Edo style tempura restaurant established in 1925

Along the Kokusai-dori Street of Asakusa, stands the long-established tempura restaurant “Takaraya” in a friendly and traditional corner.

The front door is always open, as if to mean that customers are always welcome to drop by.

There are eight seat by the counter and five tables. The spacious room is comfortable.

As I go in, I am warmly greeted by the okami-san (female owner).

It was pleasant to see the husband chef working quietly behind the counter.

Excellent shrimp ten-don using three different shrimps

After studying the menu for sometime, I made up my mind on the ten-don that has three different shrimp tempura; kuruma shrimp, shiba shrimp and flower shrimp.

I waited watching TV and playing with my smartphone.

I hear the sizzling sound of the tempura being fried. The slight smell of the oil is pleasant.

Ten minutes later, the okami-san brings me the miso soup, pickles and ten-don.

The shrimp tempura look amazing!

It was my first time to try flower shrimp. I think it must be called this way, because the small-ish shrimps stuck together create a flower-like shape.

The tempura covered with sauce is piping hot and delicious!
As the sauce looked quite dark, I was afraid it was going to taste too strong or spicy, but it actually tasted perfect. The rice absorbs this rich sauce and tastes excellent!

There are two big shiba shrimp pieces!

The crispiness of the tempura and flavorful shrimp create a perfect harmony. I absolutely recommend this ten-don to all lovers of shrimp.

The simple miso soup has tofu in it. The heartwarming taste reminds me of the miso soup my mother used to make.

A restaurant with a traditional feel, run by a modest but charming couple

Both the okami-san and the husband were quiet and reserved, but very warm at the same time. They made me feel like I just came back home.
As I thanked them for the wonderful meal and left, both of them thanked me for coming and told me to get back home safely, smiling. I really appreciated their genuine kindness.

The Edo style tempura was definitely delicious, but it was the warmness of the couple that made my experience at Takaraya very special.

writer：Yoko