On the final day of the New Year holiday, I struggled with where to eat on this precious day. Everywhere seemed to be closed for the holiday, but after some research, I found that "Pontahonke" in Asakusa was already open. However, I decided to go somewhere else as it seemed crowded. I arrived right at 11:00 am when they opened and was the first customer. Inside the restaurant, there were three friendly female staff members. I ordered the Ebi Anago Tendon (shrimp and conger eel tempura rice bowl) with extra rice for 2900 yen. I debated whether to add the fried scallop topping, but decided against it since I planned to have Awazenjai at "Mihashi" in Ueno afterwards. The taste was truly that of a traditional downtown tempura bowl. It wasn't about the quality of the ingredients, but rather the flavor of the sauce, which was salty and had a strong sesame oil taste that reflected the restaurant's long history. The sauce was addictive and made the rice disappear quickly. It's a taste that will definitely leave an impression.

For lunch today, I decided to go to "San-suzu Iseya" for some tempura rice bowl, so I went a little out of my way to get there. I really like conger eel in my tempura. But when I arrived at the restaurant, I was shocked to see a sign saying that they were out of conger eel. What a disappointment! Still, I couldn't just leave without eating, so I went inside. There was one empty seat at the counter. Since they didn't have conger eel, I had to think of something else to order. I was told that all dishes with conger eel were unavailable. So I decided to go with the tempura rice bowl with mixed tempura. It came with two pieces of tempura on top, along with miso soup with tofu. When I opened the lid of the rice bowl, I saw the golden-brown tempura. Yes, when it comes to tempura rice bowls, they have to be fried in sesame oil. They shouldn't be too lightly fried like regular tempura. A bit greasy is the way to go with tempura rice bowls. I really wanted to have conger eel though.

I recently learned about a genre called "Edomae Tempura," which seems to be tempura fried in sesame oil. I found a relatively affordable restaurant and decided to try their tempura bowl. I was torn between the shrimp and mixed tempura bowl, but ended up choosing the traditional tempura bowl. It had shrimp, sand borer fish, and squid. I usually don't like squid tempura, but the squid here was surprisingly delicious! It was easy to eat in one bite, similar to dried squid snacks. The squid had a taste more like a snack than a meal. The shrimp and sand borer fish were tasty and went well with the rice. The portion of rice was generous and left me feeling satisfied. The sauce had a strong soy sauce flavor, more than the sesame oil. It was delicious but made me very thirsty. I ended up buying some tea and drinking it quickly after leaving the restaurant. I would like to try Edomae tempura from other restaurants as well!

I ordered the mixed tempura rice bowl. The not-too-sweet tempura sauce paired well with the large shrimp, and I was able to finish it all in one go. Visually, it seemed a bit small, but the portion was decent and satisfying. Next time, I want to try the assorted tempura set meal with rice.

I usually have to wait in line during lunchtime, but this time I went a bit later and was able to get in without waiting. I chose a tatami seating on the second floor and ordered the shrimp and anago rice bowl for lunch. The sweet and salty sauce was perfect for the hot weather, and the dish was light so I could finish it quickly. I personally also like the pickles. I will definitely visit again.

I remember seeing the original Ten-sandwich of the shop on a travel show in the past (lol)!! Until September 2018, I worked in Higashi Ueno 1-chome, and when I tried to go eat during my lunch break, the company was going to move (lol)!! Today, I finally visited the shop for the first time and ordered the Fish Tempura Bowl (lol)!! The ingredients in the Fish Tempura Bowl were: conger eel, sillago, flathead, and two types of vegetables (eggplant, lotus root). The eggplant and lotus root were small, but the main fish ingredients were generous. As you can see, the conger eel is overflowing from the bowl. The conger eel, sillago, and flathead were all fresh and delicious (lol)!! Next time I visit, I'll call two days in advance to reserve the Ten-sandwich and have a meal. Repeat visit is already decided (lol)!!

To Izeya in Kuramae, I didn't know you were all siblings. Today I had the Kakiage Tenju. The taste was great, with a crispy coating and shrimp and squid that were firm and fresh. The quality is definitely high. The prices are also reasonable, making it a place that is easy to visit regularly.

