The food is absolutely fantastic! Uni Udon is fantastic! The service is phenomenal! Steven and his colleagues are very attentive! read more

Tendon Kohaku - Creamy Hokkaido Uni Udon - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Our first visit to Tendon Kohaku was one to remember, and a big part of that was Jennie's next-level service. We arrived just 15 minutes before last call, but she still made us feel genuinely welcome, valued, and never once rushed. Her recommendations were excellent, and her warm hospitality made my daughter's birthday feel extra special. The ambiance struck the perfect balance, with beautiful décor, comfortable lighting that wasn't too bright or too dim, and menus that were easy to read without making the space feel stark. Every dish was presented beautifully, almost like artwork, and the flavors were absolutely impeccable. Even though we placed our full order when we arrived, the team thoughtfully held dessert until the end so we could enjoy the meal at a relaxed pace. The sweet potato crème brûlée was as phenomenal as we were told it would be. So unique and the perfect crack!!! From the stunning presentation to the incredible food and outstanding service, Tendon Kohaku made both my daughter's birthday and our first visit unforgettable. There are still so many amazing items on the menu I'm excited to try, and we're already looking forward to coming back without a doubt. read more

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there was a long wait, our expectations were set, but it was worth the food. It was calm and inviting. The fried squid took the longest to come, even though it was just 2 pieces. our server made us so comfortable and helped us enjoy the experience. read more

Food was tasty! The setting is done very well. The ambiance is nice. The line can get long. If you can, make reservations for 2+, do it. It can save you time. Enjoy! read more

Tendon Kohaku - Seared salmon Aimori Tendon Set - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Went in for an evening meal but it was full so opted for take out. Ordered shrimp tempura, pumpkin, lotus root, and imitation crab. Everything was delicious but they forgot to unwrap the imitation crab before throwing it in the fryer. Unfortunate. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Plastic wrapped imitation crab - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Grabbed a last-minute, early weekend reservation at 10:45am, which is 15 minutes before they opened. It was sentimental being back in the area, we visited a few bakeries/cafes before our reservation. Service was prompt and professional. Loved the look of the menu and all its options. Wished I had more stomach space so I can try all the dishes :( (5/5) Kuromitsu Matcha $6.49 -- Kuromitsu syrup added a nice depth, it's similar to brown sugar. The matcha itself was so so good, would get it again. It wasn't too watery or milky. (2/5) Sashimi Aimori Tendon Set $27.50 -- While the rice and sides are nice (the steamed egg was especially light and delicious), I found the sashimi to be off-putting because it wasn't fresh and was a bit fishy to me. I wished I had gotten more tempura instead. The tempura itself is nice and crispy, it's a bit hard to describe. There's a bit of chew after the initial crunch that is nice. They also had an in-house sauce at the side -- it does pack a punch, so be warned! But I really enjoyed it a lot, it's a bit soy saucey. I think I would have been happier without the sashimi, it wasn't worth it for me. I would recommend getting a set with just the tempura (e.g. Kohaku Tendon Set) and save yourself $7. I also saw that a lot of people ordered the curry and heard somewhere online that they use Royce chocolate, so it does seems very interesting. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try it this time. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Sashimi aimori tendon set - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Currently, Tendon Kohaku is still busy enough that I would highly recommend making a reservation. We made a reservation for a small family birthday dinner on a Sunday evening, which was very easy to do on their website (they use Toast as their reservation portal). I'd made my reservation a few weeks ahead of time, and when I checked it out of curiosity the week before, they were all booked up. So definitely make a reservation unless you're willing to wait a while. We got there right at reservation time, and were seated after an approximate ten minute wait. They do have some seats and an area to loiter in just inside the entrance. We got to sit in one of their spacious semi-private booths upstairs, which was lovely and really evokes the feel of a more traditional Japanese restaurant. Their menu is accessible via a QR code posted at the table. I love that each item is accompanied by a photo and a detailed description, but scrolling so many pages of a pdf on your phone is a bit of a strange experience, especially on such a small screen. The food pages of their menu are also organized in a somewhat odd way, with the starters and some desserts randomly wedged in between entrees. That said, there is quite a wide selection of both tempura and non-tempura items, and a couple of items that vegetarians could enjoy. I had the Unagi Aimori Tendon Set (tempura and grilled eel set), my mom had the Kohaku Tendon Set (classic tempura set), and my dad had the Sashimi Aimori Tendon Set (tempura and chirashi-style sashimi set). Each set came with rice, a small bowl of miso soup, chawanmushi, and cabbage and yuzu salad. We also got four extra pieces of tempura shrimp to share. Service was very attentive, and we never really had to wave anyone down for anything. Our server was in to check on us quite frequently, but not so often as to be hovering. Once we ordered, food starting coming up relatively quickly, although the pacing of it could've been better. There was about a ten minute gap between the time that the first and the last of us received our entrees. The food itself is excellent, and definitely worth all the hype around this place. Tempura is shatteringly crispy but light, all the fillings are fresh and provide a variety of textures. The eel was great, and I loved mixing the eel sauce into my rice. My parents really enjoyed their meals as well, and boy was it filling and satisfying. I honestly don't even think we needed the extra shrimp tempura, even though it was nice to have. Overall, we really enjoyed our dinner at Tendon Kohaku. I might wait until things have calmed down a bit more to return, since you seemingly need to reserve a table weeks ahead of time on peak nights, but it's definitely worth a visit. read more

