Tempura Matsui

All in all, this was a very memorable meal, not only because of the cohesiveness between each course, but also because of the quality of ingredients as well as the mastery of skill. This dinner completely changed my perception of fried foods, as having grown up in Hong Kong, my understanding was that food items were fried to mask the «non-​freshness». For example, it would be heresy to deep fry, rather than steam, a live and kicking, 2-​catty heavy red grouper (東星斑). And yet, here I was, pleasantly surprised and impressed how deep frying accentuated the freshness of the ingredients. The price here is surely steep, $ 200 a pop, but for the eyeopening experience and immaculate service, I think it is more than fair. Really interested now to see how the menu would change based on the seasonal availability of ingredients — a cry to the omakase selections at a top-​tiered sushi-​yas.
Full dish-​by-​dish review can be found here:

This place is amazing! It is a bit expensive (effectively $ 300ish per person including tax tip), but def worth trying at least once!
The tempura courses were delicately and gracefully prepared with precision, and the entire experience was very memorable. Our waiter was superb, attentively explaining every singe dish — what each was made of and how to enjoy it. Chef Chikano was wonderful too. He’s new to NYC and still working on his English, but he tried very hard to be polite and friendly to us and tried his best to communicate. I very much appreciate his efforts and his warmth.
The palate cleaner dishes were great too! The cold soba noodle was very refreshing, and I LOVE THE CHAWAMUSHI — it was so rich and smooth! It’s def one of the best Chawamushi I’ve had in my life (though the black truffle one at Brushtroke was pretty good too).
Dessert was probably the only lackluster dish — just green tea ice cream with cherry and coconut milk.
Overall, we had a wonderful experience and I really recommend it!

Went there because of the gilt city coupon that was essentially half off the 6-​course meal for two people. Great experience. Service was very attentive. I liked that the chef always walked you through what garnishes to eat with the different tempura servings. The plateware is also quite beautiful. My favorite thing was surprisingly the sweet corn tempura. We also ordered tempura uni (which was interesting) and tempura shishito peppers in addition to the preset menu.

The most amazing service and food! I took my mom here for mother’s day dinner on Saturday May 7^th and was blown away by their extremely friendly service and outstanding food. I thought I was back in Asia. Every server was so friendly, polite and courteous. I thought it was even better service than Per Se or Le Bernardin, certainly beating any Japanese restaurants in the city including Yasuda, Ushiwakamaru, Azabu, Seki, Gari, etc. Their service is nothing compared to Tempura Matsui. Just go there and you will see what I mean.
Sad to hear that Chef Matsui passed away but we had chef Chikano right in front of us who just flew in from Japan last week. He was amazing and watching him make tempura was like watching an artist! I will never see tempura the same way ever again. Everything was so delicious. Tempura batter was so thin and perfectly crisp. Standout dishes of the night included fried scallops (barely cooked, it was like having fried ice cream, so fresh, so full of flavor) and fried uni (supplement to tasting $ 15).

First off, our server Eric was awesome and so sweet! What a nice treat it was that our friends took us to… definitely doesn’t even feel like we were eating fried food at all! The price is definitely steep but it was quite an experience

The restaurant interior, chefs, waiters were all very Japanese style. A beautiful, cozy space focused mainly on the bar with the chefs frying, use of bamboo throughout, and soft, warm lighting.
The sakizuke was a scallop tartar with peas mousse and uni sauce. The scallop had a soft, delicate texture. The flavor of the dish mostly came from taste of the mousse and the uni sauce.
The otsukuri was an assortment of sashimi, starting with some seaweed and thinly sliced radish, very thinly sliced grouper, botany ebi pressed with kelp, and slices of blue fun tuna.
The tempura course consisted of two shrimp heads, followed by one shrimp tempura, another shrimp, tender greenbean, squid, shiitake, king crab, spring ramp, onion, and sea eel tempura.
After the tempura, there was kuchigawari, a palate cleanser of firefly squid and cockles, and a slightly sweet, but savory miso sauce (reminded me of a light mustard.)
Then tendon, shrimp tempura over rice, with a pretty savory miso soup on the side and some oshinko. A cup of hojicha accompanied. This dish filled up any remaining empty space in the tummy.
A soybean dessert with simple garnish of sliced grape and mint leaf was presented in a beautiful blue cup with brown sugar syrup on the side. It was very enjoyable.
The whole meal was finished with a cup of sencha.
This was an experience to be slowly savored over two hours. It was good but pricey for tempura.

