Edomae Shinsaku (江戸前晋作)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🍤 Tempura / 📍 Ningyocho
📓 Visits: 4 (2020-2021, 2023)
I visited Edomae Shinsaku three times between 2020 and 2021 and it had been my favourite tempura restaurant in Tokyo. The main reason I stopped visiting was because with only one seating a day the meal starts at 7pm and doesn't finish till around 10pm. Being drip fed food late into the night just doesn't do it for me. In May 2022 the restaurant moved from Hongo Sanchome to Ningyocho, the home of tempura in Tokyo, and since November 2023 chef Shinsaku Nishimura has started lunch service three times a week.
The new location is a most welcome move. The previous space was old, small and draughty. The new space is much bigger with ample room between guests at the darkwood counter. One side of the room is all glass letting in so much natural light that artificial lighting is barely needed during the day. I arrived about 10 minutes early but (unlike being made to wait outside in a storm on my last visit to the Hongo restaurant) was seated immediately. Nishimura-san has taken on two more assistants, including one in the kitchen. All of this contributes to a much better experience, somewhere you would no longer be hesitant to invite someone you were trying to make a good impression on and (most welcome of all) a much faster meal. They even take credit cards now! So all the problems with the old place had been fixed (though you'll pay for this with a newly-imposed 10% service charge) and the tempura is as good as ever (if not even marginally better). But I'd already made up my mind I would not be making another immediate reservation after my meal.
Highlights from my most recent meal include the aka amadai, uni oba maki, the second serving of anago (served with a secret recipe tare), the nasu and shiitake, which Nishimura-san almost burns so the vegetables have a really strong flavour, and the May Queen potato. Past highlights include the kobashira kobujime and asparagus. There's really nothing to fault with the tempura course. The tempura are quite large and very satisfying. The main letdown is the final kakiagedon. It's very small, gets flabby quickly and was way oversalted with the tare on my most recent visit. You're also not asked what size of the (excellent) rice you'd like. The tendon will cost you an extra JPY 1,900 + service and it's really not worth the money.
Nishimura-san is limiting lunch to four guests for now and depending on where you sit you can get a full view of the frypan. Chef doesn't initiate conversation and doesn't speak any English but he's young and friendly and quite interesting to chat with if you can get him going. His longest-serving assistant can speak a little English.
I said I didn't make an immediate next reservation for Shinsaku but that doesn't mean I'll never go back. It is quite difficult to book but cancellations do get released on Omakase. I can go a year without eating high-end tempura before I get pining so I'm quite happy to just wait. While it's good, better than good, it's excellent, it's not next level like Kusunoki. If I can eat once a year at Kusunoki (review to come) and never went back to Shinsaku I'd be happy. I've also started going back to Sonoji (update to come). The technique at Shinsaku is better, much better, but Sonoji uses a wider range of ingredients and proof that a old dog can learn new tricks, I felt a step up from my visit over two years ago.
As I mentioned the closing was disappointing but the bill was a punch in the stomach. The course is advertised as JPY 23,500 + 10%. Add on the JPY 1,900 tendon and no drinks and I was expecting a bill of around 28k. Imagine my surprise to see a slip of paper for JPY 33,900. That's 10k more than the base price. I queried it and it was explained it was due to the inclusion of matsutake, so the course was actually 29k. Now I get that matsutake are expensive but (1) there have never been these surcharges for matsutake before (2) the serving was quite small and (3) why not just advertise the price as 29k on Omakase during matsutake season?
Despite the ending I still recommend a visit to Shinsaku: it's a contender for #2 tempura restaurant in Tokyo. I just can't tell you what your bill is going to be.
📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1302/A130204/13270572/
❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.35
📱 Booking: 🟧 Difficult. Omakase-only. Slots go quickly. Regular cancellations. Subsequent bookings taken at the restaurant (via Omakase).
📍 Location:
Map data ©2023 Google
📅 Visit Autumn 2023
Kuruma ebi x2
Ebi tama x2
Kisu
Sumi ika
Hokkigai
Amadai
Matsutake
Hamaguri dashi
Ehime aka uni oba maki
Anago x2
Nasu x2
Shiitake
May Queen
+ Kakiageddon 1900
Akadashi
Pickles
Matcha moichi
⏱️ Time taken: 1h55m
📅 Visit Autumn 2021
Kuruma ebi x2
Head x2
Kisu
Aka amadai
Renkon
Kobashira kobujime
Matsutake
Uni shiso
Anago two servings
Nasu two servings
Shiitake
Jagaimo
+ Kobashira tendon
Matcha moichi
💴 Damage: 22,300 (20000 + 1600 + 1 drink at 700 - cash only)
⏱️ Time taken: 2h45m
📅 Visit Spring 2021
Kuruma ebi x2
Head x2
Kisu
Aori ika
Asparagus
Kobujime kobashira
Chisai ayu x2
Uni
Anago two servings
Asparagus
Nasu two servings
Shiitake
+ Kobashira tendon
Matcha moichi
💴 Damage: 20,600 (19000 + 1600 - cash only)
⏱️ Time taken: 2h20m
📅 Visit Winter 2020/2021
Kuruma ebi x2
Head x2
Sumi ika
Renkon
Kobashira kobujime
Tara shirako
Uni natural
Uni farmed
Anago two servings
Nasu two servings
Shiitake
+ Kakiagedon
💴 Damage: ~21200 (16-17k + 1500 + 1 drink + 10% - cash only)
⏱️ Time taken: 2h30m
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