Literally everybody and their moms recommended Tendon Kohaku for my recent Seattle trip. This international chain has two locations in the Seattle area, one in Seattle and one in Bellevue. Reservations book up well in advance, so if you're planning on walking in, it's recommended to line up early. My friends and I arrived around 4:40 PM and were the third party in line. We were seated about 30 minutes later and placed our orders shortly after. SASHIMI AIMORI TENDON SET - 27.50 This came with a variety of tempura: two prawns, chicken, pumpkin, and two French beans. Since tendon is literally all about the tempura, I was really excited. Unfortunately, the tempura was incredibly oily. The first bite of prawn tempura practically burst with oil in my mouth, and every piece after that was no different. By the end of the meal, I peeled the batter off just to eat what's underneath. It wasn't the light, crisp tempura I was hoping for from this restaurant. The sashimi was decent for the most part. The ikura, however, was one of the worst I've had. The outer membrane was dry and almost plastic-like, with none of the burst or pop that's expected. The miso soup, chawanmushi, and house salad were all fine, but nothing to rave about. Overall, I left pretty disappointed. When a restaurant specializes in tendon, I expected the tempura to be the star of the meal, yet it was underwhelming and greasy. My friends ordered the Beef Steak Aimori Tendon Set, and the beef steak was well seasoned and tender. We skipped dessert this time, but I've heard the sweet potato with butter and honey is a must if you're visiting. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Sashimi Aimori Tendon Set - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Tendon Kohaku opened a second location in the International District, occupying the space that was Momosan. I have avoided the crowded Bellevue location and was quite happy to learn they opened a second one. We walked in, were quoted a 45 min wait, and went shopping at Uwajimaya across the street. The wait was accurate at 40 min. Tendon is short for tempura donburi. At the moment, the Seattle location has unagi but the Bellevue location doesn't, possibly subject to change. The staff is impressively well-trained considering this location is new-ish. I find their portions to be well-sized while the prices are reasonable for the basic sets, especially considering their popularity. The Food: Kohaku Kabayaki Unagi & Grilled Steak Set, $35.95 - 5 Stars This is one of their popular dishes at this location, combining steak and unagi, Japanese surf and turf. The beef is tender, while the unagi has the proper smoky grilled flavor. It deserves the popularity. Traditional Tendon Set, $20.95 - 5 Stars This tempura set includes 2 prawns, squid, 2 french beans, pumpkin, lotus root, shiitake, organic chicken breast, and krab stick. This set has a lot of food, and I couldn't finish, in a good way. Creamy Hokkaido Uni Udon, $35.95 - 4 Stars This is also one of their popular dishes with the udon in a thick uni cream sauce. The cream sauce is a bit milder or 'normal' than I had hoped. Maybe while also eating tempura, my flavor palette skewed, so the subtle uni flavor didn't stand out. I seem to prefer the mentaiko flavor. Most went home for a second meal, which I expected. The above three entrees are sets that come with chawanmushi, cabbage pickles, and miso soup. None of the cabbage pickles were particularly well pickled, just a mild flavor. Chawanmushi is pleasantly light with a piece of krab and a piece of mushroom. The miso soup is pretty good. Tiger Prawn Tempura with Sweet Chill Sauce, $15.95 - 5 Stars Hubby didn't want to miss out on prawns with his unagi and steak meal. This appetizer filled the gap perfectly. read more

