might ask if I can change it next time. Lastly, I compared the regular portion with the extra rice portion. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. Thank you for the delicious food.

I finally visited this place for the second time and had the famous "kamiten-don" (tempura rice bowl). The seasonal seafood and vegetable tempura, like asparagus and scallops, were amazing. I regret not getting the large rice portion. Next time, I want to try finishing a set meal.

During the three-day weekend, there was a long line forming before the store even opened. Many people from Taiwan and Korea were waiting. Five minutes before opening, the owner came out and guided the first person in line, which was two people ahead of me. I was given a reservation ticket and told to wait for 50 minutes. Since I had wanted to visit this restaurant for a while and it was a three-day weekend, I didn't mind waiting. Finally, it was my turn. The interior of the restaurant was small with only 8 counter seats. I ordered the luxurious "Joten-don" for 1600 yen. The vegetables were cut into easy-to-eat sizes, and the sauce was not too sweet but had a hint of bitterness, making it a unique and delicious sauce. I will definitely come back during the off-season.

No photography allowed inside the restaurant. Only photos of the food and hands are allowed. The restaurant is non-smoking and offers lunch from 11:30 to 14:00 with dishes like Vegetable Tempura Bowl starting at 950 yen. Dinner is served from 17:00 to 19:00. The restaurant has a counter with only 9 seats. The friendly service by the lovely owner will make you feel relaxed. The reviewer enjoyed various spring vegetable tempura dishes, such as taranome, asparagus, and oyster tempura. The oyster tempura was described as a must-try dish. The reviewer also mentioned their interest in trying udo and other spring mountain vegetables. The restaurant even offers complimentary tempura crumbs as a service. Overall, the reviewer had a delightful dining experience and expressed a desire to visit again.

A small tempura restaurant in Otaru!! It's a tiny shop with only a counter!! I ordered a small drinking set and added a few pieces of tempura!! The octopus and mantis shrimp tempura were truly Otaru-style, something I had never seen before!! The tempura was fried expertly!! It was thin, crispy, and just the way I like it!! The sea urchin tempura was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, a genius way of frying! haha I'm definitely coming back for the seafood tempura bowl next time!

I revisited what I consider to be the best tempura restaurant in Otaru, "Tempura Bon." Despite its small size with only 9 counter seats, you can watch the freshly fried tempura right in front of you. Just watching it makes your appetite soar. After enjoying the "kakiage" tempura made with "hanaage" from "Ebi-Ten" that I have been eating since I was a child, I wanted to try the kakiage tempura from "Tempura Bon." I visited the restaurant and ordered the "Kakiage Tempura Donburi" for 950 yen. Although the restaurant is usually run by the owner and his wife, this time there was a female staff member. I asked the owner for a "medium" size. The previous "anago tempura donburi" had large pieces of sweet sauce-covered eel. This time, the kakiage included shrimp, squid, scallops, green beans, onions, shiitake mushrooms, and chrysanthemum leaves. The small pieces were crispy and well-fried. However, the slightly heavy sweet tempura sauce on the kakiage felt a bit too much. Nevertheless, "Tempura Bon" is still delicious. I think I'll go back for the "anago tempura donburi" next time.

I have always wanted to visit this tempura restaurant. I originally came to check out the new sweets shop on the second floor, but since I was here, I decided to have lunch at this restaurant. The small and elegant interior was packed with customers, but I managed to get a seat just in time. I ordered the vegetable tempura rice bowl (900 yen) with a regular size portion of rice. The counter seating allowed me to watch the tempura being fried right in front of me, which was a nice touch. The vegetable tempura rice bowl included onions, eggplant, green beans, baby corn, shiitake mushrooms, and a few other ingredients that I can't remember. The tempura was perfectly crispy and delicious, and the slightly sweet sauce complemented it well. I think I should have ordered a large portion of rice though. The miso soup was also tasty, and overall, I had no complaints. I will definitely be back again. Thank you for the meal!

Afternoon drinking trip in May 2022 (๑´∀`). A tempura shop in Otaru Sushi Street with only a counter, offering a limited "light drinking set" on weekends and holidays for 1,100 yen, including one drink and 5 assorted tempura items. They serve shochu on the rocks, the standard being "Kagetsu" which I drink every day. The tempura, such as shrimp, mushrooms, green beans, and mackerel with shiso, is perfectly cooked with a light crispy batter. There is a simple option of matcha salt for dipping. I had a glass of white wine for 420 yen, which was quite generous. I also added an extra tempura item, mozzarella cheese for 150 yen. The shop has a low threshold, allowing you to order affordable dishes starting from just one item. A great dining experience, thank you for the meal! (^ω^)

Visited a chain store for a one-coin tempura rice bowl after reading a review by a MyRebi member, and I was in tempura mode. Decided to have tempura in Otaru, and ended up at "Tenpura Bon" for lunch. They had just started shortened hours due to the arrival of COVID-19 in Japan. As a doctor once said when the virus first hit Japan, wash your hands, disinfect, and drink tea! For the meal, I ordered the mixed tempura rice bowl (950 yen) with extra rice. I wanted to try the surf clam and onion tempura rice bowl, but was told previously that it was considered a home-cooked dish and not served at the restaurant. When I called to inquire, they said they don't have surf clam but will consider it in the future. The tempura batter was made with squid, scallops, shrimp, and various vegetables, giving it a slightly heavy and crispy texture with a fragrant taste. The tempura sauce was thicker than before, with a sticky, sweet and salty flavor. I usually like this type of sauce, but this one might be a bit too much for some people. The rice portion was generous, almost too much, so I'll go for a regular size next time. Thank you for the meal.

