Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Shrimp-forward omakase, one Michelin star.
Ten Yokota holds a 2024 Michelin one star and operates at ¥¥¥, making it one of the more accessible starred tempura counters in Tokyo. The omakase format centres on shrimp across multiple courses, with a clear craft-driven approach passed through generations. Hard to book, right for a date or celebration dinner, and priced below the ¥¥¥¥ tier of Tokyo's starred competition.
Yes, and the answer is unusually clear for a Michelin-starred restaurant at this price tier. Ten Yokota holds a 2024 Michelin one-star rating and operates at ¥¥¥, making it one of the more accessible starred tempura counters in Motoazabu. If you are planning a celebration dinner, a focused date night, or a business meal where you want to impress without the four-hour kaiseki commitment, Ten Yokota is the right call. The format is omakase, the throughline is shrimp, and the kitchen has a clear point of view — which is exactly what you want when you are spending money on a special evening.
Ten Yokota sits at a residential address in Motoazabu, one of Tokyo's quieter, more considered dining neighbourhoods. The area draws a mix of embassy staff, expats, and Tokyo diners who prefer substance over scene. For a special occasion, that translates well: the atmosphere is unlikely to feel rushed or performative, and the intimacy of a counter-based omakase format means the meal is directed entirely at the people sitting in front of it.
The physical setup follows the standard tempura counter model — a small room, a few seats facing the chef, oil and precision as the central spectacle. What distinguishes Ten Yokota spatially is that it is housed in a residential building (Kadoru Motoazabu 202), which signals a boutique scale rather than a polished restaurant-row operation. For a date or a private dinner, this kind of low-key address often delivers a more genuine experience than a venue designed primarily around its own reputation.
The omakase menu at Ten Yokota is structured around a clear logic: shrimp is the recurring protagonist, appearing multiple times across the course of the meal, each time in a different form. The first shrimp piece is fried rare to draw out its natural sweetness. Later, shrimp viscera are concealed inside a subsequent piece, adding depth and fragrance. A stuffed shiitake mushroom pairs shrimp with mushroom in a way that brings contrasting textures together. The meal closes with kakiage , a mixed tempura of seafood and vegetables where shrimp appears one final time. You also choose a rice bowl to finish. Portion quantity can be adjusted to preference, which is useful to know if you are dining solo or have a smaller appetite.
This is not a kitchen that is trying to deconstruct tempura or reframe it as something else. The craft was passed down from the chef's father, and the approach is to work within that tradition while adding a small number of considered variations. For a special occasion, that kind of focused execution often delivers more satisfaction than a menu that spreads across a dozen different ideas.
The venue data does not specify a wine list, sake program, or drinks pairing options for Ten Yokota. This is a meaningful gap to flag before you book, particularly for a celebration. Tokyo's better tempura counters typically offer sake pairings that are curated specifically for fried seafood and vegetable courses , the clean, mineral-forward profile of a good junmai daiginjo works well against the oil and delicate flavour of well-made tempura. If drinks are important to your evening, contact the restaurant directly before booking to confirm what is available. For a wine-forward special occasion in Tokyo, L'Effervescence or Florilège will serve you better on that specific dimension.
Booking difficulty is rated Hard. A Michelin one-star omakase counter in Motoazabu with no published phone number or website is not a venue you can book impulsively. You will need to research the current booking channel , third-party platforms such as Tableall, Omakase.com, or a hotel concierge are likely your leading routes. If you are travelling from outside Japan, use a concierge service or book well in advance. Waiting until the week of your trip is not a viable strategy.
Reservations: Book well in advance via third-party platform or hotel concierge. Budget: ¥¥¥ (mid-to-upper range for Tokyo tempura; below the ¥¥¥¥ tier of venues like Harutaka or RyuGin). Dress: No published dress code, but smart casual is standard for Michelin-starred counter dining in Tokyo. Occasion: Date night, celebration dinner, solo dining at the counter.
Ten Yokota earns its star by delivering a clear, confident version of tempura rather than a comprehensive one. If you want a broader tempura comparison, Tempura Kondo and Tempura Motoyoshi are the obvious reference points in Tokyo's Michelin tempura tier. Tempura Ginya and Fukamachi are worth knowing as alternatives at different price points. For tempura outside Tokyo, Numata and Shunsaiten Tsuchiya in Osaka represent the craft in a different regional register. Ten Yokota's Google rating of 4.5 from 47 reviews is a credible signal for a small counter , the sample size is modest, but the consistency implied by that score at a Michelin-starred venue carries weight.
