During our trip to Tokyo, M was on a deadline to finish an online INSEAD course he had signed up for. Sometimes, he would call it a night earlier, to finish his assignments, and I would explore the alleys and backstreets on my own, something I absolutely love doing when I travel. On one such day I passed by a tempura and soba joint close to our hotel (in Ginza) that smelled amazing : Tenya Tendon.

A closer look revealed that their menu was almost entirely seafood and vegetable based, so I clicked my heels with joy and made it a point to come back with M. Sadly, I didn’t make note of the name and all I remembered was that it was 1. close to our hotel and 2. had a yellow and blue banner, and it just so happened that the day we did decide to go looking for it was the day I had already walked close to 30 thousand (I’m even exaggerating!) steps and felt like my feet would completely crumble under me. M encouraged me to keep looking just a bit more, and we finally found the blue and yellow banner which looked like the light at the end of the tunnel (and shining down from up above).

Boy oh boy, was it worth the extra steps. This was by far the best soba (both hot and cold) and tempura we had EVER had. Yes, I’m sure there might be better options in Japan, but that can be a never ending debate in the land of unlimited and very high quality food. Tenya Tendon was the best tempura and soba WE have ever had till date, especially for it’s price. This was cheap food, and it was good food.

I soon discovered that they are in fact a chain and have many branches throughout the city, and we loved Tenya Tendon so much, in fact, that I started having a meal or snack there every single day till we left. I still recommend it to everyone I know who is going to Japan, especially if they’re looking for a less porky place and are on a budget.

Mmm…just writing this post is reminding me of the yuzu fragranced Dashi broth…..