I’m not much for words or anything fried but this place is just incredible. The service is as god as it gets. Worth every dollar.

This place seems really special, I just felt like they were close to achieving the greatness they’re after but not quite hitting the mark. The menu didn’t feel like a logical progression despite being delicious and providing some unusual combinations. The three stars is grading on a scale, their standards are high so mine are too. The service was impeccable and felt very intimate. It was an impressive display, just felt like a first draft instead of a final cut.
Also the bathrooms are incredible the toilet literally seemed excited when I walked in the bathroom.

Very clean spotless establishment, typical super friendly staff that treats customers with omotenashi. Tempura was perfect, everything was perfect. Pricey but great experience.

A must if you love japanese food… REAL japanese food.

Was very disappointed.
The tempura batter was light, and did not feel like is greasy at all — so that’s a plus.
But everything else just really didn’t live up to the expectations.
Go to Ten-​Ichi in japan — much better quality ingredients for the price!
We paid extra for the uni and scallop — those turned out to be the best dishes. But for the amount of money we spent, was expecting more. Sashimi was just ok — not that memorable. Presentation was decent, staff was attentive and service was great. We had a server in training, so some items he couldn’t really explain it well, but we can tell he was very nervous and still learning.
Don’t think i’ll be going back, there was nothing memorable.

The food is pricy for what it is. However, it’s the attention from the waiter, chef, the experience and intimacy that adds the value to it. Everything was good and dessert also was amazing!

This place is a gem.
This Michelin star restaurant is relatively new, and the only one that offers tempura kaiseki in NYC.
It was relatively easy to make a reservation, but I can envision this establishment becoming more difficult to get in once more people find out.
It was a treat watching the master chefs meticulously prepare each tempura piece by piece. The coating is so thin and delicate.
All the food on the tasting menu were delicious.
Last time I had a dinner like this was when I visited Hokkaido.
The kaiseki dinner here was very extensive; I left very full.
If you enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine, this is a must-​visit in NYC.
Service was impeccable.
The hosts even come outside and wait until you get into a cab; You would only see this type of service in Japan.
Highly recommended.
: A
R.I.P. Chef Masao Matsui

Matsui is so Japanese style. They keep the original Japanese feeling from decoration, service to the taste of food, everything brings me back to Tokyo in one second.
Don’t worry the food is not enough for you. Even tho they seem like very little pieces, they can stuff you well. However, they balance all the food pretty well. Tempura are very light battered and not very oily, but if you eat like 10 pcs you still taste the greasy. Their tempura sauce is a perfect cure for grease. The Ten-​don is so good I finished two bowls (my friend can’t finish hers lol). Their dessert is divan!
Have to say this place is a bit pricy. Two people for 500 dollars + tip. Not a place that I can come back anytime everytime when I want to eat their food but I’ll come back some time (:

I used to be so jealous of Japanese people as they had Michelin-​starred restaurants for tempura, skewers or even sukiyaki. Now after Torishin won its star for skewers, the newly opened Tempura Matsui accomplished a second goal of nailing another star. Well done!
Matsui was very much humble judging from the outside, with only a small icon towards the right. It was also tiny inside. As there were only nine seats at the bar and three booths for small group sitting. Only Kaiseki was provided here — starting with assorted sushi/​sashimi, followed by signature tempura, and ending with a shrimp tempura don. I actually enjoyed listening to the sizzling of tempura cooking as it reminded me my dad cooking at home back in China… every single dish was remarkable and among them, my favorite was the uni tempura — rich flavor with light taste.
Our waiter was so attentive that made us even feel like at home. Felt like Matsui definitely worth more than one Michelin star and I’m looking forward to enjoying another meal when it gets upgraded soon!

