Ten You

At Ten You, a tempura course is more than a succession of fried dishes. Appetisers and seasonal dishes break up the meal, which finishes with rice and dessert. Menu information lists courses with seven or eight kinds of tempura, as well as options with nine or ten; both include a small tempura rice bowl, soup and dessert. Comparing the courses can help you decide whether to focus on the number of dishes or choose a menu that also includes seasonal fare.

One diner who had a course at the counter over lunch recalled Kyoto-grown seasonal vegetables, tilefish, conger eel and shrimp, describing the tempura as light. The appetiser of shira-ae also made an impression. Their account gives a sense of the meal’s progression, right down to the small-shrimp kakiage rice bowl at the end and the pickled napa cabbage. Another visitor noted that the tempura arrived one item at a time across the counter in a thin batter, and enjoyed the sweetness of the vegetables. For freshly fried tempura served in sequence, a counter course is an option; for a simpler meal, the menu also includes a set with tempura, rice and soup, as well as tempura rice bowls.

Diners have also mentioned enjoying not only shrimp flesh but shrimp heads, conger eel, shiso-wrapped pike conger, corn and Kamo eggplant. The courses offer a chance to follow the differences between ingredients. In one account of dinner, a shrimp head served alongside the tempura shrimp was so fragrant that it prompted a wish for a drink. Beer and other alcoholic drinks are listed, making them an option to enjoy with the tempura.

Ten You serves both lunch and dinner, and takes reservations. Reservations are recommended, so it may be worth booking once your visit date is set.