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Was visiting with a few of my friends from out of state and wanted some quality Japanese food and Tendon did not disappoint. I got the beef steak aimori tendon set where you get an ample amount of beef and plenty of tempura variety. The meat was cooked medium rare just to my liking and the tempura was nice and crisp. Love the restaurant itself with plenty of seating and my friends were saying this was one of the newer locations. Will definitely be coming back! read more

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Love this location! We made reservations online which made the process easy. Staff was great! Friendly and attentive! Food is delicious! We love thr Bellevue location and are so happy we have one in CID now! My go to is their tempura set. Always delicious! My husband enjoyed his steak and unagi bowl which is one of their monthly/seasonal specials being promoted right now. It's a nice space with a nice ambiance! read more

Tendon Kohaku - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I've been to Tendon Kohaku a few times, but this was my first visit to their Seattle Chinatown-International District location, and I really enjoyed the experience. The first thing that stood out was the restaurant's layout. The booths are cleverly designed to give each table a surprising amount of privacy, making it feel cozy without being cramped. We visited during their summer seasonal menu, which introduced curry to their already impressive selection of tendon bowls. I ordered one of the curry options, and it didn't disappoint. The tempura was light, crispy, and, most importantly, not oily--a noticeable improvement from my previous experience at the Bellevue location. The curry was rich and flavorful, pairing perfectly with the freshly fried tempura. Service was warm and attentive throughout the meal. The staff checked in regularly, and everyone was friendly and welcoming. Just one small suggestion: if you're serving a curry bowl, please include a spoon! Eating curry with chopsticks alone is a bit of a challenge, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one trying to chase the last bit of curry around the bowl. Overall, this was a great lunch in a comfortable setting with delicious food and excellent service. I'll definitely be back to try more of their seasonal offerings. read more

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Summer specials: black truffle carbonara and the black truffle wagyu don. My cousin was here for a layover for Asia flight. Managed to get a reserved same day by checking the website/calling in. Service is super fast, our waiter had the timing down to the minute lol. We ordered drinks and we had them in less than 5mins just like he promised. I did not catch his name, but he was great and very friendly. Food didnt disappoint, the carb was really good and not too heavy or overwhelming. The wagyu don was fantastic, definitely the favorite among our orders. You can really taste and smell the black truffle in both dishes as well. It's great they serve a side of miso soup, pickled veg, and chawanmushi with your entree order. Honestly, I thought this place was overhyped, but my cousin who has traveled to japan manymany times gave his seal of approval too. We also really liked the decor, and overall was a very nice and fun dinner for us to catch up. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food is yummy, portion sizes are generous, the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful, and the interior is stunning. The highlight of the meal was definitely the jiggly coconut cat. It was not too sweet, and really fun to eat. The coconut flavors really come through, and the tapioca pearls in sugary syrup was quite complementary. The main dishes were good, and really quite filling. Our meals cane with an egg custard, pickled cabbage, and miso soup. The bowls deceptively hold a lot of rice. When we commented on how good the rice was, our waiter told us that this location has a special rice washing machine that changes how the rice turns out?!? I'm not sure the science behind it, but it was def some of the best rice we've had. It's worth checking out, although I wouldn't go without a reservation. read more

