New tempura bar opens in Kuala Lumpur

Tenmasa chefs preparing tempura behind the 10-seater counter. — NORAFIFI EHSAN/The Star

IF YOU are craving tempura in Kuala Lumpur, you will not have to venture too far out.

Tenmasa is a newly opened tempura bar in the heart of the city that was officially launched in the unassuming enclave of Platinum Park.

Opened in November last year, Tenmasa is operated by The Curate Group, founders of Japanese boutique dining concepts such as Sushi Ryu, Bar Shake and Sushi Den.

The Curate Group director Chryseis Tan said they were a group of foodies who wanted to bring the joy of Japanese food culture to Malaysia.

The bar’s chef, Masanori Iwaasa, who learned his craft at Tempura Masa in Ginza, Tokyo — a renowned institution for tempura — helms the kitchen.

As you enter the intimate space, you will first notice the 10-seater tempura counter, where you can witness the peaceful poise of the chefs at work.

All the ingredients here, excluding the locally sourced freshwater prawns which are kept in a live tank in the kitchen, are flown in from Japan three times a week.

The menu will be rotated quarterly based on the produce that is in season in Japan. Come spring, diners can look forward to fresh ingredients like baby corn, asparagus, shiso leaf and bamboo shoots that flourish from April to May.

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