For broader planning, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide, our Tokyo hotels guide, and our Tokyo bars guide. If your trip extends beyond Tokyo, HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, and akordu in Nara are worth adding to your itinerary. Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa round out Japan's regional dining picture. You can also explore Tokyo wineries and Tokyo experiences for the rest of your trip. And if you want another highly focused omakase counter with a strong local reputation, Edomae Shinsaku is worth your attention.
Yes. A counter-based omakase format is one of the better solo dining experiences Tokyo offers , you are seated facing the chef, the meal has a set structure, and there is no awkwardness around table-for-one requests. The counter at Ten Yokota also allows portion adjustments, which matters when you are eating alone. It is a more comfortable solo option than a large-format restaurant with table seating.
At ¥¥¥, Ten Yokota is positioned below Tokyo's ¥¥¥¥ Michelin-starred tier and holds a 2024 one-star rating. That combination represents strong value by the standards of Tokyo counter dining. Comparable starred experiences at RyuGin or Harutaka cost meaningfully more. If tempura is your format, yes, Ten Yokota is worth it.
The format is counter-based omakase, so the counter is effectively the only seating. There is no separate bar. All diners sit at the counter facing the chef. This is standard for Tokyo's precision tempura counters and is part of what makes the experience work , you watch every piece being fried and served directly to you.
Yes, with the caveat that you should want the omakase format. The menu has a defined arc , shrimp appears multiple times in evolving forms, the meal closes with kakiage and a rice bowl of your choice, and portion size can be adjusted. That level of structure and intent at a ¥¥¥ price point, backed by a Michelin star, makes the set menu the clear choice. There is no à la carte alternative.
No dress code is published, but smart casual is the appropriate standard for a Michelin one-star counter in Motoazabu. That means no shorts or sportswear, but you do not need a jacket. Tokyo diners at this level typically dress neatly without being formal. Err on the side of neat rather than casual if this is a celebration or business dinner.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten Yokota | Tempura | Tempura craftsmanship handed down from the chef’s father. The essence of tempura is respected, with just a few unique, imaginative changes added. Omakase set menus display a distinctive flair, with shrimp taking the lead role. The first piece is deep-fried rare, to elicit sweetness. Shiitake mushroom stuffed with minced shrimp pairs the bounty of mountain and ocean for a beguiling texture. Another shrimp piece, with viscera concealed within, exudes a tempting fragrance. The meal concludes with kakiage, tempura of mixed seafood and veggies, with shrimp appearing once more to take a bow. Choose a bowl that takes your fancy. Quantity can be adjusted to taste.; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| Harutaka | Sushi | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| RyuGin | Kaiseki, Japanese | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| L'Effervescence | French | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| HOMMAGE | Innovtive French, French | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Florilège | French | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
How Ten Yokota stacks up against the competition.
Yes, solo dining is well-suited to the omakase counter format. A Michelin one-star tempura counter in a residential Motoazabu building is exactly the kind of venue where a solo diner gets full engagement with the progression of the meal. The shrimp-led menu has a clear narrative arc that works best when you can follow it without distraction.
At the ¥¥¥ tier, Ten Yokota delivers a focused, intentional omakase built around a family-inherited tempura craft and a 2024 Michelin star. The value case is strongest if you want a clear point of view rather than a comprehensive survey of ingredients. If you want variety across proteins and produce, a broader tempura counter may give you more for the same spend.
The omakase format at Ten Yokota implies counter seating as the primary dining mode, which is standard for single-chef tempura restaurants at this level. There is no published à la carte option in the venue data, so the counter and the set menu are effectively the same thing here.
Yes, specifically if shrimp-focused tempura interests you. The omakase is structured around shrimp appearing in multiple forms across the meal, from rare-fried pieces designed to draw out sweetness to kakiage at the close. The menu reflects inherited craft with deliberate, restrained creativity. If you want a broader tempura omakase with wider ingredient range, compare other Michelin-starred tempura counters in Tokyo before booking.
The venue data does not specify a dress code. For a Michelin one-star counter in Motoazabu, a neighbourhood that draws embassy staff and experienced Tokyo diners, neat and considered clothing is appropriate. Avoid anything too casual; this is not a setting where shorts and trainers fit the room.
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