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I've visited twice - on my first visit with Marie B., I got the eel & steak set and the 2nd visit, i got the traditional Tendon Kohaku set. The steak was tender and came with plenty of eel. The set included a broth and accoutrements to use with the leftover rice. The tempura was not as crispy as the first visit on the Kohaku set. I enjoyed the creamy custard and soft serve accompanying the bruleed sweet potato dessert, but though the sweet potato was tough and not tender. After two visits, I've noticed there's inconsistency with service and the food, ex, the tempura was not as crispy on the 2nd visit, chawanmushi was warm at one visit and room temp the next - texture was silky smooth, miso soup was tasteless the first visit. Chicken karaage was good - crispy exterior and flavorful. The lemon sauce is a nice surprise. Service was attentive on both visits though the staff's knowledge seemed to vary. What is the purpose of the standing bowl? One answer was to hold the tempura, so you can access the rice and the other answer was for presentation purposes. The 10:45 am reservations are easy to obtain. Going early increases your parking karma in the CID. read more

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Such a great place for the udon noodles and tempura and sushi. Enjoyed every thing we tied here. Started with lavender matcha. Just right amount of the sweetness and supper creamy. We had tuna sashimi and grilled skirt steak as the appetizers. Both are excellent. Steak was close to medium rare and seasoned perfectly. Got the sashimi tempura bowl set which was huge for one person. Salmon katsu set was so surprisingly crispy outside with raw and tender meat inside to make it a great meal. We had a super nice experience with the bouncing coconut pudding dessert with a brush to make the cat the way you can wanted. Loved it. Our server was excellent to listen to us and made some excellent choices for us. We were seating a nice semi closed booth area towards the back of the restaurant. So much fun conversations for the dinner time. Definitely Wil come back. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Coconut pudding - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This was the last restaurant I got to go to with my husband before we had our daughter. Although I heard it can be hard to get a spot, we were able to get seated right away since we went on a Wednesday afternoon. There definitely was a line of people queuing up closer to open. My husband is from Japan and can be kinda judgmental about most Japanese or "Japanese" restaurants in the US, but he was pleased with this spot and agreed it was a spot he'd be happy to bring our baby to when she's bigger. We were happy with all our food and also got the sweet potato creme brûlée and really enjoyed it. Growing up in Japan my husband loved eating sweet potato from a street vendor so this was a nice treat for him. The staff was organized and patient as we decided on what to get and good at keeping our waters filled and accomodating requests. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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There we so many menu options, it was hard to pick! I ultimately went with the Sakura Tendon Set (which is seasonal) and it was delicious. The portions were pretty big so come HUNGRY. the staff were kind and quick, and the decor was very well done. I can't wait to come back here and try some more ! Street parking is minimal 5/5 read more

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Every dish is spot on! Portion, rice , sauces and meat all perfection! That's why it's so hard to grab a seat there. Their eel is also grilled to order and you can see them grilling in the open kitchen area . 10/10 read more

Tendon Kohaku - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Tendon Kohaku has been one of those elusive restaurants that I've been curious about because of its popularity, being a respected Japanese restaurant import, and I guess the challenge and frustration of trying to get a reservation made getting here more interesting. I basically gave up on trying to get a reservation to their Bellevue location, which worked out in the end because I'm more of a Seattle girl and I really want to support CID businesses more. I'm glad they recently opened a location in the CID and, after a couple of attempts, I was able to get a reservation! The CID restaurant was bustling and larger than I thought it would be. It was beautifully decorated, bright, and clean. I love all the different levels of the restaurant with some tables located in semi-private dining booths. The drinks we ordered tasted refreshing and delicious. The food also all tasted really good. What threw me off were some of the elements in the sets we ordered which were rather tasteless and unnecessary to me. Perhaps I didn't know how I was supposed to eat it. In hindsight, that may be what the condiments on our table were for?!?! Besides that, all of our food, especially the tendon, were perfectly cooked. Service was efficient and friendly. I would totally dine here again. read more

