Better go to Japan for your tempura fix.
Been to Kiyomi for tempura and sushi a few times in the past in separate occasion (different than my experiences in Japan but still okay for those who can’t visit that far) … but nowadays I just saved my money for my Japan trips as I go regular enough.
Kiyomi does often give discounts for cash payment.
I am not an expert but I would research more about it before anyone claiming something is more traditional than others or not …
What we see “now and current” and “all over Japan” or more frequently visited by foodies/Instagrammers/Tiktokers/YouTubers/influencers/hypebeasts are not necessarily traditional. Neither are many of the famous/popular places.
For example, go to some of the older or 100+ years old tempura establishments and you’ll see how thick their tempura batter can be.
Some of the questions I ask when I choose where I want to go:
Kansai style vs Kanto style vs other regional style?
Old style vs new/modern style vs evolving style?
My own preference? (mostly based on taste preference, health choice and most importantly budget)
As luck would have it, tried two different tempura places this week.
First is Tokyo Asakusa Shitamachi Tendon Akimitsu. Not really a tempura restaurant but rather a tendon and ramen place. Got the Asakusa bowl which has 2 prawn, 3 seafood and 3 vegetable. Really enjoyed the prawn and the vegetable. Even with sauce on top, still got a bit of crunchiness to it. Nicely fried and similar as what I would expect at a sit down tendon place in Japan. Seafood was salmon and another white fish and just so so. Next time, I would get the Ebi bowl with lots of prawns and then do individual add on. They have maitake and other vegetables.
Second one is Edomae Kiyomi which I think maybe the only course menu tempura restaurant in GTA. If anyone know of another, please let me know. Interesting pricing here with the Omakase menu at $195 but there is a cash discount of 30%. At this price point, quite a bit cheaper than sushi and other Japanese set menu in town and I have set my expectations accordingly. If one is looking for a tempura restaurant experience like Japan, this is not it. Frying is in a Hanaage style where there are quite a bit of crispy bits. Similar to how it is usually done for tendon or at udon, soba places. Better for maintaining crispiness but not something I would expect at a proper tempura restaurant. Just too distracting from the flavors of the ingredients and not really necessarily except maybe for specific pieces. Not sure if it is a frying temperature or ingredients issue but many pieces feel a bit dry. Not really a style that I like and the whole meal feels like a tendon being deconstructed and served one piece at a time. Saving grace is with a few pieces of sashimi, uni, abalone, shine muscat and other higher cost ingredients being served, it is good value
I recall edomae had an even larger discount for cash when they opened. A yelp friend did try them out but preferred the sushi set over tempura set. That was a while ago so things might have improved. I have had them on my lunch visit spots for a while now