Some of the best restaurants are the ones you would never think of going into, but in this case, it's the one you may not be able to find! Tonight, I'll tell the tale of Tempura Ichidai, a hidden Japanese restaurant with many delectable foods. I also define and discuss various dishes present in Japanese dining.
<b>Great Places You Could Miss</b>
==============================
In our biggest shopping mall, and the largest open-aired mall in the world, Ala Moana houses many food courts and restaurants scattered throughout its entirety. No matter how many trips you take to Hawai'i, you'll only ever try a small percentage of restaurants here, a fraction of what is actually available. When my boyfriend suggested we check out a restaurant in the mall I've never heard of, my interests piqued. His best friend had made a recommendation, and seeing as Jake has been a sushi chef for many years, the place we were headed to must be pretty good.
We got to the mall directory to find out where it was, and we were both immediately confused. The area where it was listed, didn't have any other eateries remotely near it, and was located at the outskirts of the newest wing of the mall on the third floor. We got a little lost, before finding the sign in the distance. Now this could be exciting. There was almost no foot traffic in the vicinity, which is odd for such a densely populated area.
---
<b>Never Judge Before You Eat</b>
==============================
Hawai'i is known for what's called; "hole in the wall" restaurants. Where its location basically in the middle of nowhere, but once you're inside, you know it's a restaurant. Nothing about them draws attention from the outside, and your first thought is; "I definitely don't want to eat here!" Restaurants shouldn't be judged on the exterior. It's common that the food can be some of the best you've ever had, from a place you would never expect. Tempura Ichidai was not one of these, but with the lack of people inside and out, it makes you question the quality of their food. It's an obvious sign of popularity to see lines of people waiting to dine, but what if there's no one around?
<b>What is Tempura?</b>
======================
When we entered, there was not a single customer to be found either, were they open? The interior had two large counters, that each made a square, and the cooking stations were inside of them. This is a restaurant where we watch them cook! My heart fluttered, because this is not common place.
As each item is completed, the chef will serve it onto our plate, and any excess oil will be drained. Tempura is batter deep fried fish, meats, and vegetables. What makes it different from carnival foods (funnel cakes and such), is that the items are not that greasy to start. The batter is also extremely light and crispy (not burnt) when served. Japanese bento boxes are popular in Hawai'i and there are supermarkets and restaurants that make them, with their own variety of items. Tempura is a popular dish, but when you buy pre-made (earlier in the day) bentos, they are served on shredded cabbage to absorb the oil, and they taste greasy and somewhat soggy. The best tempura to have is freshly made.
<center>One of two dining areas, the counter goes all the way around</center>
---
<b>Specialty versus Variety, East and West Culture</b>
==============================================
For not having any customers, they had a well thought out, detailed, and extensive selection. We both worked in Japanese restaurants in the past, and were still impressed by the sheer number of items they offered. Upon consulting the two chefs in front of us, we learned that this restaurant was indeed new (in the last year), and that they originally specialized in tempura only.
In Japan, it's common for restaurants to specialize or be extremely skilled in only one area. As Jake put it; there are restaurants that only serve Soba, ones that do only Ramen, and places where you can only order Yakitori (meats and veggies on sticks). In Western dining, it's considered normal to have many types of food, every place has fries, or a burger, or a fish entree, etc. However, due to the lack of customers, Tempura Ichidai chose to expand their selection. Some insight on why newer wings of this mall have less customers, is because although our state is geared towards tourism, many of the customers here are locals as well. It takes a while to get used to the idea that there are just suddenly another 50 stores every now and then. Ever hear of the Winchester mansion? When Ala Moana has a renovation, they build on or add to one specific area. There are half floors, hallways, and multiple routes everywhere. You would definitely get lost.
---
<b>Top Notch Menu</b>
=====================
I'll let you be the judge. Majority of the restaurants I have visited have smaller menus.