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I've been to the Bellevue location a couple of times and this one is slightly bigger and has a special unagi menu. We all ordered the unagi tendon set which was delicious. The were 3 or 4 pieces of well-cooked unagi and the tempura was good as always. But they forgot to mark down which sauces we had picked and we just had to guess which one was which. We ultimately had to just go with it and it didn't matter much because there was barely any sauce to begin with. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Unagi tendon set - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Got the salmon aimori tendon and the sakura set tendon with a side of unagi tempora. Loved the presentation of the food! It was an amazing experience eating the meal. I love the spicy sauce that was on the table; it added an extra flavor profile to the tempura! We also had a sweet potato creme brulee for dessert and it was an amazing way to end the meal! I would recommend reservations because I waited 2 hours for a walk in, but it wasn't too bad because i walked around the area to kill time. read more

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I have to preface this by saying we did a takeout order. BUT we did eat the takeout right away at their outdoor seating. I feel like one of the highlights of this place is their presentation which of course isn't as nice when it's in a to go box so this review is solely based on the taste. We ordered several of their bowls and some other tempura dishes and personally they were all very bland. You can tell the fry is nice and light but they weren't crispy all around. Some parts were quite soggy. We also got the tempura bowl that comes with beef which, the beef was very delicious and well flavored, nice and umami. We got their tempura bowl with eel too. I was expecting marinated eel but it was also just fried and pretty bland but that was my error for not looking closely at the images. My favorite tempura was their shrimp tempura but everything else was... okay.. once again could use some seasoning, marinades or even just some salt. For the price the flavor of the tempuras were kind of disappointing, so I would say you're definitely paying for the presentation and ambience here. We got their around right when they opened and I heard some people looking for tables for parties of 2 already having to wait an hour. In which case is not worth in my opinion. Their outdoor seating where I sat was fine, some fake pretty plants and an order window so you don't have to go inside. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Variety of tempura bowls to-go - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We made a reservation for this spot and still had to wait around 10-15 minutes for our table despite arriving on time. I've been to the Bellevue location a few times already so knew what to expect food wise, but the decor here was beautiful too. I got the whitefish, squid, and tamagoyaki tempura along with a bowl of brown rice since they never let me sub out the shrimp in the sets (I am allergic). Tamogoyaki I believe is unique to this location, or a new item - it was so good! Crispy but not greasy, and the egg was so soft and flavorful. I also loved the tenderness of the whitefish especially dipped in the sauces they provide. We also got the sweet potato mont blanc for dessert which had a pretty strong sweet potato flavor, and I always love the matcha ice cream per usual. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Brown rice and tamagoyaki, whitefish, squid tempura - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This was my favorite meal of my Seattle trip. I am still in awe of how amazing this experience was. When I heard that they opened up a location in IDistrict, I knew I had to go. We came for dinner time and they immediately got us sat. The interior is really gorgeous with a lot of cute and immersive decor to really make your experience feel elevated. The menu is so big and flashy that it was kinda overwhelming but every dish looked mouthwateringly amazing. I got the unagi don set with my friends getting the uni carbonara and the katsu curry. We also got a chicken karaage to share. I was in shock. The unagi was so perfectly cooked with a light fluffy interior with a crispy outside to make a perfect bite. The rice was perfectly cooked and added so much more to the dish. The side steamed egg was also a perfect pairing for it all. The chicken karaage was also cooked amazingly and had a great taste. I cannot wait to be back. