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

TOKYO: Masaru まさる

I've been to Tokyo so many times over the last few years. And my favourite hangout is Shibuya. However, recently.. Maybe it's got to do with my self esteem always taking a dip because Japanese girls in Shibuya or rather in general but more so in Shibuya are all so fashionable and pretty!

Maybe it's got to do with me wanting to feel more connected with spiritual things
lol, my mom and aunty would say " YOU'RE CHRISTIAN OKAY, HOW CAN YOU SAY SPIRITUAL CONNECTION WITH TEMPLE THINGS" 
Ya, I'm a christian, but I don't know why whenever I'm at a Japanese shrine eg, Meiji Jingu, I feel at ease and at peace the most...

Or Maybe it's got to do with age catching up and priorities changing
Asakusa has a kitchenware street! Where my onsen tamago "machine" was purchased and now I can make perfect onsen tamago to go with my meal!

I really enjoy Asakusa

It's so pretty!

One restaurant that I really enjoy coming for lunch in Asakusa is Masaru.

Another place I really enjoy is Tsushima Ramen ( check out the post here) 

I've done my research and if we talk about the most popular tempura restaurant in Asakusa, it's got to be Masaru. You'll probably ask, what about Daikokuya, Tenfuji (I would recommend Tenfuji if you smoke because you can smoke inside. BUT as a medical practitioner, the best thing you can do for your health is to QUIT SMOKING ) etc

Yeah I'm pretty sure those are good too. But Masaru has been introduced several times on Japanese TV and many famous Japanese celebrities and the likes has visited this place. I would dare say that the crowd in Masaru is more local than the other places. By the way, the price is also double or triple  the other popular tempura places in the area but that's because Masaru only uses top notch seafood which are caught freshly off Tokyo Bay. 

By the way, occasionally, if the chef can't purchase the best Tokyo Bay seafood at Tsukiji fish market that morning, then the restaurant won't open. Hence... if the weather is shit ( windy, heavy rain) the night before such that you felt it was unsafe to be out, there's a high chance the Japanese fishermen also felt the same and they wouldn't go out to sea to catch any seafood. And, I would highly advise you not to make the trip down to Masaru the day after because there's a high chance the restaurant is closed. 

Extremely inconspicuous. Apple maps got me lost, I was walking round and round. 

Very simple menu ( only 4 choices)

Nobody goes for the 2 cheaper ones (2500 and 2800yen) so I won't even bother.

People either go for the 3500yen or the 4800yen

Anago Tendon ( conger eel tempura bowl) 2500yen

Edo Mae tendon (mix tempura bowl) 2800yen

Oh-iri Edo Mae Tendon (special mix tempura bowl) 3500yen: one kuruma ebi (prawn), anago (conger eel), kisu (a type of fish) and megochi ( flathead fish)

Kuruma Ebi Tendon (prawn tempura bowl) 4800yen: 4 kuruma ebi (prawns) only

This will be the first time I advise you not to go for the most expensive 4800yen. This is because the 4800yen only consists of prawns. So unless you're allergic to fish or you hate fish, go for the 3500yen because there's more variety.

If you want miso soup, you have to pay an additional 200yen.

I highly recommend rocking up early since they do not take reservations. They open at 11am, I got there at 11.15am and I had to wait for the next seating. Although it states that they are open until 3pm, they close once their ingredients are sold out. So yeah, better to rock up early before doing the touristy things rather than rock up at 2pm just to find that everything is sold out and they are closed.

Because it's such a small restaurant (4 people at the counter, 10 for tables) , be prepared to share table

(picture taken by a total stranger who was sitted opposite me)

WHAT A BEAUTY (The tendon i meant )

Haha the poor Japanese dude opposite me must clearly think I'm a nutcase. He had to take so many shots of me lollollol. 

To be fair, HE OFFERED TO TAKE MOST SHOTS OF ME! He said I " eat happy" 

HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU HAVE LUNCH AT MASARU IF YOU'RE IN ASAKUSA. you will definitely not regret it. I've recommend this to a couple of friends and they all say it's the BEST tempura bowl they've had.

Masaru (まさる)

1-32-2 Asahi, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Asakusa

tel: +81338418356

No english menu, no credit cards, no reservation

Open 11am-3pm

Close every Wednesday, Sunday and holidays or when the chef can't purchase any seafood from the market.