Tempura Shinsaibashi Ittetsu 天婦羅 心齋橋一哲 (Osaka, JAPAN) ★★★★★

Ten months after our unforgettable first visit to Tempura Shinsaibashi Ittetsu (天婦羅 心齋橋一哲), we found ourselves back at this gem once again.

Tonight is not just any night; it was one to celebrate the birthday of little nugget's beloved grandpa.

Little nugget remembers this place all too well and he immediately heads for the chef's table.

Again, our chef quickly went over all the ingredients with us. While we've ordered the same omakase menu as before, the ingredients were noticeably different — a reflection of the changing seasons.

The same three types of salt were readily available in front of us (seaweed, plum and kelp) and of course, the regular tempura sauce setting stage for another memorable evening.

Shrimp head – There's a good reason why a typical tempura meal starts off with this. Light, crisp, and packed with flavor. The ideal way to awaken our taste buds.

Shrimp 🍤 – Always a crowd pleaser. I love the thin batter, a nice match with the seaweed salt.

Shrimp with shiro leaf – A second serving of the shrimp. This one was wrapped by shiro leaf for a minty and herby twist. The plum salt gave it a nice lift with its fruity notes.

Red pepper 🌶️ – A first for us on a tempura omakase menu. These red peppers from Kyoto was packed with a unique sweetness and I thought it had amazingly crisp texture almost like a potato chip.

Radish salad – We had this last time as well. It was introduced as a radish salad topped with plum sauce but it tasted more like grapefruit to me.

White yellow corn 🌽 – At first, I thought I heard it wrong. How could the corn be white and yellow at the same time?

As it turned out, there were two slices of corn, one white and one yellow tied up beautifully together with a thin batter. This was mild in sweetness but divine in texture.

Whiting fish – Simple, flaky and best enjoyed with lemon juice.

Wagyu, sea urchin, shiro leaf – Following the amazing parade of vegetables and seafood, it was time for the signature dish.

The shiro leaf-wrapped wagyu beef from Hokkaido was elegantly topped with sea urchin.

The wagyu was so incredibly juicy and tender 👍🏻👍🏻. An umami-packed dish bursting with exciting flavors. We had it last time as well but it was even more memorable this time around.

King okra – The chef quickly showed us the king okra from Kagoshima (鹿兒島) before starting his preparation.

Subtle in flavor almost like bitter melon but with a very interesting texture (with a lack of better word). I won't mind having this again.

Scallop – An extra dish I dropped a few more bucks for. The scallop was slightly chewy in the best way, and remarkably delicious with a sprinkle of seaweed salt.

White fish? – Flaky, delicate, and best enjoyed with lemon juice and tempura sauce. Not bad.

Eggplant 🍆 – Not as juicy as I thought it would. Still not bad.

Sweet potato 🍠 – The best part of the sweet potato turned out to be the crispy skin. The seaweed salt gave it a perfectly savory-sweet taste.

A small bowl of red miso soup was served up while we all waited for our tendon.

The chef was busy getting the kakiage ready.

The made-to-order kakiage with chopped onion, squid and fish, simmered in the subtly sweet soy.

The sweet soy wasn't overpowering but the chopped shiso leaves certainly were.

We had a little surprise for grandpa, a small birthday cake hidden in the fridge but the chef had his own surprise planned for the birthday boy as well.

A fruit platter full of muscat grapes and melon inside a "jewel box"! That certainly caught grandpa by surprise.



What a wonderful evening that was! Just ten months since our last visit, and we were reminded once again why we fell in love with this cozy little place. From the impeccable service to the delicious seasonal tempura, and the heartfelt birthday surprise, everything was handled with care and finesse. Some of us did miss the winter ingredients like abalone and crab, but that just gives us the perfect excuse to return again during winter time. 

Food Rating: 7.6/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 1-5-3 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 542-0085 Japan

Closest Metro Station: Shinsaibashi

Tel: +81 (0)6 6245-3132

Website: https://tabelog.com/osaka/A2701/A270201/27107991/

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 2:00pm 5:00pm - 10:00pm (Fri - Sun), 5:00pm - 9:00pm (Wed - Thu)