Food pairings abound in the world of Japanese quisine, and among the most popular is the mouth-watering mix of deep-fried tempura and buckwheat soba noodles. Introduced to Japan in the 16th century by Portuguese missionaries, tempura is a decidely foreign member of Japan's gastronomic community, but one that has been embraced and improved on over hundreds of years.

Far from simple deep frying, tempura is prepared using a mixture of sesame and other oils in a light, loosely-mixed batter. Each delicate piece is carefully fried to order, and the perfect companion to our hand-pounded soba noodles. If you haven't had the real thing you owe it to yourself taste what you've been missing, at Gonpachi.