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A century-old former teahouse near the Geisha quarters of Gion is home to <a href="https://www.gion-endo.com/english/index.html?DestinAsian">Tempura Endo Yasaka</a>, one of Kyoto’s most revered tempura restaurants. Owing to its history as a formal space where geiko and maiko (apprentice geisha) once entertained high-end clientele, the dining room at <a href="https://www.gion-endo.com/english/index.html?DestinAsian">Endo Yasaka</a> emanates classic Japanese elegance, with seasonal motifs and flowers coordinated by staff trained in the art of omotenashi. Ingredients sourced from the Sea of Japan, river fish from Lake Biwa, and handpicked wild vegetables are meticulously fried to light crispy perfection in a handmade copper cauldron and served on elegant tableware. Twenty-dish lunches start from around 7,700 yen per head and include seasonal specialties such as sea urchin wrapped in seaweed tempura; shiitake mushroom encased in minced prawn; conger eel; and kamonasu—a special type of round Kyoto aubergine. Reservations and advance payment are essential at <a href="https://www.gion-endo.com/english/index.html?DestinAsian">Endo Yasaka</a>, but for quite possibly the best tempura in your life, the extra effort will be worth it. —Bryan Eastlake
<a href="https://www.gion-endo.com/english/index.html?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gion-endo.com</a> 
+81 75 551 1488 
<a href="https://www.gion-endo.com/english/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">566 Komatsu-cho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, Japan</a>

An array of specialty dishes at Tempura Endo Yasaka.

Tempura Endo Yasaka: Crispy Perfection