What’s on offer?
Haibin Lin, the former owner of AOKI Sushi on Richmond Street, opened Tempura House in Rathmines, Dublin 6 in mid-August, taking over the space that once was home to Leo Burdocks.
The neighbourhood is no stranger to Japanese cuisine, with places such as Ramen, Sushida, and Teppanyaki. Lin says that, after carefully assessing the competitive landscape, he chose the name Tempura House to highlight the restaurant’s focus on tempura and offer something different, while still providing a diverse menu of sushi, ramen, teriyaki, and bento options for both eat-in and takeaway customers.
What did we order?
Squid tempura, prawn tempura, mixed vegetable tempura, vegetable gyoza, tempura eel and avocado sushi, and spider roll.
How was the service?
Ordering is straightforward on an easy-to-navigate website with an extensive menu.
Was the food nice?
The vegetable gyoza were fairly standard fare, filled with chopped vegetables. The pork and prawn gyozo are made in-house, so would be a better bet.
The prawn tempura was generous: five large prawns in a thick, crunchy batter. It was thicker than typical tempura batter, but it meant they arrived in good shape. The prawns didn’t have much flavour.
The calamari tempura was better: six tender squid rings inside a robust batter. They worked nicely with the dipping sauce, a light, slightly sweetened soy with dashi and mirin.
The vegetable tempura featured broccoli, sweet potato, green beans and courgette, all crisp in a crunchy batter.
For the sushi, the tempura eel and avocado norimaki is the signature dish. Grilled eel and avocado are rolled in sushi rice, then lightly dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried for a crispy texture.
Tempura sushi works.
The spider roll was good. Made with crispy soft-shell crab, avocado, massago (capelin roe), a dash of spicy mayo, finished with wisps of katsuobushi, adding a smoky element. The soft-shell crab had a good crunch, offering a contrast to the creamy avocado and dense rice.
What about the packaging?
The food was delivered in plastic bags with paper bags inside. The tempura and gyoza came in tinfoil containers, lined with paper, while the sushi was in plastic Japanese trays with plastic cutlery and chopsticks. All items are recyclable if clean, but there’s a fair bit of plastic in there.
What did it cost?
€62.70 for dinner for three people: squid tempura, €7.95; prawn tempura, €8.95; mixed vegetable tempura, €7.50; vegetable gyoza, €7.95; tempura eel and avocado sushi, €8.95; spider roll, €18.95; and service fee, €2.45.
Where does it deliver?
Takeaway or delivery daily, noon-10pm. Deliveroo within a 5km radius.
Would I order it again?
Yes, this is a step above your typical Japanese takeaway. The tempura eel and avocado sushi offers solid value, and both the squid and vegetable tempura were well-executed.