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I was so excited to try this chain, but was left pretty underwhelmed after having dinner here. To my understanding, this chain is known for their tempura don set and their sweet potato dessert, but who am I to pay $14 for a potato and ice cream?? I made reservations about two weeks in advance and was seated immediately after arrival. The space seemed pretty small, so I can understand why there are long waits. Our server was very friendly, communicative, and attentive. I ordered their seasonal seared salmon + tempura set with an add on of their dashi broth to pour over my rice while my partner had their signature tempura set. It took awhile to get our food and the food runner forgot to bring my add on. The salmon was ok quality, not the best. Reminiscent of fish you get from the grocery store. The tempura was light, but got overwhelming after a couple bites. Chawanmushi and the rice were great. I was pretty disappointed that I paid $4 for dash broth, some strands of seaweed and green onion. It was very lackluster. My partner found his meal to be very heavy too after a couple bites. Maybe we ordered the wrong things, but I'm glad I got to try this place out after hearing all the hype about it. Not a place I'm in love with or can picture myself craving again. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Phenomenal Japanese restaurant with high-quality dishes, excellent service, and fantastic bang for your buck. Our group of four came for a Sunday lunch and only had a 30 minute wait -- perfect amount of time for a quick walk around the area before lunch. Upon returning, we were quickly seated in a cozy booth that felt nice and private to our party. The menu has a range of delicious options, including tempura, unagi, curry, and udon dishes. I opted for the Mentaiko Cream and Ikura Udon Set, which you have the option to add Hokkaido uni to. The levels of creaminess, brine, and light spice were absolutely perfect! My boyfriend got the Beef Steak Aimori Tendon Set. The steak was perfectly cooked, and the tempura was so light and crisp -- best we've ever had. You can even make it a Tencha set with an add-on that includes extra condiments and kombu dashi to pour over your rice. All dishes came with miso soup, pickled yuzu cabbage, and chawanmushi, which was silky soft. I was really impressed by our server's attentiveness to our friend's shrimp allergy, customizing the chawanmushi to accommodate. I'll 100% be returning next time I'm in town. The price for a high-quality set is truly unbeatable, and I love the rotating specials. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Mentaiko Cream and Ikura Udon Set - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Long wait time but really nice Japanese spot. My friend and I were really excited to try this place for the two of us on a Tuesday night the wait was over an hour so I recommend planning ahead if you want to eat here. I got the Tiger prawn tempera set and it was delicious. One piece of feedback, I don't like the QR menus. It lit a long time to load on my phone and was hard to navigate with small font. Hard copy menus would make the experience more enjoyable. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Shrimp tempura set - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I've been wanting to try Tendon Kohaku for a while so I was very happy when I saw they opened a new location in the international district. We came for a late lunch on a Friday and put our name down for a table at the counter. It was a 10 minute wait and they have a text system so you don't have to wait at the restaurant. The restaurant is pretty big and they sat us in a nice private booth. The decor in the restaurant is very cute and it feels like you're in Japan. They're known for their tempura so we had to get it even though the udon dishes looked great. I got the Premium Tendon set which came with lots of tempura including the anago eel! Everything was really good, the tempura was crispy and not oily and included a variety of things (chicken, prawn, crab stick, green beans, lotus root, mushroom, onsen egg, and the anago eel). All served on a bed of rice. It was a lot of food, I was so full at the end of the meal. My friends got the seared salmon aimori tendon set and the sashimi aimori tendon set which they both enjoyed. I was there on May 8th and they had a Photo Booth for the grand opening which was really fun! read more

