The Ten-don rice bowls at Tendon Ginza Itsuki are out of this world and, fortunately for us, straight out of Tokyo and now in Singapore for the very first time. Ten-don is a portmanteau of tempura and donburi, where the moniker refers to a bed of rice nestled at the bottom of a heavy ceramic or stoneware bowl, crowned with the cleanest tasting, lightest and crunchiest “tempura” I have ever tasted.
Chef Keisuke-san, holding true to his roots, is a stickler for authenticity and perfection. To that end, Tendon Ginza Itsuki has only two items on the menu – that is what I call dedication! You choose between two tempting choices of the self-explanatory vegetarian ($12.90) or the special ($13.90) option which piles on a mix of prawn, chicken and the bewildering fried onsen egg that is soft and runny on the inside but fried and crispy on the outside.
Accompanying the two Ten-don options are a noteworthy chawanmushi that is very richly flavoured, Miso soup and pickled vegetables. For the hallowed fried-runny onsen egg alone, I would choose the special every time.
Much has been said of the batter and the exacting technique employed to fry the various ingredients here which produces a crisp golden yellow coating that is light, and a fulfilling crunch that appeases the same basic human idiosyncrasy as having to pop the bubbles on a piece of bubble wrap.
The batter itself is made from a high-grade flour imported from Japan, and mixed with the optimal proportion of egg white to enable it to coat any ingredient evenly, sealing it off from the oil completely. The oil is also a blend of soy and sesame oils specially formulated to create the perfect tempura that does not weigh the diner down. The result of this exacting technique is a tempura that cooks in its own juices under the batter and does not soak in any oils.
The prawn, the pumpkin, the chicken, the bell pepper and even the leaf of vegetable – which can be easily overcooked even on an ever trusty wok – are clean tasting, fresh, light and and crisp as though they were slightly blanched. A first for me was the half-cooked egg tempura. Encased in the same cocoon of crispy batter, the runny egg inside was soft and full of gooey goodness. This for me was a standing testament to the cooking method employed.
Upping the ante on providing authentic cuisine, the bowls used are imported from Japan and of a century-old heritage. These ceramic treasures are made by Arita, a brand specialising in these bowls for the last 400 hundred years.
Equally intriguing to me as I waited for my order to be served was the dance between the chef and kitchen assistants behind the serving counter. Each movement seemed like a choreographed motion of concentrated refinement.
As a special treat, we were given a taste of Chef Keisuke’s SG50 tribute which is a recreated laksa in Japanese style. Like inspirational paragraphs on stationary, it looks good, tastes good but definitely isn’t laksa; it is a unique Nippon creation. The stock is chock full of a rich seafood flavour. Unlike laksa though, the soup was thick, much like mee rebus.
A laudale effort, Chef Keisuke has included an extra bowl of stock and condiments for the diner to customise this dish. There is even a bowl of roasted rice to lap up every drop of the delicious stock with. Do try it on a limited time only at “Keisuke Tokyo”, the ramen dining outlet at Suntec City Mall.
Tendon Ginza Itsuki
101 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088522
Tel: +65 6221 6678
Opening hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm; 5:30pm – 10pm (Daily)
