# Inside America's Only Michelin Star Tempura Restaurant | On The Line | Bon Appétit Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1byuDovVkWw Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/1byuDovVkWw Generated: 2025-11-13T17:40:48.562+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Executive Chef Koichi Endo of Tempura Matsui, the only Michelin-starred tempura restaurant in the US, details his meticulous daily routine, which emphasizes using high-quality, freshly imported ingredients and maintaining precise cooking conditions for his signature tempura dishes, including his proprietary sauces and techniques for preparing items like abalone and uni. **Key Points:** - Tempura Matsui is the only Michelin-starred tempura restaurant in the US, located in New York. - Chef Endo arrives at 9:00 AM to begin preparations, starting with cleaning premium ingredients like abalone, which is scrubbed with a natural brush and boiled in hot water. - Sauce making begins at 9:30 AM, where Endo prepares his proprietary Dashi and Tentsuyu sauces, adjusting sweetness and depth based on the day's weather/humidity. - The oil temperature for frying is constantly monitored, fluctuating between 338°F and 347°F (170°C to 175°C) to ensure ingredients like shrimp and maitake mushrooms achieve the perfect, non-greasy crispness. - Endo uses specific high-quality ingredients imported from Japan, such as cotton seed oil (non-roasted) and sesame oil, and pre-measured ingredients like 60 grams of sugar for his sauce. - The dining show begins at 1:30 PM, where tempura is served piece-by-piece directly to the customer with specific dipping salts or sauces, exemplified by dipping shrimp tempura in sauce or eating Maitake mushroom tempura with salt. - Endo emphasizes that maintaining consistency across all 13-14 courses is difficult, requiring constant sensory checks on temperature, taste, and texture. ![Screenshot at 00:04: Chef Koichi Endo carefully plating two pieces of perfectly fried shrimp tempura, showcasing the delicate, lacy texture of the batter, which is a result of his precise temperature control and batter preparation.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1byuDovVkWw/00-00-04.png) **Context:** This video provides an intimate look into the daily operations and philosophy of Executive Chef Koichi Endo at Tempura Matsui, his Michelin-starred tempura restaurant in the US. The narrative follows his intensive preparation process from early morning, detailing his commitment to sourcing specific, high-quality ingredients, making custom sauces, and maintaining exacting cooking standards throughout the service day. ## Detailed Analysis The video chronicles the day of Executive Chef Koichi Endo at Tempura Matsui, the sole Michelin-starred tempura restaurant in the US. His day begins at 9:00 AM with ingredient preparation, including scrubbing imported Japanese abalone with a natural brush (02:34) and removing the mouth (03:01). At 9:30 AM, he focuses on sauce making, combining Dashi (made from kelp stored in the refrigerator) with soy sauce and sugar (360g total) to create his unique Tentsuyu and Tendon sauces (03:50). Endo stresses that the sauce ratio changes based on the weather/humidity. He later prepares the frying oil, mixing sesame oil (non-roasted, from Japan) and cotton seed oil, ensuring the temperature is constantly monitored, fluctuating between 338°F and 347°F (170°C to 175°C) (11:37) to achieve a non-greasy, crispy texture (08:23). The dining service, referred to as the 'Dining Show,' starts at 1:30 PM (10:19). Tempura is served piece-by-piece, such as shrimp tempura with salt or dipping sauce, or Uni tempura wrapped in shiso leaf (11:19, 12:03). Endo notes that maintaining consistency across all 13-14 courses is difficult, relying on his senses rather than a thermometer for oil temperature. He concludes by expressing his joy in the craft, noting he never regrets dedicating his life to tempura. ### Morning Prep (9 - 00 AM): Cleaning abalone using a traditional Tawashi brush (02:34) - Receiving and storing premium ingredients like Hokkaido uni and lobster (01:27, 01:46). ### Sauce Making (9 - 30 AM): Preparing Dashi by heating water with kelp (04:02) - Combining Dashi with 360g of sugar, soy sauce (Yamasaki Honkaisen brand), and sake (05:32, 06:56) to create Tentsuyu and Tendon sauces. ### Frying Process - Mixing cold water and flour to create an airy batter (08:46) - Frying ingredients like shrimp and maitake mushroom in oil kept between 170°C and 175°C (11:37) - Removing tempura and draining excess oil on wooden racks (11:14). ### Service & Plating (1 - 30 PM): Serving tempura piece-by-piece directly to guests at the counter (10:24) - Tempura is lightly salted or dipped in the custom sauce (11:01, 12:54) - Serving items like Abalone tempura on the shell (03:03). ### Chef's Philosophy - Endo emphasizes constant sensory checking of oil temperature and ingredient quality, noting the difficulty in maintaining consistency across all courses (12:27, 12:56). ![Screenshot at 00:01: Close-up of tempura batter sizzling violently in hot oil, illustrating the high-heat frying process.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1byuDovVkWw/00-00-01.png) ![Screenshot at 00:12: Executive Chef Koichi Endo cleaning a fresh abalone shell with his finger, emphasizing meticulous ingredient handling.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1byuDovVkWw/00-00-12.png) ![Screenshot at 00:05: Multiple Michelin Guide plaques displayed on the wall, confirming the restaurant's critical acclaim.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1byuDovVkWw/00-00-05.png) ![Screenshot at 02:25: Chef Endo unpacking premium seafood, including a live lobster, from insulated shipping containers in the kitchen.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1byuDovVkWw/00-02-25.png) ![Screenshot at 03:52: Split screen showing the precise addition of soy sauce \(dark liquid\) to the Dashi base \(light liquid\) during sauce making at 9:30 AM.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1byuDovVkWw/00-03-52.png) ![Screenshot at 05:56: Chef Endo placing a metal container of sauce over an ice bath to rapidly cool the liquid.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1byuDovVkWw/00-05-56.png) ![Screenshot at 08:46: Split screen showing the airy, pale tempura batter being whisked in a distinctive ceramic pitcher at 12:00 PM.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1byuDovVkWw/00-08-46.png) ![Screenshot at 10:24: Chef Endo presenting a piece of tempura to guests at the counter, ready for immediate consumption.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1byuDovVkWw/00-10-24.png) ![Screenshot at 12:03: Chef Endo carefully placing Uni \(sea urchin\) onto shiso leaves on parchment paper before frying, preparing for the next course.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1byuDovVkWw/00-12-03.png) ![Screenshot at 12:58: Chef Endo presenting a perfectly fried piece of tempura to the customer using long metal tongs.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1byuDovVkWw/00-12-58.png)