When executed with a deft hand, deep-frying can transform the mundane into the insane. Tokyo’s famed Kaneko Hannosuke takes tendon (tempura rice bowls) to great heights at its first U.S. outlet inside the West Los Angeles Mitsuwa Marketplace.

Whether it’s a pristine fillet of fish or a simple slice of sweet potato, the experts behind the fryers make sure that each ingredient is coated evenly in a golden, bubbly crust that’s crisp and hardly greasy.

My favorite, the “Original Tendon,” includes a flaky fillet of white fish, shrimp, nori (dried seaweed), kakiage (a mixture of shrimp and scallop), shishito pepper, sweet potato, and a downright amazing poached egg. The crispety, crunchety coating magically elevates an already dreamy runny yolk to otherworldly status. Best of all is the slightly sweet and sticky “secret sauce” that coats each ingredient before it lands atop the bowl of glossy grains.

Miso soup and plenty of gari (pickled ginger) are served alongside the tendon. Complete satisfaction.

—

Hannosuke
3760 South Centinela Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Phone: 310-397-4676

One year ago: {swoon} Japanese-Style Crepes at Harajuku Crepe
Two years ago: Saigon Classics: Goat Three Ways, Coconut Ice Cream, and Vietnamese Fried Chicken
Three years ago: Shaky Alibi – Los Angeles
Four years ago: Sugar Sweet Sunshine – New York City
Five years ago: Soaked in Sapa
Six years ago: Duck Two-Ways: Cháo Vịt & Gỏi Vịt
Seven years ago: Capers Comfort Foods – Birmingham