Tempura Yamagami (天麩羅やまがみ)
🍤 Tempura / 📍 Kokubunji
📓 Visits: 5 (2024-2025)
Pictured below is the "tokusei tendon". Notice how the chef has also included the shrimp head.
I've included the above for "completeness" but I recommend you ignore all of it and simply ask for the 8K "tsuki" dinner course whenever you go, which is what I do now.
I'd score most pieces 8/10 and a few at 7.5 or 9/10. The least good piece is the ebi zume shiitake. It can be a bit small and dry, lacking in flavour and overcooked. The kisu is a bit small and thin but the flavour is good. Anago is thin and fried so it's almost hard and little dry, so it probably won't make you sigh but it's still satisfying. Everything else is good or better. The ayu is as good as you'd find anywhere else. My favourite piece is the hamaguri. The shellfish retains a lot of moisture so it's difficult to make it stay crispy but I didn't mind and the inherent salinity meant the piece needed no extra seasoning. Tendon is not crispy but the tare is well-balanced. You're not asked what size rice you'd like but I'm sure chef would oblige if you have a preference. A couple of pieces have been on the greasy side (shirao oba maki, maitake) and a fair amount of oil is left on the paper but the oil is fresh, the tempura is not heavy and (the mark of a quality tempura restaurant) there's no taste of stale oil on your palate when you leave.
It's a casual restaurant run either single-handedly by chef Yamagami (who trained at Ginza Tenichi's Futakotamagawa branch) or with the occasional help of an assistant depending on how busy they are. Daikon is topped up without you having to ask. You can choose to season your tempura with salt, curry salt, tensyu or lemon. No English is spoken and Yamagami-san is fairly quiet but polite. You can eat at a time of your choice and at your own pace and if the course isn't enough you can order extras.
It looks far on the map but it's only 20 minutes by fast train from Shinjuku and 5 mins on foot from the station. I can get seats at any of the top tempura restaurants in Tokyo/Japan but Tempura Yamagami is now the only place I eat at several times a year.
📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1325/A132502/13291190/
❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.1 (value: 5.0)
📱 Booking: 🟩 Reservations are accepted by phone in Japanese only and you should have no problem getting a seat the same day. Walk-ins are possible but I recommend you make a reservation to avoid disappointment. Check the chef's Instagram for scheduled closures.
📍 Location:
2-5-5 Honcho, Kokubunji-shi. 5 mins east from Kokubunji station North Exit. You should easily get a seat on the train from Tokyo or Shinjuku but there are fewer express return trains and during evenings or weekends return trains are packed, so unless you want to stand for 25+ minutes the purchase of a Green Car ticket is money well spent.
Map data ©2026 Google
📶 Free WiFi? ✅ Yes
📅 Visit October 2025
Tsuki 8,300
Ebi tama x2
Ebi x2
Shiitake ebi-zume
Kisu
Renkon
Hamaguri
Maitake
Shirasu oba maki
Ginnan
Anago
+Megochi
Tendon
Akadashi
Yokan
📅 Visit May 2025
Tsuki 8,300
Salad
Ebi tama x2
Ebi x2
Shiitake ebi-zume
Kisu
Asparagus
Hamaguri
Renkon
Ayu
Kogomi x3
Anago
Tendon (or tenchazuke)
Akadashi
Pickles
Kuro goma pudding
📅 Visit January 2025
Tsuki 8,300
Ebi tama x2
Ebi x2
Shiitake ebi-zume
Megochi
Renkon
Amadai
Maitake
Kaki
Ginnan x6
Anago, anago senbei
Tendon (or kakiage or ochazuke)
Anin tofu
📅 Visit October 2024
Tokusei tendon 3,500
Ebi tama x2
Ebi x2
Kakiagedon
Kisu
Anago
Shiitake
Renkon
Asparagus
📅 Visit September 2024
Lunch course 4,000
Ebi tama x2
Ebi x2
Maitake
Kisu
Tama negi
Renkon
Anago
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