New tempura bar in Dempsey

Ippoh, which dates back to 1850 and is said to be the oldest premium tempura restaurant in Osaka, opened a casual dining place, Ippoh Tempura Bar by Ginza Ippoh, at lifestyle cluster Como Dempsey yesterday.

The brand - run by the family's fifth-generation chef Masaru Seki - is known for its light and crisp tempura cooked in safflower oil. The 1,200 sq ft restaurant seats 18 diners. It includes a 12-seat tempura bar for diners to watch the tempura being prepared.

Read also: 5 top secrets of tempura

Set menus for lunch are priced from $60 to $100, while dinner meals range from $140 to $200.

The $60 lunch includes eight pieces of tempura (two prawn, two seafood, three vegetable and manju - sweet buns filled with red bean paste), and kakiage (tempura of chopped vegetables and seafood) with rice and miso soup.

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The $200 dinner includes assorted appetisers, assorted sashimi, and 11 pieces of tempura - with the chef's tempura of uni, caviar and wasabi on fried seaweed, and kakiage on rice with shaved truffle.

The eatery joins the food enclave at Como Dempsey, whose upcoming openings include food emporium Como Marketplace and Como Cuisine restaurant, which will offer cuisines from Como Hotels and Resorts.

IPPOH TEMPURA BAR BY GINZA IPPOH

Where: Block 17B Dempsey Road

Open: Noon to 2.30pm (daily), 6 to 9.30pm (Sundays to Thursdays), 6 to 10.30pm (Fridays, Saturdays, eves of public holidays and public holidays)

Info: Call 1800-304-3388 (local calls only) or e-mail ippoh@comodemspey.sg

This article was first published on Dec 11, 2016.
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