Hyperlocal Tokyo

I came to Daikokuya, recommended by a friend as the place to go for tempura donburi. The black sauce isn't overly salty, with a subtle sweetness that's just right. The kakiage (tempura mix) was a surprise - it's packed with small shrimp, making it incredibly satisfying. The soup that came with the set was elegant and flavorful, and the fried eggplant appetizer was deliciously seasoned. It's no wonder this place is so famous - it truly lives up to its reputation.

I happened to walk in around 2:30 PM on a weekday and found no line. I ordered the tempura donburi with four shrimp. The batter was thick and the shrimp were thin. It was more like batter tempura than shrimp tempura... However, the sauce and rice were good. 2400 yen (tax included) for this shrimp is a bit pricey, even for a tourist spot and an old establishment. The service from the ladies on the floor was cold and indifferent. I won't be going back, but if you happen to find no line, it's worth trying once for the experience. I think your satisfaction will be inversely proportional to the wait time.

I finally visited the tempura donburi restaurant in Asakusa that I'd been wanting to try because of the long lines. I went on a Sunday, but the wait was only about 15 minutes. I ordered the standard tempura donburi and a clear soup. The tempura donburi had a generous serving of shrimp tempura, white fish tempura, and tempura scraps piled on top of the rice. The sauce was perfectly balanced, soaking into both the tempura and the rice without being too overpowering. Because the sauce was so flavorful, the tempura wasn't as crispy, which might be a drawback for some. It was also fried in sesame oil, giving it a very fragrant aroma. Many foreign tourists were also dining there. The price was moderate, but I think the taste appeals to both domestic and international customers.

I came to Asakusa after a long time, wanting to grab a bite to eat, so I stopped by this restaurant. Asakusa is full of foreigners, and most of the people in line at this restaurant were from overseas. I wonder if they like tempura donburi... After waiting in line for about 30 minutes, I was led to a tatami room on the second floor. This is going to be tough to sit on! Luckily, there were two chairs available, so I requested one and was able to sit on a slightly higher chair, which made it a little easier. I ordered the ebi ten donburi since I was there. It came with three shrimp tempura for 2400 yen. It was a generous portion. Personally, I prefer my shrimp tempura to be crispier, but this one was soft and the flavor was strong. The rice was also a bit mushy. I was a little disappointed because I had high expectations. Maybe this is the kind of flavor you find in the old Edo downtown area...

The tempura was a bit soggy and lacked the crispy texture I was hoping for, with a heavy sesame oil flavor. The miso soup served with the set meal was delicious. The tempura platter also had plenty of shrimp in the kakiage, so you might not need the two-shrimp tempura donburi.