---
<b>Ordering</b>
==============
I wanted to order everything off of this menu, and didn't know where to begin. What came as a shocker, was that along with Japanese draft beers, they also had Oolong iced tea (paid), with free refills! Many restaurants here offer a complimentary tea, but it's normally hot green tea, as the only tea. I was excited to enjoy the deeper taste Oolong offers. Although we are fans of Sashimi, Nigiri, and Maki, we came to order Tempura specifically. All of the other items however, were reasonably priced. Jake ordered a Tempura Teishoku (Teishoku is an entree, plus miso soup and rice. In this case the entree is a tempura set), and I ordered a Tempura Course. My food didn't come with a rice and miso soup, but with something better.
<b>Ochazuke</b>
===============
Ochazuke or Chazuke is a dish that uses rice with tea poured on top, and is a comfort food in Japan. There are many possible toppings, including salmon, pickled vegetables, nori, sesame seeds, and others. What makes this dish stand out is that each restaurant that serves it has it's own version, there is no set recipe other than a broth and rice.
What I got in my chazuke was also a first for me. This dish is normally served with green tea as a broth, but when I poured the kettle, a darker liquid came out. Jake tasted and speculated that it may be a mushroom dashi, the broth was delicious and went well with the supple shrimp and green bell pepper tempura that came on top. This restaurant was full of surprises.
---
<b>Medley of Flavors</b>
======================
As our items were served, the chef would explain what each of thing was, that is excellent service. I was rather elated at this point, enjoying the experience. I was also eyeing out the set Jake had ordered, and astonished that other than one cucumber, we didn't have any matching items. I wanted to try some of each item he got, but the only thing I recognized was the Kabocha. (pumpkin, it's the super yellow one!)
On my plate I had chicken, cucumber, asparagus, shrimp, and two other items I didn't recognize. One of them turned out to be white fish, and it was light and had a relaxing vibe in the taste.
---
<b>Rare Delicacy</b>
==================
I immediately stopped eating when I bit into the second unknown item on my plate, and needed to know what it was. Since it was wrapped in seaweed before frying, I had mistaken it for a vegetable. Jake was surprised and called out, "They have monk fish liver??" Monk what?
Monk fish liver is also known as the Foie Gras of the sea, and can be eaten at some upper scale sushi restaurants. Unlike true duck liver, the fish are not over fed to harvest the liver, but is compared to the similarities in buttery texture. The liver of this fish is rubbed in salt and marinated in sake, and is a fatty, chewy, and melting specialty. It tasted weird, and I have never heard of this item before, the taste is very fishy (no pun intended). My boyfriend was drooling over this, so it was a better idea for him to finish it, as he had a stronger appreciation for this level of food. The escargot we had at Chai's a couple of weeks ago, was far more normal than this bizarre delicacy.
---
<b>Dessert as an Art Form</b>
==========================
I love when restaurants get creative with their dessert selection, I could not resist the urge to order one more item. Jake ordered Yuzu ice cream (yuzu is a string tasting citrus fruit), but the ice cream was sweeter than expected with chunks of yuzu inside. I ordered vanilla ice cream that came with dango (sweet mochi on a stick) covered in matcha powder, that came with a container of what I presumed to be chocolate syrup.
It was not a regular Hershey syrup, and not Nutella, it was chocolately, smooth, and somehow light. It went really well with the mochi and ice cream. The platting of this dessert was just as beautiful as the flavors.
---
<b>Ending the Meal & Reflection</b>
==============================
I don't know about you, but I have never been to a restaurant that gave disposable towels before. I'm not talking about wet napkins, but an actual wrapped cloth. I held onto mine, to pull out as a conversation starter for a later date.
Before we left, we were informed that a new menu will soon be available, we are excited to see what new surprises await our next trip. For the service, cleanliness, and quality of food the price of our bill was jaw dropping. We both had tea, a draft beer each, full meal, and dessert. Our total including tip came out to $100 USD exactly. For the experience we had, this price came out far less than we would expect to pay at this type of restaurant.
Being able to see past our normal expectations of what a good restaurant should be like, rewarded us an amazing adventure where the food not only leaves behind a taste, but an improved sense of well being and otherwise indescribable emotions that can only be obtained from the transformation of mood through food.
---
<center>
</center>