TOKYO: Tsunahachi 天ぷら新宿つな八

The pulsing heart of Tokyo, Shinjuku is probably the place you're imagining when you think of Tokyo: bright neon lights, crowds, tall buildings, bustling streets and energy galore. To be all honest, despite going to Tokyo multiple times, I have still not fully explored Shinjuku. Shinjuku is a very strange place - the east side is associated with all the neon lights, crowds restaurants bars and the red light district kabukicho hehehehe. Whilst on the west, it's home to some of the city's tallest high rise buildings, government offices. 

Most of the time I'm only in Shinjuku because it's a train transfer station, this time we decided to explore some of the restaurants and shopping centre. We unfortunately still haven't been to kabukicho, which really kills me because I really like going to red light districts hahaha and see whats going on around there. I'm super busybody yes. 

We decided to have dinner at the popular tsunahachi tempura restaurant. We didn't go to the main shop because we were so tired, we didn't want to wait out in the cold. So glad that they have multiple branches around tokyo, the branch we went to was Shinjuki's keio departmental store. 

Very good - no queue. 

Super tired because we had a long day at Ghibli Museum.

I can't remember if we had lunch.. don't think we did. Maybe that's why I was so hungry !

Condiments for tempura 

They offer ala carte as well as set menu. We decided to go for the ala carte even though this means that our total bill would be slightly more expensive because there were specific items that we really wanted to try which were not in the set menu

Tsunahachi is most famous for their japanese tiger prawns. In fact they pride themselves for being the only restaurant where you can get fresh japanese tiger prawns on a Sunday and New year's.

Kuruma-Ebi

Anago (bottom plate) and shrimp with mushroom (top plate)

can't remember what the specifics of this dish, but look at the tempura fish (top plate) THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WANTING TO EAT! I've been watching a couple of youtube videos of restaurant serving the fish like this and I'm just so intrigued !

Deep fried small shrimp kakiage

And the most expensive of the lot...

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SCALLOPS, SCALLOPS and UNI!!!!! This fried uni is also something that I've always wanted to try!

Ended our tempura meal off with some tempura ice cream :D

Definitely a place to check out if your budget doesn't allow for those michelin stars collecting (eg, Tempura Kondo read more here ) restaurants hahaha. 

Tsunahachi 天ぷら新宿つな八 

Keio: Keio Department Store 8F, 1-1-4 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023

Main store is at :

3-31-8 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022 (Shinjuku Station East Exit or Shinjuku-Sanchome Station Exits A1-A5)
Tel: 03 3352 1012
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 10:30pm

Other Tokyo Branches
Ginza: Matsuya Ginza 8F, 3-6-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104－0061
Ikebukuro:Lumine Ikebukuro 8F, 1-11-1, Nishi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-0021
Tokyo Daimaru: Daimaru Tokyo 12F, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6701