Chuo City, Tokyo, Japan｜Tempura Abe Honten

Very good food , very enjoyable meal! We had to queue for quite a while but worth it. The chilled pumpkin soup was a good touch and the small shrimp tempura was too good! The waitress who served us was a little unfriendly though, not sure if it’s because we couldn’t speak Japanese. The male waiter who served us after had a much better attitude.

My favorite restaurant in Tokyo so far. It's Michelin Bib Gourmand rated but inexpensive for lunch. The "Tempura Lunch" was excellent. Fantastic tea too. The sauce in my wife's tendon bowl ("tendon" = tempura on a bed of rice in a bowl, not actual tendons) was very flavorful and delicious too. To avoid a super long line go around 1-1:30 PM. We arrived at 1:30, half an hour before closing, and the line was only 20 min. You can make a reservation but they charge a fee. I didn't quite understand the fee structure but I think if you make a reservation you have to spend at least 3 or 4 thousand yen even if your menu selection is cheaper, or something like that. You have to go down to the basement in an elevator to get there. The air is a bit stuffy down there but it's worth it for a fantastic meal.

Very small and cramped restaurant in the basement of a building. Only accessible via elevator and people wait in the middle of the restaurant so it’s hard to get in. Make reservations. The food itself is great. Tempura is freshly fried. The lunch omakase has about 9 different pieces of seafood and vegetables. It also includes a tendon bowl (or tencha—you can choose) as well as a dessert of coffee and fried red bean fish bread). A great deal and worth the visit