Last Minute Tempura Lunch

Well, I did try to call a few other places before getting a last minute lunch reservation at Ippoh in Sheung Wan last weekend. I was originally craving for some sushi but when none of the places I wanted have space at the counter available, I settled with my second choice of tempura. Ippoh is a place that I always wanted to check out, so I was just glad I got the chance to at last.

This restaurant sat on the side street of Aberdeen Street up in Sheung Wan, not far away from PMQ. It’s the branch of the Osaka-based, 100-year-old chain specialized in tempura dishes, with some considered this to be the best in town. The place was cozy with only 8 seats at the counter with took up most of the space in the dining area plus a few tables on the side. Behind the counter was the main chef and his apprentice, with almost all the courses coming out from the frying pan in front of them.

Went for the simpler lunch set this time, which includes 8 tempura courses plus appetizer, rice and dessert. Chef began preparation by picking up the ingredients while I enjoyed my appetizer of a small bowl of hirame sashimi. As my second course of a simple salad plus the tempura condiments laid in front of me, he began to cook in batches and delivered to my table once they were ready. Starting off was a pair of prawns, first the heads and then the bodies, cooked separately and served in sequence. I liked how the prawns were prepared – one wrapped in shiso leaf and one without – so they tasted slightly different. I liked but probably the shiso one has more a complex flavor, and either was just fine with a light dab of lemon and salt.

Next up was Maitake mushrooms and Megochi (flathead). In general I think the batter done was on the thick side but still with the right balance. Kisu (whiting) was probably the more common type of tempura course but Megochi was just fine, neatly presented with the tail on, sitting on the metal plate. The thicker batter actually worked perfectly for my next course of lotus root, with the hint of sweetness and crunchy texture – that one worked best with a dip in the sauce with grated daikon that was served on the side.

Another excellent course was the squid – one could tell the size of the original by looking at how thick the chunk that was cut, cooked and served. It’s surprisingly tender but still with a good bite. And to finish off was another pair served at the same time – corn and red snapper fillet. I like the firm texture of the fish but probably slightly under-seasoned, I reckon, but the corn was good, sweet and crunchy, just what I expected from Japanese corn.

Ending my meal I was offered the choice of ten-don, which was the tempura shrimp cake served on a bowl of rice, or ten-cha, similar but served with rich green tea poured over. I went for ten-don and chef began putting together the ingredients, which included a piece of sea weed deep-fried with a thin batter, a small tempura cake with diced shrimps and vegetables, plus the sauce on the rice. It’s served with a generous amount of pickles on the side and a small cup of corn potage. It was comforting, though I could live with a slightly bigger portion of the rice - by the way, those with big appetite might find this lunch set border-line sufficient but perfectly fine as a light meal. And dessert was yuzu sorbet with chunks of oranges, which worked well as the balancing act for the refreshing flavor, given all the deep-fried food I had.

Now I wanted to go back for a fuller course next time, perhaps over dinner and with company.

When? March 30 2019
Where? Ippoh, 39 Aberdeen Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Web: www.ippoh.com/en/hongkong.html