Foodies in Singapore have a never-ending love affair with Japanese food, as evident in the myriad establishments that have popped up over the years—from casual ramen shops, traditional sushi restaurants to Japanese food enclaves.

Now, you can add Ippoh Tempura Bar by Ginza Ippoh to the list, as the famed tempura restaurant opens its doors at COMO Dempsey today, 10 December. As one of the oldest family-owned tempura restaurants in Japan, chef-owner Masaru Seki (who’s also the fifth generation tempura master) said that their new restaurant offers the same experience as their original outlet in Japan. “We have been open since the 1850s, and we do our best to preserve our tradition of making tempura,” he says.

For starters, they only use the freshest and premium seasonal ingredients from Japan. These are cooked in saffron oil in high temperature to ensure that they are crisp, not greasy and without the smell of oil. The tempura is offered in a set of 14 pieces, but these always change to give customers new items to try.

Design-wise, chef Seki-san and the COMO team worked with renowned architect and designer Paola Navone to transform the 1,200 sqft space (which includes Candlenut and COMO Marketplace) into an elegant and minimalist space. The tempura bar occupies a small corner and can fit 18 people at a time. But the highlight is the 12-seat tempura bar where diners can witness the chefs whipping up their signature tempura. 

See you there!