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The tempura at Tempura Kondo is very light.
The reason is that the tempura batter made from flour doesn't absorb too much oil.
We have gotten rid of the whole concept of a thick batter. We try to make it as thin as possible and bring out the wonderful color and aromas of the ingredients.
People may think of tempura as a fried-food, but I look at it as a steamed dish, too. The use of heat and moisture is utilized to maximize the umami of ingredients and the umami enclosed within the batter.
Even after you remove a piece of tempura from the hot oil, the residual heat will continue to steam the ingredient inside the fried batter, which help to bring out its distinctive flavor.
Delicious tempura cannot be made unless you factor residual heat into the timing of cooking the tempura just right. This is the kind of dish that tempura is.
Originally "Tokyo style (Edo style)" tempura was served at outdoor food stalls in the Edo period, and consisted of an abundance of seafood. It wasn’t found at high-class restaurants.
However, I thought it would be useless if vegetables were not used.
I wanted to establish a restaurant that would combine Japanese and French cuisine using tempura. Every cuisine around the world uses local vegetables. Because I didn’t want our tempura to be any mere Japanese dish, we have incorporated local vegetables and created tempura-focused courses that guests would not get tired of.
I believed by doing that, we might be able to turn tempura into a Japanese food that would be as popular and well-known as sushi.
We always make sure to try the vegetables and make sure they are the highest quality before we purchase them.
We never settle for anything than the best.
It's as thick as a stump, and well over 10 centimeters, the sweet potatoes are slowly be fried in oil for about 30 minutes, so that the moisture and sweetness are firmly sealed in the tempura. Aren’t sweet potatoes that have been roasted delicious? The effort in making even better roasted sweet potato tempura, resulted in the sweet potato tempura we make today.
Born in Tokyo in 1947.
After graduating from high school, he entered the prestigious [Tempura and Japanese restaurant Yamanoue],
At the young age of 23, he was appointed chef and worked hard for more than 20 years honing his skills as chef.
In 1991, he opened "Tempura Kondo" in Ginza.
A key player in promoting tempura domestically and internationally
With more than 50 years of experience as an artisan, he believes that with tempura “a chef should be inviting towards guests.” He stands at the counter day and night tirelessly frying tempura, with his years of experience that have sharpened his skills. With an inquiring mind, he continually is always looking to create new tempura.
・2019 The first Tempura Chef in history to be awarded the Gendai no Meiko (the award for The Contemporary Master Craftsman).
・2023 The first Tempura Chef in history to be awarded the The Mentor Chef Award.
・Awarded 2 stars by the Michelin Guide Tokyo consecutively since 2008 until now. ※1 What is Gendai no Meiko (the Award for The Contemporary Master Craftsman)?
Started in 1967, Gendai no Meiko is a honorary award given by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to artisans and craftsmen who have shown outstanding skills in their field .
※2 What is The Mentor Chef Award?
The Mentor Chef Award is presented to by Michelin Guide Blancpain to chefs whose work and career serve as a role model for others. The award honours chefs who devote themselves to training the next generation, serve with passion as guides for others, or contribute to the advancement of the restaurant industry.
Chef Fumio Kondo of Tempura Kondo won the Mentor Chef Award for the 2024 MICHELIN Guide Tokyo.
| Address | 〒104-0061 5-5-13 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo (Sakaguchi Building 9F) |
|---|---|
| Phone Number | 03-5568-0923 |
| Closed | Sunday (Closed if Monday is a Public Holiday) |
| Business Hours | Lunch: 12:00 p.m - 3:00 p.m. (1:30 p.m.) Two lunch slots: 12:00 and 1:30 p.m. Dinner : 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 4 Dinner slots starting at the following times: 5:00 p.m. / 6:00 p.m./7:00 p.m. / 8:00 p.m. ※Time in parentheses is the last order. |
| Location | About a 5 minute walk from Ginza Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line / Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line / Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line |
| Menu | Lunch菫 (Sumire) ￥9,900
Dinner藤（Fuji）￥16,500 |