Around noon, while strolling through the streets of Otaru city, I happened to come across this restaurant just when I was in the mood for tempura. The atmosphere of the place was inviting, so I decided to go in. I ordered the tempura set meal, and my companion ordered the tempura rice bowl. The staff was very polite and made us feel comfortable. Our food arrived in about 10 minutes, and both the tempura set meal and tempura rice bowl were cooked perfectly with a great texture. We were very satisfied with our meal.

In August 2020, although I am far from being a gourmet and still just a casual foodie, I decided to visit "Tempura Sougi" on the last day of Obon to have a lunch drink. They offer a casual drinking set during weekend lunchtime, which includes a drink of your choice and 5 pieces of tempura for 1,100 yen. I chose a glass of sake and enjoyed the tempura of shrimp, shiitake mushroom, bamboo shoot, young corn, and amberjack wrapped in perilla leaves. The tempura was crispy without being too oily, and they provided 4 types of salt (normal, matcha, curry, kelp) for seasoning. I particularly liked the tempura of star anise, which had a soft and fluffy texture with a crispy and fragrant skin. I also ordered some additional items like wasabi leaves in soy sauce, homemade cured mackerel, tempura seaweed, tempura plum and perilla leaf, and tempura star anise. Overall, I had a great time and would recommend "Tempura Sougi" in Otaru for tempura lovers.

I visited around mid-April and had the following items this time: - Tempura bowl - Beer The tempura bowl was around 950-980 yen and the beer was about 500 yen, totaling around 1500 yen. There was a sign in the restaurant prohibiting photos, creating a somewhat strict atmosphere. Therefore, there are no food photos this time, please understand. The tempura bowl included 2 shrimp, shiso leaf, onion, eggplant, and shiitake mushrooms. Personally, I felt that the portion was a bit small and lacking, so maybe one or two more items would be just right. Overall, the taste was excellent and delicious. The batter was crispy and well-fried. Rating: 3.5 stars. The lack of photo-taking may have dampened the excitement a bit, so a slight negative point. Rating: 2.5 stars. The atmosphere was not bad or dirty, but there was nothing particularly outstanding either. Rating: 3 stars. In terms of value, I felt that adding one or two more items would have been better. Rating: 2 stars. The drink was within the normal range. Rating: 3 stars. There was a tempura set meal at a nearby table that seemed to have a larger portion for the same price, so I might try that next time.

I've always wanted to visit a local tempura restaurant in Otaru. The restaurant does not have a parking lot. The lunch menu is reasonably priced, around 1,000 yen. I parked at a coin parking lot and entered the restaurant. The interior is small, with the owner and a female staff member behind the counter. My companion ordered the tempura set for 1,050 yen, and I ordered the conger eel tempura bowl. This review will be brief. It's all counter seats, like a live viewing experience. Although photos are not allowed inside, a regular customer who came in later mentioned how it used to be allowed in the past. I guess there was a need for that due to inbound tourists. In such restaurants, you can only take photos with permission, focusing on the food and menu only. Food photography seemed to be okay, so I took some photos. The conger eel tempura bowl for 950 yen was delicious. The miso soup was flavorful, and the conger eel had a nice weight to it, perfectly fried. The rice and pickles were also delicious, with the rice portion adjusted according to the order. The service was not overly attentive but very pleasant. I had a comfortable experience from entering to leaving the restaurant. I usually write long reviews, but I don't want my favorite places to be known. This restaurant fits that category for me. I will definitely visit again. As of April 18, 2020, overall rating is 3.33. Personally, I believe it has the potential to be rated 3.5 or higher.

