Today we had a tempura lunch at Tatsumi at the Palace Hotel Tokyo, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. This is one of the top restaurants in Japan, and I consider it one of the best restaurants for Japanese food in Tokyo.

Tatsumi is a small restaurant with excellent Japanese food and flawless service.

THIRD TIME LUCKY AT TATSUMI AT THE PALACE HOTEL IN TOKYO

I stayed at the Palace Hotel Tokyo for three nights last winter. On this visit, I really wanted to eat at Tatsumi. Unfortunately it was actually full for all three days except for a very late lunch. So on this trip to Tokyo, I made sure to book early.

The ingredients for tempura at Tatsumi are all from the best food sources in Japan. Everything is local. Furthermore, the chef prepares everything in front of you so you are guaranteed the freshness of your meal.

I also like the style of frying here. The batter is very light and so every piece is perfectly crisp. Furthermore, the restaurant serves six kinds of salt and two kinds of garnish.

SHRIMP FROM OKINAWA AND SALT FROM THE ANDES

Today we began with shrimp from Okinawa. The chef fried the shrimp heads first and then the body of the shrimp. He advised us to eat these with Okinawa salt. He also had pink salt from the Andes on hand. I really liked this tasty salt with the shrimp as well.

INGREDIENTS FOR TEMPURA

A Japanese fish called aji is a mainstay in any tempura restaurant. But at Tatsumi at the Palace Hotel Tokyo, the aji is just perfectly done. Another memorable tempura was the eggplant from Gunma Prefecture.

Usually, deep-fried eggplant is quite crisp outside and inside. But the eggplant today was crisp on the outside and perfectly soft inside. We were asked to eat this with some dashi sauce and grated daikon.

At the end of the meal, the chef asked us if we wanted to order pickled plum tempura. Pickled plums? This is the only restaurant that has ever offered us this unique Japanese food so of course we said yes right away.

This is not an in-your-face kind of meal. It whispers rather than shouts. And today’s lunch was a most delicious meal in a very subtle way.

Read more about articles about the best restaurants of Tokyo in Travelife Magazine.

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• Two nights of accommodation in a Deluxe-with-Balcony Room or Executive Suite
• Daily breakfast at guests’ choice of Grand Kitchen or In-Room Dining
• Choice of one of the following 90-minute experiences at Japan’s only evian SPA:

Vitalizing Signature, a body treatment incorporating traditional Japanese seitai acupressure work with deep-tissue-style massage to improve energy flow,

Celestial Therapy, a massage to improve the immune system and boost metabolism, or 

Mineral Therapy, a massage to ease tension and relax muscles

From there, guests have the flexibility to add their choice of physical or meditative pursuits (at additional charge) from an array of bespoke activities, including:

• A private two-hour swimming session with former Japanese Olympic swimmer and Asian Games medalist Hanae Ito in the hotel’s indoor pool.
• A private three-hour biking excursion led by Tokyo Great Cycling Tour, with the option to request a custom route based on neighborhoods of interest and desired endurance level.
• A private three-hour jog around the city guided by Tokyo Great Running Tour which can be personalized based on areas of interest and preferred fitness level.
• A private two-hour kayaking outing hosted by Tokyo Great Kayaking Tour and tailored based on experience level and which parts of the city guests would like to explore by water.
• A private 60-minute Aqua Relaxation Experience in the hotel’s pool, a therapy which uses water for resistance for a workout that combines gentle stretching with more active movements, helping to improve strength and flexibility while also achieving deep relaxation.

And for those interested in more contemplative yet complementary conditioning, Palace Hotel Tokyo is also offering, in collaboration with TOKI, these one-of-a-kind experiences to relish:

• Two hours of private zen meditation with the head monk of a 400-year-old Buddhist temple.
• A private two-hour Japanese tea ceremony experience at a heritage home conducted by one of Japan’s legendary tea house masters – who is now over 90 years old.
• A private two-hour introduction to shodō, the art of Japanese calligraphy, by a highly decorated shodō artist.

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