(This post reviews the two visits I made to Sansada tempura restaurant in the Asakusa area of Tokyo.)
On the second day after our arrival in Japan, we went to the Asakusa area for sightseeing in the evening. Not having any specific plans for food, we were searching for a dinner place in the area when Sansada's signboard caught my eye, boasting itself as the oldest tempura restaurant in Japan, in operation since 1837. We decided to give it a go.
Sansada's main shop is extremely conveniently located along the main Asakusa thoroughfare, just round the corner from the two landmarks of the area, Reimon (Thunder Gate) and Sensoji Temple - you can't miss it. The façade and interiors are aptly old-fashioned, and I felt as if I was stepping back into the Edo period as we entered.
The space is surprisingly small for a main shop and fills up pretty quickly, so do expect to wait at peak periods. The setting is casual and somewhat spartan, and the service brisk, but polite as expected. The fragrance of the batter filled the air, thankfully with no traces of an oily stench, and the room was clean and well-ventilated. This restaurant felt like it would make a good brief respite in the midst of a busy day, though it was not exactly the kind of place I would want to linger in (not with the queues outside anyway!). Still, a promising first impression.
The name 'Sansada' is actually a combination of characters from the original proprietor's name Sadakichi (定吉) and his hometown of Mikawa (三河), in present-day Aichi prefecture. He arrived in Tokyo in 1837 and established this restaurant specialising in deep-frying small fishes in sesame oil. It has continued serving Edomae-style (traditional Tokyo-style) tempura since.
We started off with a few side dishes from the seasonal menu.
平目の刺身 Hirame (flounder) sashimi
The best seasons for this fish are in autumn and winter. These thick-cut slices were extremely fresh and firm, with a lovely delicate sweetness. The portion was also very generous and satisfying.
赤白かまぼこ Steamed fishcake in festive red and white colours
These fishcakes or kamaboko are one of many traditional goodies for the New Year in Japan. The texture of these slices was absolutely smooth and the bite was delicate and somewhat gelatinous, exactly like the fishballs and fishcakes I am used to back home. It all tasted comfortingly familiar.
銀杏 Roasted ginkgo nuts with a touch of sea salt
Ginkgo nuts are another very popular autumn/winter produce, consumed not only in Japan but also China, particularly in desserts. A popular recipe back home is a bowl of sweet soup containing dried beancurd skin and ginkgo nuts. Ginkgo nuts are not only tasty but also have numerous health benefits, and are frequently used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and other herbal recipes.
These roasted nuts had a soft fleshy texture, and a bittersweet and somewhat puckery taste that truly stimulated the tastebuds and whetted our appetites for the following main dishes. The light dusting of fine sea salt highlighted the original flavour of the nuts even more effectively. I've never actually had them in this roasted, straight-out-of-the-shell form before so this was a refreshing experience.
And now for the mains:
天丼 (海老特上丼) Ten-don, with premium king prawn tempura on rice
I should state for the record that compared to more modern and lighter forms of tempura, Edomae-style tempura is coated in chunkier batter, and the use of pure sesame oil means a stronger aroma. In addition, in ten-don dishes a thick savoury sauce is usually generously drizzled over the tempura before being served to the customer, so flavours are much heavier as well. On the whole, this style of tempura feels extremely substantial - enjoyable but definitely not for small eaters or weight-watchers!
Having said that, I cannot honestly conclude that I enjoyed this bowl of ten-don entirely. To be sure, I had no doubts regarding the high quality of the prawns used - they were fresh, huge and succulent, and the deep-frying in sesame oil really accentuated their goodness. My only gripe (and most damaging one) was with the texture of the batter; it had become all soggy and greasy from being drizzled with the sauce. It definitely didn't help that there was also a rather thick coating of batter to get through. Perhaps it was supposed to be like that, but what's the point of deep-frying something to crispness and then proceeding to drench it in sauce?
天丼 (特上丼) Special ten-don
A slightly cheaper ten-don with smaller prawns here, but with extra pieces of eggplant and pumpkin. The ingredients were all very good - shame about the thick soggy batter. Either this restaurant isn't quite getting it right or ten-don just isn't for me.
Two days later (today) we found ourselves in the area again and decided to give this restaurant a second chance, this time for lunch in its newer branch located right beside the Thunder Gate, round the corner from the main shop. Mental note: no ten-don this time - I wanted to taste the tempura for what it really is.
This much bigger branch features an open kitchen - not sure if the same kitchen supplies the main restaurant too?
To reach the main dining room here, you have to make your way up to the second floor.
After passing through all the narrow staircases and corridors, this large spacious tatami room opened up in front of us - I can't deny that I already felt better about this new place!
Side dishes:
もろ胡瓜 Fresh cucumber with a grainy miso dip
This was the considerably healthier Japanese version of cucumber and celery sticks with dip. Instead of the creamy dressing one finds in Western restaurants, a condiment of moromi miso, a chunky miso with added grains of rice and barley was served. Its firm and slightly chewy texture and deep flavour were the perfect complements to the crisp, juicy and mildly sweet raw baby cucumber. A very clean and pleasant way to start the meal.
豚の角煮（味玉子付き）Stewed pork belly with half a seasoned boiled egg
This was heavenly. The pork was tender and succulent, and even the fatty parts felt surprisingly light. The sauce in which it had been stewed was extremely tasty and appetising, and I only regret having to share this! The accompanying boiled egg had also been well seasoned, but I would have preferred a more runny yolk (just like in ramen) for a more creamy and luscious experience; here the yolk had hardened and partially turned light yellow, a sure sign of overcooking.
Mains:
海老天ぷら King prawn and vegetable tempura set
For our mains we decided to go for the sets in which the tempura would be separate from the rice. I went again for the king prawn set with vegetables (shiitake mushroom and green pepper), which for some reason was slightly cheaper than the king prawn ten-don, despite having the same number of prawns and two extra pieces of vegetables. I enjoyed this much more than the ten-don because I could now really appreciate the crisp and light texture of the batter, and the flavours and succulence of the ingredients within also shone through even more clearly.
かき揚げ Kakiage set, with a disc of chopped prawns and squid in tempura batter
This disc of chopped prawns and squid mixed with tempura batter was the biggest and thickest I'd ever seen! Despite the enormous chunk none of it felt too heavy and cloying; I was particularly impressed by how the pieces of squid had maintained their tenderness and how easy they were to chew through.
All in all, a much better second experience. I have to mention that for a casual experience eating here is not cheap - expect to pay around 4,000 yen per person per meal if you order the exact items described by this post. At this moment I am recalling the stellar lunch we had last year in Hiroshima at the two-starred Tenkou Honten, for which we paid only 4,200 yen per person. Still, for its location and history, Sansada is perhaps worth a try - but do choose carefully.
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