Tempura Abe Honten

"The shopping enclave of Ginza is the last place you’d expect to find a Bib Gourmand meal for just ¥1,000. But on weekday lunchtimes, this anomaly of a restaurant, tucked away in a narrow basement in a back alley, serves excellent tendon (tempura on rice) for just that. It’s a steal, considering dinner here will set you back at least ¥3,850. This place has serious pedigree: the proprietor Chef Abe had previously worked at Nadaman, one of the city’s top Japanese restaurants, for 30 years. Prawn tempura is a speciality: you’ll get two of these perfectly executed fritters plus three kinds of seasonal vegetables with the Oebi tendon lunch, or a large shrimp-and-vegetable fritter plus a tempura egg with the kakiage don. Whichever you choose, you can count on fresh ingredients and non-greasy batter, and a filling meal with miso soup and pickles that starts from a mere ¥1,000."

"This is a nice casual spot that has great tempura. It fills up fast so try to go a bit early. They have an English menu and the staff is really friendly and accommodating!"