I visited the restaurant around 6 pm on Sunday, just after the end of the TV show "Waratte Iitomo." Luckily, there was a seat available. There were two other groups of customers chatting and having a good time. I ordered my usual dish, the "Isenya Donburi." While looking around the restaurant, I noticed they had a limited-time special called the "Kuramae Donburi," but I decided to stick with the Isenya Donburi because it didn't have eel, which I consider a downside. The dish arrived after a slightly longer wait than usual due to nearby takeout orders and customers ahead of me. It took about 15 minutes for the food to arrive. The tempura vegetables included eggplant and string beans. I hadn't had string bean tempura in a while, so I was happy about that. The eggplant portion was smaller than usual. The tempura sauce here is not overly sweet, which I like. It doesn't feel too heavy. As expected, the eel today also seemed a bit thin. I enjoyed the meal, finishing it off with the pickles. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

Order: Shrimp Tempura Bowl x 3 - 900 yen Food and Drink Evaluation: The shrimp tempura is fried in sesame oil, giving it a delicious fragrance. The batter is light and crispy, and it is topped with a slightly spicy sauce. It is truly a perfect tempura bowl. The dish includes three small shrimp, eggplant, and green beans, all of which are tasty. The rice is also well-cooked and very delicious. Ambiance and Service Evaluation: The interior of the restaurant is simple but clean, giving a sense of cleanliness and a favorable impression. The service is good, and it feels like a place loved by locals. Likelihood of revisiting: I would like to come back to this restaurant to enjoy their delicious tempura bowl.

Around 13:30. Luckily, there was no line! The first floor has a counter with 9 seats. The second floor has tatami seating. I visited because I wanted to eat kakiage donburi. The kakiage was very delicious, but overall, it lacked a satisfying volume. The young ladies working there were very kind. ♡

Delicious.. I'm sorry I didn't have high expectations. It was delicious! The dish is called "Iseya Don". It had conger eel, shrimp and vegetable tempura with lotus root and eggplant. The crispy texture of the batter, the savory sauce, and the firmness of the rice were just to my liking. However, I was a bit disappointed that the conger eel didn't have a fluffy texture. It was my first time experiencing a sauce that had such a strong soy sauce flavor. I wonder if it's because of the sesame oil? I've become a fan. I want to make a reservation next time and try the Tempura Sandwich.

I ordered the 1800 yen Choten-juu, which included large shrimp, smelt fish, and tempura. The rice was soaked in sauce with a rich flavor. It was a delicious traditional tempura bowl that made the rice go down easily. The simple pickled radish was homemade, and when sprinkled with shichimi spice and a little soy sauce, it was the best. I enjoyed it until the end without getting tired of it. It was delicious.

This time, I used it for dinner. I was unsure of what to order, but this time I ordered the shrimp and anago (conger eel) bowl. Order details: Shrimp and anago bowl - 1,800 yen * Shrimp and anago bowl, miso soup, pickles set The shrimp and anago bowl is a tempura bowl with conger eel, large shrimp, lotus root, and shishito peppers. The conger eel and large shrimp were prominent, and the saltiness was just right and delicious. Inside the restaurant, there were many autographed color papers of famous people displayed. The staff's customer service was also polite. It's a tempura restaurant near Kuramae Station.

I went to "Kuramae Iseya" with my colleagues from work. We ordered the Edo-style donburi with a strong broth, and it's not spicy unless you get the large portion. The tempura rice bowl comes with two types of small fish tempura, small shrimp, and it's spicy. My colleague had the mixed fish tempura rice bowl (conger eel, megochi, and young yellowtail), and the white fish goes well with the broth!

Ordered the "Isseya Don" at the long-established tempura restaurant "Kuramae Isseya" for 1200 yen. It included fluffy conger eel, crispy lotus root, 2 small shrimps, and eggplant. The sauce was sweet and thick, but the coating was just right. The tempura had a crispy texture and went well with the rice. The pickles served on the side also complemented the dish. It was delicious! The restaurant had many autographs from celebrities. Despite visiting after 2 pm, customers kept coming in. The lunch service offered several tempura rice bowl options for a reasonable 900 yen. I might try the one with two small kisses next time. Thank you for the meal! I will definitely visit again.

I came here after a long time around 5:30 pm. There were two groups of four people in the restaurant. This time, I ordered the anago and shrimp tempura donburi with soup for 1,800 yen. It was served in about 5 minutes. The shrimp tempura was delicious. However, the anago was a bit disappointing as the meat was thin and seemed a bit overcooked. The miso soup with tofu, seaweed, and trefoil was tasty with a strong dashi flavor, and the pickles provided a refreshing touch. It's a nice place where you can casually stop by without any fuss. Thank you for the meal.