The price ($ 200+) for the kaiseki omakase here is out of touch with reality. Check out the photos to see what was in the tasting. I added the scallop ($ 15 per piece) and the uni ($ 15 per piece) to the tasting. My favorites were the shrimp and the uni. Everything except the tempura was a filler course and did not add anything positive to the experience. The tempura was definitely exceptional and not oily, but the ingredients used could have been of much better quality or more exotic appeal. The servce was great, with the server suggesting which salts or sauces to pair with the tempura.

I really have to say, this place was a disappointment to me on multiple levels.
With my penchant for Japanese food and for omakase, the idea of a tempura omakase sucked me in immediately. How could I not want to dine with the tempura master Masao Matsui, with his 47 years of tempura artistry?
With seats at the bar, and having been to tons of omakase dinners, there is an expectation of chef interaction, or at minimum, them telling you what you are eating. Not a word. Literally. Not a single word spoken to me or the other diners I was with. Sometimes the waiters would tell you what you are eating, but half of the dishes, I was guessing. You can’t even blame the language barrier as one of my fellow diners is from Japan who’s first language is Japanese.
So the food? There were some nice notes. The first two courses with uni custard and uni with yam were both really nice and rich.
Sashimi course? If you’ve been to any of the well know omakase joints (Nakazawa, Kura, Dojo, Tanoshi, Bugs, Cagen, Gari, Brushstroke, or Yasuda), you will not be impressed. It’s fine, but nothing memorable.
The tempura course is accompanied by sea salt, miso salt, lemon, and a dipping broth. To start, some mini shrimp heads. Tiny. I don’t get it. I’ve had shrimp heads at multiple other places, Japanese and not, and these here were minuscule. Tempura pieces included shrimp, okra, scallop, crab, ginger sprout, some kinda mushroom, something I assume was a tomato, some type of white fish, and a piece of uni in tofu skin for $ 15 extra.
The tempura batter itself is light to the point of barely being there. The ingredients speak for themselves, but some of these were just boring. Okra? A tomato? The uni was excellent, but pricy. The scallop was barely cooked and really nicely done. The crab had a clean and not oceany flavor. I found myself dousing everything in the miso salt, which was he most unique part of the tempura omakase.
The meal finished with a shrimp fritter over rice and some miso soup and pickles vegetables. The fritter for me was one of the highlights of the meal. For dessert was poached peaches, which were just that.
For me, to spend $ 200 as the base price for the meal (plus a la carte pieces not included, drinks, tax, and tip), I was really disappointed. No interaction at the counter. Best pieces are only a la carte. There are many better options for a set Japanese meal out there, especially at this price point. I’ll not be coming back.

Excellent service, dining environment as well as the food were surprisingly pleasant and authentic. Yes, it’s a very expensive restaurant but the moment I stepped into I felt like I was in Japan again. Our waitress was very patient and explained everything as well as her recommended ways of eating different kind. The plating was super delicate and the portion was just about right for me. I would say the experience worth the expense. Hope they could have something new for the preset menu when I go next time.

Was very excited to try this place and yes the TEMPURA WAS DEFINITELY MAGICAL! It preserved the texture of all the ingredient but enhanced it all with a super light batter so they all have a crispy exterior. You really don’t need any dipping sauce to go with every bite, the ingredient really shines. And, nothing is greasy!
That being said, I wish they serve a menu with just the tempura dishes and nothing else. The appetizers are on par with any nice kaiseki restaurants and definitely build up to the epic-​ness of the tempuras. However, the dishes that follow pales in comparison. The Ten-​Don which I imagine will be a staple in Tempura establishments had soggy fried shrimp pieces. While the rice is perfectly cooked and I saw the shrimp being fried in front of me minutes before serving, the fact that the rice bowl came covered made the shrimp lost its crispness in the steam.

The dessert, peach compote, tasted like canned peaches to me. While i understand people may want a fruit based dessert after a fried food marathon, the peaches are still too sweet to be a palate cleanser and way too underwhelming for a $ 200 a pop prix fix menu.
Our waiter, that being his first day and was obviously nervous, never refilled my sake glass with the bottle sitting next to me and forgot to bring the water to my table until we are half way thru the meal. But service is on point for the most part, everyone was super courteous and very accommodating.
With a little more time ironing out some minor details and perhaps a more approachable pricing structure, Tempura Matsui is definitely a good reason to trek all the way east for its tempura magic.

