Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior

I've heard so many great things about this tempura restaurant from so many people so I decided to give it a try. Bluefin tuna was as fresh as it can get! Honestly I wasn't really expecting much since this restaurant is known more for their tempura but this hit the spot.Cold soba + tempura plate was honestly so refreshing. Fatty, crunchy, sweet and acidic... then you got the el dente bite from the noodles The fried shiso with uni was also very good but a little on the pricey side which is understandable since it's uni. We honestly didn't really wait that long but was shocked to see how busy it was on a Wednesday night. The tempura is probably one of the best I've had so far.. there's something special about this batter where it didn't taste overly greasy and it had this crackling crisp to it. I'd definitely come back.

Parking in lot off Green Street when you register your car through QR code posted at restaurant door or Street. Credit card only Came here for lunch on a week day around 1145pm. Not a long wait but got really busy later onFood is not bag buy I was really disappointed of the 5 or 6 tempura combo, they only had eel bowl. No sushi, sashimi, salmon, or Ikura.Otherwise the tempura was very savory and the eel bowl was not bad. Decent portions

A delicious spot if you love tempura! My friends and I went on a Sunday afternoon and the line was out the door. We got there around 12:30 pm and the staff told us that their waitlist was already full until their afternoon break at 3 pm. We returned later at 4:10 PM where they just brought out their waitlist for the 4:30 pm start and we were able to get in easily. The staff were cheerful and enthusiastically greeted us as we entered. The interior was a nice small area with both tables and bar seating. For food, I ordered the Special Tempura plate that included an assortment of tempura, tempura sauce, miso soup, rice and a fried soft boiled egg. The tempura was deliciously crunchy and flavorful. I thought my favorite would be the shrimp, but it was actually the kakiage, which I believe was squid. The soft boiled egg was also perfectly cooked with the inside being a nice gooey consistency. I recommend mixing the egg with your rice and adding miso soup to create a nice porridge!Definitely a place I recommend and will return again the next time I visit Pasadena! Highly advise you to put your name on the waitlist early when they open, so you're able to secure a spot.

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior is famous for their Tendon - fried tempura battered shrimp and an assortment of vegetables slathered in their signature sauce. The establishment is a Torrance icon that has expanded to Pasadena. Parking is available at $1/hour and you will be walking a couple of blocks to arrive at your final destination. Be prepared to wait, using the Yelp Waitlist. On a Friday evening, we waited 30 to 40 minutes. Ordered the following:1. Tempura Bowl - comes with miso soup 2. Fried Chicken Bowl - comes with miso soup 3. Combination with Hot Soba - Not BadThe side dishes are self serve: Ginger and Celery? My one gripe is that you have to eat it on-site for the full experience and the battered tempura gets soggy, real fast. They a fried yolk egg that you puncture to slather your rice and tempura with.

Absolutely worth the hype. The combos come with a decent portion or udon or soba. The texture of the soba noodles was fantastic. Their tempura is light and crispy. If you order a bowl, the tempura is topped with a slightly sweet sauce white the plates are served with a side of the sauce with grated daikon for dipping. The tempura is cooked perfectly. The tempura nori was an unexpectedly fantastic bite! I want to try their whole menu. Friendly staff. Theres a waitlist at the door for their limited inside seating but outdoor tables are usually available. Cozy interior with some bar seating for solo diners. Be prepared to wait. Their hours on here, google, and their instagram are all slightly different but luckily they were open when we came.

Tempura here is amazing. My udon was okay. It was very lemony compared to the last time I came. I preferred the rice bowl as the sauce made the tempura better. I think the rice plate might be the best choice since they have tempura sauce on the side. Don't forget to ask for pickled stuff. I think it was celery and radish.We waited almost 45 minutes on a Sunday around 1230. They closed the waitlist around 1 something when the line got longer since they do close at 230 then reopen later.

I've had tendon tempura bowls in Japan and Hawaii. I've also tried Hannosuke in LA and this place is just as good if not better than Hannosuke. I have also dined in at their Torrance location many times. First, free parking right upfront but its 1 hour only. So if there is a wait you'll have to move your car or gamble for a ticket. Their tempura is fried to perfection and not greasy at all. We also tried their sashimi which was just okay - wouldn't get again. The restaurant is small and cozy so prepare to wait if you come during lunch rush.

Been wanting to try this place since my brother has been raving about it. He did warn me it gets super crowded and to come early or before they open. Well--for some reason yelp says they're temporarily closed, but I called and they said they were open.. so when we got here at 5:20pm on a Tuesday it was pretty much empty and walk in!!! It made me sad for them but happy for us bc we didn't have to wait. Kana our server was super nice and she was also the one who answered the phone and told us to come in. I really wanted an udon and she made it easy for me to pick the shrimp and udon combo and a side of salmon sashimi. My sister got the premium shrimp that came with miso soup and a dragon roll. The food didn't take too long to make and it was very fresh and all hot! So much flavor in the tempura and the udon. The sashimi was also very fresh! We were so happy with our order and service and we definitely understand why there's typically a 2 hour wait for this place. I hope yelp removes that it's temporarily closed--bc they totally deserve to be busy!! So just call to make sure they're closed--you might get lucky like us and not have to wait !

The wait wasn't too bad for a party of 2 at noon on a Saturday.Service - it was great! The server was nice and answered all our questions. She was a little quirky and I loved it! Ambiance - nothing special, as expected. Food - this one surprised me - i thought everything was just okay. My lunch buddy, on the other hand, LOVED it. We got the white fish special/plate with rice and the special plate with soba. The 1 meh item were the scallops. All other tempura items tasted light and crispy but the scallops tasted oily and meh. Would I go back - yeah. It was a positive experience.

Drove 40 minutes to try it out. Sadly, they are closed for construction. No wonder yelp waitlist was short.