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Came here on a Thursday afternoon with a reservation and were seated pretty soon. We got a variety of dishes but the eel and grilled steak was my favorite! All of the food was beautifully presented and flavorful. The sets come with pickled cabbage, steamed egg custard, and miso soup. Also, we were surprised at how tasty the desserts were, you can taste the quality in the matcha soft serve. I highly recommend family style so you can try all of the dishes! Ambiance was welcoming with lots of Japanese decor and the service was great, our server was attentive despite it being so busy. read more

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Fantastic food first and foremost and stellar experience up until the last 10 minutes of our time spent there. We kicked off with possibly the best service i've experienced. We got the last reservation of the night which was 9:30p for a party of 3. We were surprised to find out that the last call for food was 9:45p so we ordered quickly and placed our food order by 9:38p (before even sitting down at our table). The friendly waiter kindly let us know that all the food would come out at once including the dessert. He later noticed the ice cream melting and offered to swap it out once we were ready to eat dessert which was so kind. He said he'd be taking care of some closing duties and if we couldn't find him to ask the other person working the area. About 2 minutes later, the new server abruptly started removing trays and dishes that we weren't yet done with and without saying anything. We had to quickly grab some of the items of the top of his pile that we wanted to finish and he rolled his eyes. We asked him to swap out our ice cream like the previous server had suggested and he got visibly upset and left with the plate. When he came back he damn near threw it on the table, leaned over and said you have 6 minutes to eat and then i'm coming back and packing up whatever is left and you can go. I expressed to him that he was being rude and he started to argue about how the soft serve machine has to be turned back on and our server should have never promised us this. Meanwhile there are other folks in the restaurant eating who hes not disclosing this 6 minute cut off to. He came back around to take our payment and said don't worry this is going to your other server and took our payment. We asked for a manager. The manager on duty gave a half-ass apology and said he'd talk to the server and that they took it seriously. Didn't offer any concessions which is fine but still odd. He also made a passive mention of blame regarding us showing up late? For context the reservation was their slotted time for 9:30p and we had 1 person arrive at 9:30p and the other 2 at 9:38p but everyone had already placed their food order. Mind you, our table wasn't cleared off and ready for us until 9:40p anyway. All this to say, as a restaurant, if you're expecting to shut things down and close at a hard stop, maybe take your last reservation at a far enough window so people aren't rushed to order & eat and incidentally scolded about a soft serve machine. We live in the area and were very excited for a this restaurant to be around since the nearest one was Bellevue. We'll be back and hopefully stress free for our next visit. read more

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I visited the new Seattle location for my birthday! It was a lovely experience...I have been to the Bellevue location but I didn't have tempura...I had the salmon katsu which was delicious but they do add the tater sauce all over your katsu so beware...it's a nice table side feature mixing up the tarter.,,but they just spread it out all over the salmon! This visit I got the special, Sakura tempura set. Definitely get the tempura, it's light, crisp & flaky. My husband got the Premium Tempura Set...which comes with a fried soft boiled egg! Oh my goodness...so fantastic! I will ALWAYS get the egg as a side order. Our server was very knowledgeable & he brought me a dessert of my choice on the house with a candle! So cute! It's really clean & with Japanese decor...the staff greets you in a very Japanese style...Irashaimase! Love it! read more

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Tendon Kohaku recently opened in the International District and is a few minutes walk from the Light Rail Station. My brother and I were excited to try this new spot. This is their second location in Washington and their first location is in Bellevue. I recommend visiting their website to explore their menu and secure reservations. The interior is beautifully designed. The dining area is in an L-shaped format and incorporates modern and Japanese touches. The focal point is their open style kitchen. I absolutely love their lanterns and high ceilings. Service was prompt and our server was very helpful. She even walked us through their menu and provided some recommendations. We started with a couple of Hayashi High Balls and the Kohaku Chicken Karaage. The chicken was flavorful, crispy, and glazed with their house lemon sauce. The appertizer paired perfectly with the Hayashi High Balls. For our main dish, we both ordered the Kohaku Kabayaki Unagi & Grilled Steak set. This is a half-and-half set of grilled unagi and steak served over hokkaido rice. This was served with chawanmushi, warm dashi broth, miso soup, yuzu cabbage pickle, wasabi, green onions, and nori. The chawanmushi was silky smooth and delicate. The miso soup is a nice and comforting starter. The yuzu cabbage complemented the steak and unagi. The steak was perfectly grilled and tender. The unagi was also perfectly cooked and glazed with their house kobayaki sauce. Our server made sure to explain the process of enjoying the set and creating an ochazuke. We left a bit of rice in the bowl, poured the warm dashi stock over the rice, and garnish with the green onions, wasabi, and nori. I highly recommend trying this option. Overall, fantastic experience. Looking forward to returning to try their tempura tendon and other items. read more

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One of my favorite places to get Japanese food in Seattle! The prices are on point, huge portion sizes, good service, huge variety of different items to pick from. Overall, I highly recommend and I will come back. read more