In March 2020, I visited a quiet restaurant located on the street known as "Sushi Restaurant Street" in the Shikinai area of Otaru City for the first time. This place seems to be quite popular, with long lines usually forming, but due to the impact of the new coronavirus, there were almost no tourists around. I was able to enter the restaurant smoothly on this day. It is a small restaurant with a counter seating for 9 people. There was an elderly couple as the first customers, both of whom seemed to have a good appetite. Later, another elderly man arrived and ordered his usual dish. Although it was my first time, the owner guided me to my seat. It seemed like the restaurant was run by the elderly couple, with a sincere owner and a friendly wife. I had already decided on the "Tendon" dish, so I chose from the lunch menu. I ordered the "Anago Tendon" for 950 yen. The wife asked me how I would like my rice, showing that they could adjust the portion according to my preference. I asked for a slightly larger portion, perhaps because I noticed that the elderly couple before me had big appetites. While I waited, the owner picked up a large "Shiitake mushroom" in front of me. The wife then served me a hot soup, cautioning me to be careful as it was hot. The tempura was served, with a thick tempura sauce poured over it, and the owner said, "Thank you for waiting." The Anago was cut into pieces, accompanied by eggplant, shiso leaf, a large Shiitake mushroom, and onion. The onion was sweet and not watery, which was impressive. I noticed there was pumpkin on the counter, but luckily it was not included in my dish. The tempura was crispy and not too oily, indicating skillful frying. The rice was firm, just as I like it. The miso soup contained dried seaweed but had a strong bonito flavor, making it a proper soup. The pickles, which I initially thought were store-bought, turned out to be homemade, with pickled radish and pickled mustard greens with a hint of ginger. Looking at the seasonal menu on the wall, there were various options such as "Octopus", "Goby", "Megochi", "Crab Claw", "Cherry Shrimp", "Ayugawa Fish", "Dried Seaweed", and "Herring". Perhaps they will also offer mountain vegetables in the future. In terms of taste and service, there was nothing to complain about. I found the ultimate tempura restaurant in Otaru.

This is a revisit. It's been a while since I last visited San, a restaurant known for having long lines outside due to inbound tourists. I've been avoiding it because of that, but today I was able to get in easily due to the effects of the coronavirus. I ordered tempura with shiitake mushrooms, herring, taranome (buds of the Japanese angelica tree), and megochi (young sardines). Normally, you get two taranome, but they gave me three because they were small. However, the standout dish today was the "Bamboo Shoot and Butterbur Miso Grilled Dish." It was a dish that made me feel the arrival of spring.

On a certain holiday, I visited a tempura restaurant in Otaru, Colorai 1, before the JR fare revision. The restaurant had a traditional Japanese atmosphere with an L-shaped counter where customers could watch the tempura being made. The background music was playing reruns of variety shows on TV. I decided to order the "Mixed Tempura Rice Bowl (900 yen)" after having a luxurious lunch earlier. However, I was surprised to see signs all over the restaurant saying "DO NOT Take photographs." I hesitated, but then saw some elderly customers at the next table taking photos without permission. The owner seemed puzzled but allowed them to take photos of the food only. So I also asked politely and took a photo of my dish. The tempura was well-made, with a crispy batter and a variety of ingredients like mushrooms and seafood. The sauce was rich and flavorful, adding to the overall taste. The portion size was good, and I enjoyed the meal with rice, seaweed soup, pickles, and Pu'er tea. It was satisfying to see the elderly customers praising the food throughout my visit. Thank you for the meal.

I visited a restaurant for lunch after a long time. I parked my car at the sushi restaurant's nearby coin parking lot, and when I entered, there were only two customers. I was relieved that I could get a seat. Since I was driving, I decided to refrain from ordering alcohol. After much consideration, I chose the "Anago Tempura Bowl." Although it looked like a vegetable tempura bowl, it actually had anago (conger eel), eggplant, maitake mushrooms, onions, and three pieces of anago. I didn't eat the onions, but the other ingredients were delicious. I was surprised at how well the anago tempura went with the dish. And the quality of the maitake mushrooms was excellent. They weren't as fresh as freshly picked ones, but the taste and aroma were great. I want to eat maitake mushrooms with just salt next time!

The sauce was not too sweet or too salty, and it complemented the tempura well. The tempura with Hokkaido's unique eight-cornered shape was also delicious. Thank you for the meal.

The L-shaped counter can seat 6-7 people. You can watch them fry right in front of you, and the sound is so captivating that you could watch it all day. The shrimp is plump and the onions are sweet and soft, leaving a lasting impression. It's surprising to find a delicious and filling tempura bowl for under 1000 yen. Some people may misunderstand, but the "no photography" rule is likely to avoid disturbing other customers, as it is actually permitted. It gets crowded during lunch with regulars, so go as soon as a seat opens up.

Today, I wanted to eat tempura so I came to Bon-san. I arrived at 12 o'clock but there were no other customers. I prefer it when it's not crowded, so that was nice. First, I ordered sashimi, marinated herring roe, and beer. The marinated herring roe was excellent and a perfect match for the beer. For the sashimi, I ordered octopus and flounder. The octopus was very delicious, perfectly boiled. The flounder was a bit disappointing as it seemed to be frozen. Maybe it's because of the decrease in customers due to the influence of the coronavirus. Then I ordered tempura. The shrimp, herring, and scallops were all very delicious. And for the finishing touch, I had tempura rice bowl, which was incredibly tasty. I highly recommend it. The crispy tempura was so good, I want to come back again.