Came here for a surprise birthday lunch. Menu: Shrimp head Shrimp Mushroom Fish with the bones (?) Snow Crab with Shiso Leaf Brussel Sprout with Seaweed(?) Scallop Snow pea & Baby Onion Flying fish Lotus Anago Tendon with miso Wasn't incredibly oily at the end of everything, I had a beer to go with my meal as a palette cleanser. Service was great, showed great attention to customers. Chefs were attentive, and notice when you want a good video shot at the whole frying process and try not to ruin your video. As a small extra birthday surprise, added a nice large strawberry with a mochi ice cream. Great experience, would love to try again someday.
David Sirota
Couldn’t recommend Tempura Matsui more if I tried. Incredible experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
CalvinH
Incredible Michelin-starred dining experience! The ultimate tempura experience. Food was outstanding as well as the service. Everything was explained by the very knowledgeable servers. A once-in-a-lifetime must-try!
Vivienne C.
When my boyfriend told me we were going to eat here, I was a bit skeptical. I felt like for that price maybe we should just have went to eat at an omakase place instead of one where everything was fried, but boy was I wrong. We were seated immediately upon entry. I wish I wasn't currently on crutches as I would've loved to sit at the bar and watch the chefs make the oh so delicate tempura. There were five or six courses, but each course felt like there was 500 things in there, so here are my favorite food parts of the meal. - Tempura favorites: - Shokuji Tencha - When they gave all the options for what to eat the last rice dish with, I was a bit worried of ordering the tencha as I thought it might dilute all the flavors and make it very watery. I was completely wrong and it was unequivocally the best option there. The tea itself, although very light, when paired with the green tea salt and the flavorful tempura completely elevated the dish as it became almost like a broth. It was a perfect ending to the meal as it showed the skills of the tempura master as well as the beautiful flavors of the green tea. - Melon - When they brought out the melon at the end, my boyfriend and I both looked at each other like uhh... this is our dessert? We were so wrong to estimate the melon. If they brought out ice cream or some cake, I think we would've been too full to eat it, but melon? It was the most perfect dessert item as the melon was incredibly succulent, it literally melts in your mouth. On first bite, all the juices flow out of the melon and it feels like you're drinking the most fresh melon juice of your life. I'm still dreaming about this one. But what is a Michelin-starred restaurant without all the ambiance surrounding the food? Here are my favorite parts of the experience other than the food: - The toilet seats were warm! I know this is so weird, but I loved the toilets as they felt so clean, neat, and fancy. - Our server was incredibly knowledgeable of everything on the menu and I absolutely loved that he taught us how to best eat each of the tempura pieces as I really think his pairing and knowledge elevated each piece. Also, he was extremely attentive. The minute we finished our tempura piece, he would arrive with another one. It was a never-ending tempura journey, and I was here for it. - Okay this is kind of cheating, but I absolutely love all the dipping sauce options. I loved that there were 2 kinds of salt and you can really tell the difference between them. - I loved the lemon juicer haha. I thought it was such a fancy way not to get your fingers dirty but still maximize all the juices in the lemon. Also, it was such a satisfying thing to squeeze it all out. If I come back next time, I will just come for lunch as it is $100 cheaper and the food seems to be roughly the same minus the Chawanmushi which is not that big of a deal.
Stephanie W.
10/10 experience! We booked it for a dinner and got seating at the bar where the frying station is, they also have booth seating but I def preferred the bar seating. They go over which salts is best accompanied with which piece and all the pieces came out at a good pace. The service is amazing here and they are very attentive! The chefs were nice and I had so many favorite pieces! The tempura omakase was such a unique experience! I was stuffed at the end of the meal and the frying doesn't feel greasy at all! It is pricy but it's a good celebratory meal!
Tina L.
Splurge on the most refined tempura with quality ingredients in a light airy batter and accompanying dishes of varying textures and flavors that balance out the meal. It's a good thing when the only complaint is possibly overeating. The decor is traditional and not fancy or stuffy at this intimate establishment. The service is thoughtful if not entirely seamless. Overall a welcoming relaxed and delicious experience.
Yuna S
Lunch was expensive at $160 per person, but the restaurant was fully booked. The shiitake mushrooms and lotus roots were incredibly delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oziad A.
I used to be THE best tenpura in town also probably in the states like high quality tenpura restaurants in Japan. But I was very disappointed this time and wouldn't go back again. Unlike when Mr. Matsui had been in charge, the overall quality of ingredients and the skill of the chef were second rates at best. The tare on the tendon didn't have any umami. It was just like sugared water. Maybe it was! The bottom like is the price has gone up but the quality has gone way down. I would suggest to eat cheaply 10 times at Ootoya (30 times in Japan!) instead with the same amount of money you must pay just for a meal there.
