EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN
Secchu Yokota
A tempura omakase counter on East 3rd Street — red shrimp, anago and eggplant, fried piece by piece.
Tempura done properly is a performance of timing, and Secchu Yokota stages it at a small counter on East 3rd Street, out toward Avenue B, where Chef Yokota fries each piece in front of you and sets it down while it still hisses. The room is intimate and easy to miss; MICHELIN's inspectors call it a quiet favorite.
Most ingredients come from Japan: red shrimp, Japanese eggplant, anago, a baby sea bream. Each piece arrives with a choice of lemon, wasabi salt or seaweed salt. Yokota trained in French kitchens, and that shows in the dishes that frame the frying — a nice change of register before and after the batter.
Editor’s tip
Try each piece first with only seaweed salt, then with lemon, to taste how clean the frying is.
Make an evening of it — beautiful stops nearby
Also in the neighborhood
Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 13, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.