I was excited to try tempura matsui having heard that there is no real tempura in the States. Short verdict: the whole experience is excellent (even on their first day of serving their true menu!) and elevates the tempura experience to an almost sublime level.
That said, I’m far from a tempura expert, in fact, I usually eschew fried foods, however, this was light and delicious. I left without feeling I had eaten a bevy of fried foods for the diet-​conscious reader.
The location is ultra discreet and is adjacent to a hotel (you will see a small curtain outside). Once you enter, welcoming staff greet you. The crowd is eclectic but trends toward the fine-​dining set.
A wooden counter surrounds the chef station. The chef himself is extremely gracious, always smiling, and orchestrates the show. He has two attendants and a seeming army of servers. There are a few intimate booths to the side as well. The counter seats about 12 people.
This is omakase only and they provide a menu of the night’s enjoyments for your salivary effect. Everything is sparkling clean and super high quality. Attention to detail is meticulous. The chef seems to do a magic dance around his hot oil cauldron which is crystal clear and wonderful to behold.
There are some parallels to high end sushi-​yas. Instead of a rice pot, the chef has a batter bowl (the term escapes me), which looks similar to a vase of Greek antiquity. Instead of the wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce next to your place setting there are special salts, lemons, dashi and grated daikon radish. The chop sticks and mat are all beautiful and highly lacquered. There is a little box of toothpicks, because, why not?
I could sing more praises to the environment such as the upbeat front-​door vibe (Beatles music!), super high-​tech Japanese toilet (greets you by opening upon entering), and the breezily knowledgable head server, but let’s get to the food.
1) Sakizuke — this was a sea urchin based dish, and was a very light opening. Hokkaido uni I noticed
2) Shrimp head — first taste of the tempura. A little light crisp to get the palette moving
3) Zensai — always love these multifaceted dishes. Simmered eggplant with bonito flake was sweet, octopus was simmered in sake and had a great texture similar to our old friend Masa-​san at 15 east, and the sesame tofu reminded me of mori in Los Angeles if not quite as delicate
4) Chawanmushi — red rice, tai fish and Hokkaido Uni — This was lovely, and one of my favorite egg custards period
5) sashimi course — tai, steamed abalone with abalone liver sauce, and toro. Everything was very good with real wasabi, fresh shiso leaf, and some good seaweed. The toro, in particular, was standout
6) Tempura:
— 2 pieces of shrimp (wonderful and light)
— 2 pieces of asparagus (enjoyed these, especially with the dashi sauce)
— seaweed wrapped scallop (a highlight)
— fava beans (surprisingly savory)
— king crab (another highlight, very fresh, juicy)
— trigger fish (hearty)
— maitake mushroom (worked well in tempura, I’d give it a second or two to cool down, as I was one step away from burning my tongue on this one!)
— ginger sprout (strong tasting end, I suppose a nice way to end the tempura with a bang)
This was the end of the individual tempura pieces. Think of it as served very much in the fashion of a sushi omakase.
7) Hamo (pike eel) with vinegared cucumber and seaweed. The eel had a plum sauce on it that made it especially standout. My server told me that this eel is only in season for a couple months. I loved this palate cleanser
8) Shrimp fritters over rice — served in a traditional Asian bowl. Delicious sweet brown sauce. This was served with a red miso soup with clams (loved it), and a small dish of Japanese style pickles (very mild but good crunch). The fritters were a highlight for many judging by the expressions of pure ecstasy. The rice was very good, a touch sweet with the sauce, and went oh so well with the shrimp
9) Peach compote — dessert was delectable. I’m a fan of fruit-​based, uncomplicated desserts, so this fit the bill.
A few minor quibble. Once my water glass was not filled and a junior waiter responded with a ‘what’s up’ when I gestured to him (not in a mean fashion, merely totally oblivious). This same waiter did not explain one of my dishes.
Overall this was a wonderful experience, and a worthy addition to the NYC dining scene. In particular, I was struck by the graciousness of the head chef, Matsui-​san himself, who made a point to greet all the guests with a handshake on the way out! I noticed he has very delicate hands and I could see that he has that magic touch and eye for detail, which elevates a great dining experience to a very fine one.