T for Tempura: Japanese Fine Dining in the CBD

Run by Kiichiro Asano, the Japanese restaurateur responsible for bringing the Inagiku brand to China, this modern, two-story Japanese restaurant features seasonal kaiseki sets (RMB 98-288 for lunch, RMB 450-3,000 for dinner) and tempura. As with many other high-profile fine dining places in town, a 10 percent service fee is charged.

Restaurant T defines its offerings as modern Japanese cuisine, no doubt thanks to the influence of executive chef Kenichi Arimura, who previously worked at Michelin-starred Swiss restaurant Ryokan Hasenberg. This concept is borne out with the use of novel ingredients and presentation. The form, however, remains true to the classic kaiseki ryori style: multi-course haute cuisine consisting of artfully thought-out bites and sips.

The first two rounds of sakizuke (appetizers) and hassun (second course; a set of small seasonal side dishes) went by smoothly. Then, the arrival of the mukozuke (a sliced dish of sashimi) brought a surprise. Whereas sashimi is usually made using sea fish, Restaurant T uses mandarin fish. Popular in Cantonese cuisine, this freshwater fish is usually cooked, but when eaten raw, it delivers a clean sweetness and firm consistency.

The cold soup was addictive. Amazingly silken and creamy in texture, a spectrum of flavors layered one on top of another, from roast white sesame and white miso sauce to bonito and mirin. The egg pudding in the middle of the soup continued the smoothness, and nicely contrasted with fresh poached prawn, sliced cucumber and julienned scallion.

The tempura sparkles, with sauces of green tea salt, five spice power, ground ginger, daikon and dashi. The distinctive sweetness of the main ingredients – king crab leg, kuruma prawns, asparagus and basil wraps – are fully brought out by the high temperature after being fried in a mixture of vegetable oil over 195℃. The nutty flavor of sesame oil is well tamed by flavorless cottonseed oil, both of which contribute to the thin and non-oily flour coating. Every single second of delivery matters. The chef will modify the frying time and temperature according to where in the restaurant you are sitting: by the counter, or in one of their eight private rooms where I was. To best enjoy the texture, eat the tempura as soon as it hits the table. The three-level bento box (RMB 98), only available at lunch, is one other attraction that will draw me back for more.

Restaurant T is currently in their soft opening phase; please call for reservations.

Restaurant T
Mon-Sat 11.30am-2pm, 6-10pm. Unit 28, 1/F, Tower C, The Office Park (Yuanyang Guanghua International), 10 Jintong Xilu, Chaoyang District. (8590 6581)
紫兆, 朝阳区金桐西路10号远洋光华国际C座1层28单元

Photos: Emily Young