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I had this place saved for 2 years on Instagram since I don't live in Seattle. Was really happy to finally get to try it. When I went to the Bellevue location the first day, it was unfortunately a 2 hour wait and so we didn't go. The next day, I learned to put my name down and wander around (was still a 90 min wait). The verdict: Good, but not life changing. I'm allergic to gluten, so unfortunately, my bar is a lot higher -- basically "was the food worth the allergic reaction?" And the answer was no. The mentaiko udon was tasty, but a tad too salty. And the beef in the tendon set was a bit tough and not fun to eat. Good vibes though, and was worth checking out, but not worth going again. read more

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I had a great meal at Tendon Kohaku today! I made a reservation online and was able to get one about a week out for dinner. There was a long line of people waiting for walk ins at 8pm on a weekday. I split the Mentaiko cream udon ($25) and the traditional tendon set ($20). Both came with a side of pickled cabbage, miso soup, and chawanmushi (steamed egg custard). The udon was super creamy and had lots of Mentaiko - it was delicious! The tempura all came out fresh and was light and not oily at all. I thought the portions were quite large, and we went home very full and satisfied. I would definitely come back here! read more

Tendon Kohaku - Traditional kohaku tendon set $20 - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Good overall meal, especially if you're okay with a wait. We came on a Thursday around 6pm and were quoted about a 1-hour wait, but got seated in ~40 minutes. They've quietly started taking online reservations, though it seems more word-of-mouth right now. While waiting, we walked around CID and stopped at Uwajimaya across the street, which made the time go by fast. The place was still packed when we got seated. Food highlights: the Kohaku Tendon set was solid--soft rice topped with a variety of crispy tempura (prawn, squid, pumpkin, lotus root, mushroom, chicken breast, crab stick). The creamy Hokkaido uni udon was the standout for me, even though it came out slightly lukewarm--the uni flavor was strong and there was a generous topping. Main dishes come with a complimentary side of pickled yuzu cabbage, miso soup, and chawanmushi (steamed egg custard). We also had the sweet potato crème brûlée with vanilla custard and vanilla ice cream. It was dessert-heavy in a good way--sweet, creamy, and a mix of earthy and rich flavors. My friend liked the custard layer more, and I personally preferred the sweet potato part. Service was friendly but clearly overwhelmed--took a while at checkout to get our card picked up. Atmosphere was busy and a bit chaotic, but expected. I'd go back just for the uni udon. read more

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Such a beautiful setting. The menu is full of options. We went with the unagi/steak bowl and premium tempura set with eel. Everything was so tasty! Unagi is well seasoned and just melts in my mouth. Steak cooked perfectly and very tender. The tempura is not oily or greasy. Light crunch and specialty item like tempura egg is perfect and still a little runny which is hard to do. Need extra sauce, it's on the table in regular or spicy. Each set comes with delicious miso soup, chawan mushi (egg custard). Service is great. Patient & helpful. Visiting from Hawaii and will definitely come back again. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Open kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

finally tried this place after being warded off by the notorious wait times at the bellevue location. i made a reservation about a week in advance for a saturday night. the servers were super friendly and attentive. the food was soooooo good and the portions were pretty generous. the interior is larger than i initially thought and has a nice sleek vibe. got the beef tendon set and it was soooooo good, the tempura had such a nice crunch and i loved the variety. the meat was very tender. also got the unagi beef set and the unagi was very soft and flavorful and is special to the seattle location. the sweet potato creme brulee was just okay to me but I was already so stuffed from the main meal. read more

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Tried Tendon Kohaku for dinner and overall had a really good experience. The restaurant itself is beautiful inside lots of bright colors, calming decor, and a very zen atmosphere that made it feel relaxing while dining. Service was excellent throughout the meal. Staff stayed on top of everything and were very attentive with refilling water, bringing napkins when needed, and checking in without being overbearing. The food was flavorful, well presented, and visually appealing. You can tell care goes into the plating and overall experience. My only complaint would be the temperature of the food. Most of the dishes came out warm at best, but not really hot or fresh-off-the-stove/fryer hot like I was expecting. Looking toward the kitchen, it seemed like components may already be prepared ahead and assembled as orders come in. Other than that, I still enjoyed the meal and would definitely come back to try more items. read more

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