A Peek at the Next Japanese Food Trend...

Ramen, katsu, gyoza...the popularity of Japanese cuisine continues to be high on the list of diners, and now another major restaurant chain from Japan will soon enter the local food scene.

Ever since Portuguese missionaries introduced their battered deep-fried prawns to Japan in the sixteenth century, the dish has evolved to become truly Japanese, an iconic dish in Japanese cuisine. And leave it to the Japanese to build on a great idea and make it even better. Japan's largest and leading tendon specialty food chain will soon make its debut in the metro with its signature tempura and tendon dishes for another unique and authentic taste of Japan.

The face of the popular Japanese chain, Tempura Tendon Tenya from Asakusa, Tokyo (L) will soon greet customers with the opening of its first store in the metro. The Japanese master chef from the head office (R) demonstrates how the perfect tempura is done with the proprietary auto fryer, ensuring consistency in every batch.

And here's a sneak peek at some of the dishes you can expect at the newest Japanese chain to hit the metro, starting with their Japanese Style Potato Salad, a creamy version with soft potatoes and rich Japanese mayo served on fresh and crisp lettuce with a cherry tomato. The mayo dressing, enriched with egg, is creamy and rich in flavor, and the crisp lettuce and cherry tomato complete the play on flavors and textures.

The giant food chain offers over three hundred varieties of tempura-fried specialties including a wide range of fresh seafood and seasonal vegetables back in Japan. Here's one creative starter, the Isobe Cheese, creamy cheddar cheese wrapped in fresh nori and fried in tempura batter, served with Japanese mayo. The soft and melted cheddar cheese contrasts with the crisp nori and fried tempura batter for another light starter, bursting with flavor in every bite. The batter is light and crisp, a perfect introduction to the tendon dishes of the popular Japanese chain.

Tenya also serves noodle dishes, both hot and cold, like the Jo Soba Set, a hefty set which comes with a dipping sauce for the noodles plus two prawns, kani, green beans, sweet potato, eggplant, radish, and ginger. The refreshing cold buckwheat noodles combine well with the fried and battered seafood and vegetables for a complete meal.

And here's the dish that made Tenya an iconic and pervasive local brand in Tokyo...the signature Tendon, a hearty bowl of soft and sticky premium Japanese rice topped with prawn, squid, kisu, green beans and sweet potato drizzled with Tare sauce. Tendon, which combines "tempura" and "donburi" or rice bowl, is the dish that built the Asakusa-based Japanese chain. The comforting bowl has all the elements and flavors for a distinctly Japanese experience, from the perfectly fried and battered prawn and vegetables, the sticky Japanese rice, and the thick and sweet tare sauce to bind all the flavors together in one bowl. A soy based sauce, you'll want to drizzle another generous serving on your rice. Other tendon options include the All Star Tendon, with prawn, squid, salmon, kani, green beans, and mushrooms in a rice bowl; and the Asakusa Special Teishoku Set, with three prawns, green beans, rice, potato salad, miso soup, ten tsuyu, pickles and radish.

And now you can have dessert too, not just the usual ice cream or fresh fruits. The chain will offer its very own Japanese-style Cheesecake, a light chiffon-like like dessert that's moist and not too sweet. Authentic flavors and reasonable prices combine for a value-added punch, and Tenya is another welcome addition to the local food scene.

Stay tuned for more posts on this new and exciting Japanese chain in future posts...

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