Tim C.
This is easily one of the most unique and amazing dining experiences we have had in the city. We have tried many other comparable Japanese restaurants, and this is by far the most memorable one. From the quirky yet incredibly friendly manager to the insanely talented chefs including master Endo at the fryer, the dinner was a symphony of beautiful flavors. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic Japanese experience. I will definitely be back for more!
The only Michelin star omakase tempura!!It's not cheap at $250 a person before tax and tip but each piece is fried to perfection. It comes at a good pace and its unique setting for omakase. Felt a little hefty after though with all the oil but def worth checking out at least once.
I was a regular at Tempura Matsui before the pandemic, and was particularly appreciative of the affordable lunch prices (pre-pandemic, it was less than $100pp); but the current prices are far to steep, which is a shame, because they really do make great tempura.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
JasonK
Seafood centric tempura tasting with a couple courses of veggies and mushroom to end with a delectable rice course. Fresh, Japanese seafood showcased simply tempura fried, with technique so perfect, there is hardly ever any oil stain on the rice parchment paper over the plate. This is Tokyo quality right here in NYC. And in comparison to what top Sushi omakases cost in NYC, Tempura Matsui is a relative bargain, if anyone can dare call an almost $300 per person meal as such. I always come away with a big smile on my face and a very happy and full belly. NYC is lucky to have Matsui, saving us plane trips to Tokyo or Kyoto.
Desmond Shum
Probably best tempura in New York. Service was very friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase Course
슈타_
Visited for dinner. Appetizers included tuna belly, uni, and raw quail eggs, followed by sashimi with tuna belly and other oily fish.As the main course of the course was tempura omakase, it would have been better if the other menu items were less greasy. The meals that came after the tempura omakase were tendon and tencha with fried food, so the food continued to be oily.The tempura was delicious because they replaced it with new oil after the previous dinner round and fried it right before our eyes.The staff are also quite friendly, and it seems like some of the male servers have only been working there for a short time. It felt a little awkward for a Michelin-starred restaurant.Have a good meal!
Came here for a surprise birthday lunch. Menu: Shrimp head Shrimp Mushroom Fish with the bones (?) Snow Crab with Shiso Leaf Brussel Sprout with Seaweed(?) Scallop Snow pea & Baby Onion Flying fish Lotus Anago Tendon with miso Wasn't incredibly oily at the end of everything, I had a beer to go with my meal as a palette cleanser. Service was great, showed great attention to customers. Chefs were attentive, and notice when you want a good video shot at the whole frying process and try not to ruin your video. As a small extra birthday surprise, added a nice large strawberry with a mochi ice cream. Great experience, would love to try again someday.
Couldn’t recommend Tempura Matsui more if I tried. Incredible experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Incredible Michelin-starred dining experience! The ultimate tempura experience. Food was outstanding as well as the service. Everything was explained by the very knowledgeable servers. A once-in-a-lifetime must-try!
When my boyfriend told me we were going to eat here, I was a bit skeptical. I felt like for that price maybe we should just have went to eat at an omakase place instead of one where everything was fried, but boy was I wrong. We were seated immediately upon entry. I wish I wasn't currently on crutches as I would've loved to sit at the bar and watch the chefs make the oh so delicate tempura. There were five or six courses, but each course felt like there was 500 things in there, so here are my favorite food parts of the meal. - Tempura favorites: - Shokuji Tencha - When they gave all the options for what to eat the last rice dish with, I was a bit worried of ordering the tencha as I thought it might dilute all the flavors and make it very watery. I was completely wrong and it was unequivocally the best option there. The tea itself, although very light, when paired with the green tea salt and the flavorful tempura completely elevated the dish as it became almost like a broth. It was a perfect ending to the meal as it showed the skills of the tempura master as well as the beautiful flavors of the green tea. - Melon - When they brought out the melon at the end, my boyfriend and I both looked at each other like uhh... this is our dessert? We were so wrong to estimate the melon. If they brought out ice cream or some cake, I think we would've been too full to eat it, but melon? It was the most perfect dessert item as the melon was incredibly succulent, it literally melts in your mouth. On first bite, all the juices flow out of the melon and it feels like you're drinking the most fresh melon juice of your life. I'm still dreaming about this one. But what is a Michelin-starred restaurant without all the ambiance surrounding the food? Here are my favorite parts of the experience other than the food: - The toilet seats were warm! I know this is so weird, but I loved the toilets as they felt so clean, neat, and fancy. - Our server was incredibly knowledgeable of everything on the menu and I absolutely loved that he taught us how to best eat each of the tempura pieces as I really think his pairing and knowledge elevated each piece. Also, he was extremely attentive. The minute we finished our tempura piece, he would arrive with another one. It was a never-ending tempura journey, and I was here for it. - Okay this is kind of cheating, but I absolutely love all the dipping sauce options. I loved that there were 2 kinds of salt and you can really tell the difference between them. - I loved the lemon juicer haha. I thought it was such a fancy way not to get your fingers dirty but still maximize all the juices in the lemon. Also, it was such a satisfying thing to squeeze it all out. If I come back next time, I will just come for lunch as it is $100 cheaper and the food seems to be roughly the same minus the Chawanmushi which is not that big of a deal.
