The Place Another new dining spot in Palais Renaissance other than Mare Hachikyo Singapore which I visited recently. Meet Tempura Ensei, a new Edo-style tempura restaurant located at the basement of the mall. It is a minimalist and intimate counter seating with an open kitchen centred around the cooking pot where you can watch each tempura being prepared and fried. 

Offering an omakase experience, Tempura Ensei highlights Japan’s finest seasonal ingredients, including Kuruma Ebi and fresh vegetables, all fried in premium oil and paired with an exclusive selection of sakes. The restaurant is led by Chef Naruki Takeshima who was trained at the renowned 120-year-old Tokyo tempura institution, Tenkane, alongside Executive Sous Chef Masashi Watanabe, a seasoned chef and certified Sake Sommelier from Niigata. 

The Food The restaurant’s unique tempura technique begins with a thin batter made from premium cold-stored Tomizawa Super Violet flour, chilled water, and eggs. High-quality Taihaku Goma Abura sesame oil, prized for its clean finish, is used to enhance the natural flavors of each ingredient.

The omakase menus include Lunch Omakase at S$128++ per person and Dinner Omakase from S$188++ per person. I had the S$288++ dinner menu and here is what to expect:  

Appetiser – Red Snapper Sashimi  
The sashimi is from Hyogo prefecture, served alongside marinated wasabi flower in dashi sauce. 

Hamaguri Owan, Canola Flower  
A delicate clear soup made with katsuobushi and hamaguri clam juice, complemented by Nanohana (Canola Flower). 

Tempura  
The series of tempura courses is served with house made tempura sauce of Soy Sauce, Mirin, and Katsuobushi Dashi. 

Kuruma Ebi (Tiger Prawn)  
This is from Kumamoto prefecture, served alongside its crisp head for a rich umami flavour, 

Kisu (Japanese Whiting)  
A fish from Chiba prefecture, this is a lean and sweet silver-skinned fish popular during Spring season. Chef Takeshima prepares the fish by a tinge of salt and vinegar before frying. 

Asparagus  
Specially harvested from Kyushu for its exquisite, sweet flavour, Chef Takeshima sources his asparagus seasonally, starting from Kyushu and gradually moving north to Chubu and Hokkaido as temperatures rise. 

Bafun Uni (Sea Urchin)  
Fresh Uni from Hokkaido which is encased in crisp nori then deep-fried. 

Palate Cleanser 
Kasugodai is a cold dish featuring Ibaraki baby seabream steamed with sake, served with house made dashi vinegar jelly and chili-accented radish puree. 

Shiitake Mushroom  
The interesting bit here is that the mushroom is stuffed with Shiba Ebi (prawn paste) which makes its taste and bite much more wholesome.  

Awabi (Abalone)  
The abalone from Kyoto is tender and is served with an umami rich Abalone Liver and Rice Porridge sauce. 

Fukahire (Shark Fin)  
Served with a house made clear dashi sauce. 

Anago (Conger Eel)  
This is from Nagasaki prefecture which is prized for its soft texture and sweet profile. 

Sweet Potato  
A simple ingredient from Kagoshima prefecture which is roasted and deep-fried. 

Tendon/Tencha 
Tempura Ensei’s Tendon features seasonal seafood and vegetables over Japanese rice, served with house made miso soup of katsuobushi and Nameko mushrooms. 

Alternatively, you can also opt for Tencha where house made katsuobushi dashi is poured over the rice. 

Dessert 
A simple showcase of fresh produce. I had sweet and fresh Strawberries (Ichigo) from the farms of Tokushima region. 

Rants Some tempura courses fared much better for me than the other. For instance, I wish the batter for the prawn tempura was more crisp. In comparison, the asparagus and shiitake mushroom were much better.

Will I Return Again? While there are many sushi-centric or kaiseki style omakase restaurants in Singapore, there are not many which specialises in tempura, and this is another addition to the fine tempura omakase dining scene. Prices are on the steep end for dinner.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5 

Tempura Ensei 
390 Orchard Road  
Palais Renaissance, B1-06/07  
Singapore 238871 

Opening Hours 
Monday to Sunday:12pm to 2pm; 6pm to 10pm 

Ranted by The Ranter