Halal tempura at Narita Airport

A Halal udon and tempura restaurant opened up last month at Narita Airport, the airport which provided a new prayer room just last year. Udon and tempura are extremely popular Japanese foods, so I headed to the airport curious to check out the response to the new Halal restaurant. I now provide you readers with a report from the scene.

01_location
Location of Halal tempura at Narita Airport

“Tentei”, the restaurant serving Halal tempura, is located in the 4th floor shopping and dining area of the international terminal 2 main building. To get there, take the escalator from the departure lounge to the 4th floor and head to the north area.

02_outward
Outward of TENTEI

Walk a little and you will see Tentei at the back on the right. It seems like a normal Japanese restaurant, but…

03_certified
Certified by Malaysia Halal Consultancy & Training Agency

A “Certified by Malaysia Halal Consultancy & Training Agency” certificate is displayed on the window.

04_displayed-in-the-window
Displayed menu in the window

A colorful menu is also displayed in the window. Let’s have a look inside…

05_inside-the-restaurant
Inside the restaurant TENTEI

Inside the restaurant is very simple, there are no special decorations just because it is Halal certified.

06_menu
Menu in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean

They are kind enough to provide a menu in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean.

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Recommended menu

I chose the recommended lunch of “set with bowl of rice topped with tempura and soba noodles” for 1,050 yen.

08_dishes
Tendon & Soba

After waiting 8 minutes, my lunch arrived. The combination of freshly cooked rice and fried tempura is exquisite. This is tendon (bowel of rice topped with tempura)! The soba was a big surprise, really delicious! I don’t think there are any specialist Halal Japanese soba stores anywhere in the world, however it is definitely worth giving this Kansai-style soba soup a try. (I’ll explain the differences between Kansai-style and Kanto-style another time).

09_counter
Counter in the restaurant

If you want to see your tempura being fried, you should sit at the counter. Don’t worry, it won’t cost any extra. The dinner menu is also rich in variety, so  you might like to check in for your flight early and enjoy a relaxing dinner. Alternatively, if you are transiting or arriving at Narita Airport, why not enjoy a meal here before heading to your next destination?  Narita Airport is now even more convenient. Which do you prefer, Narita Aiport, or Haneda Airport close to the city center?