In the small town of Miyanoshita in the Hakone Area (close to Mount Fuji) there are limited eating options. Many people come here to stay at the Fujiya Hotel, enjoy the surrounding nature and relax from the city life. Mount Fuji is right at the doorstep here and if you are lucky and the weather is clear, you can see this mountain in all its glory. We stayed at the Fujiya Hotel but were not in the mood to pay for the pricey meals here. Hotel staff recommended several options around the hotel. The tempura restaurant was the only one open on this evening so we went there …

It is located just ’round the corner and uphill from the Fujiya Hotel (to be exact). The sign says Tenpura and it is lit up at night luckily. You have to walk up a flight of stairs before you enter the small restaurant. It was obviously a family run operation. The mother took orders, the father prepared the tempura and the daughter worked in the kitchen … well … maybe they were not related at all … It was close to closing time and we needed to order quickly. As with any place in Japan, we were thankful for picture menus. We selected several shrimp tempura entrees which were around fifteen dollars each. We sat at a table close to the counter. Behind the counter we saw a very intense chef preparing the batter, selecting the shrimp carefully, dropping it in the hot oil afterwards … Rarely have we seen this kind of focus in a tempura restaurant. Shrimp was served in a sweet sauce over rice. It was sooooo gooood. We immediately proclaimed this restaurant as having the best tempura in the world. The batter was just right, it was hot, the shrimp was large and fresh, the atmosphere genuine Japanese. We have tried tempura in many other places but this was just the best …

So, if you ever find yourself in Miyanoshita, ask where the Tempura place is with the Tenpura sign. Go in there for some really good tempura. Enjoy yourself and relax. Very authentic, very good and very recommended.

Tenpura
Turn left from reception and go uphill from the Fujiya Hotel
Miyanoshita, Japan

Michael Philip is one of the editors and contributors for the SeeTheGlobe.com web site. SeeTheGlobe.com is a travel information web site and community. Reviews of restaurants, hotels, airlines and other travel resources are provided from first hand accounts.

Americans are accustomed to making reservations well in advance over the Internet, but this trend does not extend to other nations. Often travelers will make such arrangements and pay for them only to find out on arrival that the hotel has never heard of them.

Best solution to this problem is either to make reservations directly by calling the hotel, or to not make them at all. Unless there is a special event occurring during that time or it is an extremely busy season, reservations often leave you with an inferior place at a high price. Instead of burying your nose in Conde Nast to find the best place, keep your eyes and ears open as you travel the city. You are your own best judge of where to stay.

Certainly beware of taxi drivers making ?suggestions? about where to go. Kickbacks for taxi drivers and large commissions are common the world over. No matter what city you are traveling to, try to arrive early in the day and maximize the amount of time you have to find a suitable place. Arriving at night is always a bad idea, and you may even find yourself in an undesirable hotel or sleeping in the park.

Always remember to investigate your room before you pay. If the hotel says they have hot water, turn on the shower and feel it for yourself. If they say they have a swimming pool, have a look. Sit on the bed. Examine the locks. Pay attention to who your neighbors might be, because you?re not getting a refund.

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