Upon entering Tempura Ichika, I felt like I was transported from busy Piikoi Street to a quiet tempura restaurant somewhere in Tokyo. Everything reminded me of Japan, from the restaurant’s quiet music to its minimalist-yet-contemporary décor — recessed lighting fixtures, ceramic koi on the wall, and a mini Japanese garden. While the tempura counter takes up most of the restaurant space, there are also several four-top booths for groups that desire a more private dining experience.

I went to Tempura Ichika with an omakase-loving friend, and our timing could not have been more perfect. It was the night before the restaurant’s grand opening, and if the experience was as great as it seemed (through social media, anyway), it would guaranteed be harder to get in after this.

“We’re the only non-fluent Japanese speakers in here,” my friend observed. “I think that’s a good sign.”

The price for this omakase is on par with others — $160 per person — but might seem steep to some who think, “That much for tempura? This isn’t even a sushi omakase.” But remember, you’re paying for the entire experience. And let me assure you, this isn’t your typical tempura spot. Tempura Ichika is led by executive chef Kiyoshi Chikano, who had training in traditional Japanese cusine in Tokyo. He later earned a Michelin star for eight consecutive years as executive chef at Tempura Matsui, based in New York.

The omakase includes 12 to 14 courses and features a combination of domestic and imported ingredients. For instance, Chikano flies in uni, shrimp and cuttlefish from Toyosu in Tokyo, while utilizing local produce like Molokai sweet potatoes and Maui onions. To create the tempura, Chikano uses traditional Edomae preservation methods like steaming and kobujime (wrapping in konbu seaweed) to prepare certain ingredients before dipping them in a batter of local eggs and high-quality Japanese flour. The deep-fried tempura features a blend of black sesame and cottonseed oils imported from Japan, and are served with pickled Japanese shallots, a house-made tentsuyu (Japanese tempura dipping sauce), kombu salt and fleur de sel from Aichi Prefecture. Each tempura course is explained and comes with the chef’s salt pairing recommendation. The restaurant is also BYOB (no corkage fee) until it gets its liquor license.

We start with two seasonal appetizers — mountain yam with avocado, tomato and ikura marinated with olive oil, and sashimi featuring local ahi and snapper from Japan — before starting the tempura portion. Each omakase will feature eight to 10 tempura dishes. Our selection started with Kuruma ebi presented two ways — the delicate, crispy shrimp heads first then the entire shrimp tempura. I normally don’t love eating shrimp heads — I always feel like those eyes are watching me — but these were too petite to be intimidating. The shrimp tempura was glorious in every way — the tempura was crunchy but not oily, and reminiscent of the ones I enjoyed recently in Tokyo.

Next came corn tempura, then snow crab with shiso. The snow crab was one of my favorites; it’s designed to enjoy with a spritz of lemon and salt. Pickled shallots with kisu — a lean Japanese fish — followed. The fish was separated by bone (designed to pair with salt) and body (recommended pairing: tempura sauce with shallots). The pickled shallots added a bright, refreshing flavor.

Non-tempura dishes were interspersed between the fried delicacies. Ankimo — a Japanese dish made with monkfish liver — was a highlight. “Foie gras of the sea,” as my friend calls it, is always so rich, buttery and indulgent.

The seaweed tempura contained a wonderful surprise — it was filled with Hokkaido uni. Crispy on the outside with a lusciously creamy interior, this was one of the best bites of the evening.

Next came maitake mushroom with tentsuyu, and Hokkaido scallops with truffle salt. The mushrooms boasted a nice chew that contrasted well with the crispy, battered exterior. I love Hokkaido scallops — they’re always so plump and juicy — and savored every bite. I wished the truffle flavor were stronger, but that’s a minor complaint.

Our tempura selection wrapped up with eggplant, squid and shrimp kakiage. By this point, I got full and opted to take these last three pieces home (nothing like tempura in the morning for breakfast). I was glad I did, though, because the ensuing savory seafood ochazuke was delightful. Customers can even choose their rice level (small, medium or large) for the ochazuke. (Note: This course could be substituted with rice, noodles or nigiri sushi). A seasonal dessert — ours was a light, refreshing mango jello — concluded the evening.

When I posted a video about my experience on social media, someone commented, “For that price, I’d rather just fly to Japan.”

That made me laugh, but hey, if your vacation time is limited and you can’t head to Tokyo anytime soon, this is the next best thing.

Tempura Ichika

Address 
434 Piikoi St., Honolulu

Phone
808-888-0000

Hours
Open 5-10 p.m.
Tuesdays-Saturdays;
two seatings at
5:30 and 7 p.m.
Closed Sundays-Mondays

Website
ichikahawaii.com

Instagram
@tempura_ichika

Price: $ $ $

Parking: Street parking or public parking structure behind the restaurant (entrance from Waimanu Street)