10/10 experience! We booked it for a dinner and got seating at the bar where the frying station is, they also have booth seating but I def preferred the bar seating. They go over which salts is best accompanied with which piece and all the pieces came out at a good pace. The service is amazing here and they are very attentive! The chefs were nice and I had so many favorite pieces! The tempura omakase was such a unique experience! I was stuffed at the end of the meal and the frying doesn't feel greasy at all! It is pricy but it's a good celebratory meal!
Splurge on the most refined tempura with quality ingredients in a light airy batter and accompanying dishes of varying textures and flavors that balance out the meal. It's a good thing when the only complaint is possibly overeating. The decor is traditional and not fancy or stuffy at this intimate establishment. The service is thoughtful if not entirely seamless. Overall a welcoming relaxed and delicious experience.
Lunch was expensive at $160 per person, but the restaurant was fully booked. The shiitake mushrooms and lotus roots were incredibly delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I used to be THE best tenpura in town also probably in the states like high quality tenpura restaurants in Japan. But I was very disappointed this time and wouldn't go back again. Unlike when Mr. Matsui had been in charge, the overall quality of ingredients and the skill of the chef were second rates at best. The tare on the tendon didn't have any umami. It was just like sugared water. Maybe it was! The bottom like is the price has gone up but the quality has gone way down. I would suggest to eat cheaply 10 times at Ootoya (30 times in Japan!) instead with the same amount of money you must pay just for a meal there.
This is easily one of the most unique and amazing dining experiences we have had in the city. We have tried many other comparable Japanese restaurants, and this is by far the most memorable one. From the quirky yet incredibly friendly manager to the insanely talented chefs including master Endo at the fryer, the dinner was a symphony of beautiful flavors. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic Japanese experience. I will definitely be back for more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Kubota Manju Niigata, Tempura, Omakase Course, Foie Gras Infused Chawanmushi
The only Michelin star omakase tempura!!It's not cheap at $250 a person before tax and tip but each piece is fried to perfection. It comes at a good pace and its unique setting for omakase. Felt a little hefty after though with all the oil but def worth checking out at least once.
Restaurantji Recommends
What an experience !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase Course
I was a regular at Tempura Matsui before the pandemic, and was particularly appreciative of the affordable lunch prices (pre-pandemic, it was less than $100pp); but the current prices are far to steep, which is a shame, because they really do make great tempura.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Seafood centric tempura tasting with a couple courses of veggies and mushroom to end with a delectable rice course. Fresh, Japanese seafood showcased simply tempura fried, with technique so perfect, there is hardly ever any oil stain on the rice parchment paper over the plate. This is Tokyo quality right here in NYC. And in comparison to what top Sushi omakases cost in NYC, Tempura Matsui is a relative bargain, if anyone can dare call an almost $300 per person meal as such. I always come away with a big smile on my face and a very happy and full belly. NYC is lucky to have Matsui, saving us plane trips to Tokyo or Kyoto.
Probably best tempura in New York. Service was very friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase Course
Visited for dinner. Appetizers included tuna belly, uni, and raw quail eggs, followed by sashimi with tuna belly and other oily fish.As the main course of the course was tempura omakase, it would have been better if the other menu items were less greasy. The meals that came after the tempura omakase were tendon and tencha with fried food, so the food continued to be oily.The tempura was delicious because they replaced it with new oil after the previous dinner round and fried it right before our eyes.The staff are also quite friendly, and it seems like some of the male servers have only been working there for a short time. It felt a little awkward for a Michelin-starred restaurant.Have a good meal!