The shrimp and anago tempura rice bowl for 2900 yen was delicious with a good customer service experience. The sesame oil added a nice fragrance, and the slightly thick sweet and savory sauce was to my liking. I especially enjoyed the lotus root that was included, and the shrimp was enjoyable all the way to the tail! The portion size was satisfying and the cost performance was excellent. The lunch tempura rice bowl starts from 900 yen for 3 shrimp tempura, which is very reasonable. There are also various other tempura set meals that are appealing. It seemed delicious.

I went back to the restaurant again because I wanted to experience the deliciousness once more, even though it hasn't been long since my last visit. It seems like the second floor has tatami seating, so I'll probably stick to the counter seats on the first floor. This time, I ordered the same fish bowl as last time. It was delicious as always. I will definitely go back again. Thank you for the meal.

Visit date: January 4, 2023 (Wednesday) lunch Instagram: @mash_foodstagram Official LINE: https://lin.ee/AQBeKIP Located in Kuramae, "Kuramae Iseya" is a shop run by the third son of the downtown tempura craftsmen Iseya brothers. The eldest runs "Dote no Iseya," the second son runs "Senbazoku Iseya," and the third son runs "Kuramae Iseya." Order details: - Shrimp Tempura Bowl with 3 Shrimp (900 yen) The portion is about 2 to 3 times smaller than expected, served in a small teacup with mini-sized shrimp. While the shrimp tempura itself is average, the seasoning is quite strong, making the rice go down easily. Some may find the flavor divisive, but I personally quite like it. Overall, opting for the 1,500 yen Iseya Bowl or other options may offer a higher level of satisfaction. Among the three brothers, I found the eldest brother's "Dote no Iseya" to be the most to my liking.

I visited Iseya in Kuramae for a year-end lunch. The location is about a 4-minute walk from Kuramae Station, and within walking distance from Taharamachi, Shin-Okachimachi Station, and Naka-Okachimachi Station. Iseya is a long-established tempura restaurant loved by local people. The eldest son runs Iseya on Dote, the second son runs Chitsuka Iseya, and the third son runs Kuramae Iseya. This restaurant was also established in 1972, so it is a long-established one! I arrived around 13:20. The Tiffany blue building and the smell of sesame oil are the landmarks. The interior is very bright and clean. There are about 30 seats in total. The 1st floor has only 10 counter seats. I sat alone at the counter. On the table, there are soy sauce, shichimi, toothpicks, and paper napkins. After being seated, cold tea was served. The main menu consists of three types: Ju (tempura on rice), Don (tempura bowl), and Teishoku (set meal). There was a great value Don for lunch service, but I decided to order from the regular menu. This time, I ordered the Fish Tempura Bowl for 1,800 yen. After about 5 minutes, the oshinko (pickles) arrived, and after another 15 minutes, the Fish Tempura Bowl and miso soup arrived. The Fish Tempura Bowl, fragrant with sesame oil, contains conger eel, small fish, megochi fish, and vegetables. The large crispy batter and slightly sweet, not too spicy sauce make this tempura bowl a must-try! The homey oshinko and miso soup were also to my liking, making it a very satisfying lunch. Personally, I prefer Chitsuka > Kuramae > Dote, but this restaurant has excellent service as well. Please visit at least once.

I visited Izeya in Kuramae for lunch on a regular day. The location is about a 6-minute walk from Shin-Okachimachi. Izeya is a long-established tempura restaurant founded in 1889. It is a family-run business with the third generation now running three separate locations: the main store, Iriguchi Senju, and the Kuramae store. The Kuramae store is housed in a relatively clean building with a nice interior, and the walls are adorned with many autographs of celebrities. I ordered the shrimp and conger eel rice bowl for 1,800 yen. The dish arrived in about 20 minutes, accompanied by miso soup and pickles. The ingredients included shrimp, eggplant, pumpkin, and conger eel overflowing from the bowl. The bowl was not small, but the conger eel was huge! It was topped with a rich sauce that had a tantalizing sesame oil aroma. The crispy coating, along with the flavorful sauce typical of Edo-style cuisine, was a perfect match. The conger eel, fried to a crispy and crunchy texture, was also excellent! Personally, I was impressed by the well-balanced combination of the rich sauce and the light pickled vegetables. The tempura bowl from the long-established Izeya restaurant not only looks great for Instagram but also tastes amazing. Since it takes some time for the dish to be served, it's best to visit for a leisurely lunch. Thank you for the delicious meal.