Sushi term
Tempura 天ぷら
Tempura is seafood and vegetables fried in a light, lacy batter until impossibly crisp and delicate — never heavy or greasy when it's done right. It's precision cooking disguised as fried food.
The batter is barely there
The best tempura uses ice-cold batter, minimal mixing (lumps are good — they keep it light), and clean, hot oil, so the coating shatters and the ingredient inside stays barely cooked and sweet.
A Portuguese seed, a Japanese art
Frying in batter arrived with 16th-century Portuguese traders; Japan refined it over centuries into the airy tempura served at dedicated counters today.
Insider tip. Eat tempura the moment it's fried and dip it lightly in tentsuyu (dashi-soy-mirin) or just salt — waiting turns crisp into chewy.
Where to try Tempura near you
Top-rated sushi spots on Yes Ichiban with real, orderable online menus:
Bayridge Sushi
Kissimmee, FL · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.8
VOLCANO STEAK AND SUSHIDULUTH, GA · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7
Royal SushiChicago, IL · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7
Bayridge SushiLongwood, FL · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7
Volcano Steak & SushiWEST BERLIN, NJ · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7
Mikata Japanese Grill & SushiKnoxville, TN · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.6