This place always has a long line so try to come early or make a reservation to minimize the wait time. So glad I came here during my trip to Seattle as this is probably one of the best tendon I have had in the states. The tempura was perfectly fried with a light crispy batter - every bite was satisfying and comforting. We also enjoyed their sliced skirt steak with saute carrots appetizer. While the presentation wasn't the most appealing, the flavor surprised us in a good way - savory, flavorful and the beef was very tender. For dessert, their sweet potato creme brulee was a standout. Smooth, naturally sweet and finished with a nicely caramelized top - perfect way to end the meal. read more

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I've been to Tendon Kohaku 6 times now. Their food and presentation is not only delicious, it is consistently high quality. It is honestly in my top 3 restaurants in the Seattle area. Today I got the seasonal Sakura Tendon Set and the skirt steak. The restaurant is decorated nicely and the staff is super friendly. Making it a great place to take out of town guest. I would say the optimum party size is 4. 5 or more might be a bit crowded for their tables. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Skirt steak - Japanese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Food was amazing! We ordered the Kohaku Dashi Stock Udon and the Beef Steak Aimori Tendon set. Both dishes were cooked to perfection! For dessert, we shared the Sweet Potato Creme Brulee. It's a baked Japanese sweet potato filled with vanilla custard and topped with a caramelized sugar crust! Served with soft serve. Do not skip out on this! read more

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The carbonara udon is one of the best dishes I have had. I requested they remove the bacon because I don't eat meat, and they were very accommodating. The udon was so chewy and captured the creamy cheesy carbonara sauce. I will be coming back to eat this again. The sweet potato creme brulee was also delicious. I really liked the ice cream part. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Carbonara Udon with bacon on the side - Japanese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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This is probably our fifth time here. This restaurant is one of our favorites. I've read that they may be expanding to Kirkland and downtown Seattle. That'll be dangerously closer from home! We were 3. We made reservations prior, which is always a good idea. One us had the Salmon Aburi. One had the ginormous Curry Katsu Omelet. Then the third had the Premium, one with the eel, prawns, etc. As expected, all were exceptional, well prepared and beautifully presented. I tasted the Katsu Curry and normally I'm not a big fan, but it was really good. Service was friendly and prompt. Although the restaurant was full, friendly check ins by the server were frequent and attentive. The decor is bright and airy. Love the ambiance. It's not cheap, but what you get is a great value. read more

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Food is always amazing at this place. A regular place we visit as a family. We try to order something new each time. Never fails! So good you will not regret. Parking is just a problem here, very limited. Always taken unless you wait for an opening. Walking in is not recommended. Always make a reservation so you need not wait long. Other than that, love love this place. Will always be a favorite. Heard other locations will be opening like Kirkland and Seattle. Let's wait and see. read more

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Truly an amazing experience for great quality and value tendon. But is it worth the wait and hassle? Weekend reservations were pretty difficult to get, with us reserving 1-2 months in advance. +30 minutes prior to the restaurant opening, non-reservation people braved the cold to join the waitlist. The hype and raving reviews set my expectations extremely high. Greeted in unison by the entire staff, I was taken aback by the service and also the refined aura of the restaurant. By no means, am I a tendon/tempura expert, as this was my first time visiting a restaurant (chain) dedicated to the dish. Rather than exploring their viral offerings like the mentaiko udon and curries, we knew we had to get their specialities: the tendon sets. I was pretty greedy ordering the $26 sashimi aimori tendon set but wanted as much as possible without ordering sashimi or the carpaccio appetizers. Unassuming to the eye, the meal was very filling and balanced-miso soup, chawanmushi, and pickle yuzu cabbages complimenting the main dish perfectly. The tempura batter was light and crisp, the perfect vessel. The entire meal warmed the soul with simple, homey flavors that were elevated by excellent cooking techniques. The only downsides included the subpar sauce offerings, which sat at each table in a sticky-ish sauce bottle. It did not pair as well with the tendon and overall experience. Unlike their stellar tempura shrimp and pumpkin, the tempura chicken also did not suit my preferences. I would have preferred another vegetable option! It is quite rare to try a place specializing in tendon sets. Tendon Kohaku was a lovely experience (4.5/5 stars), more suitable for a nice date or family outing. Checking other tables, I noticed not many ordered the tendon sets, unfortunate since these sets are spectacular. I will be back just for these but maybe not as regularly. read more

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

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This is my new favorite spot for tempura hands down. We visited Tendon Kohaku on a Saturday afternoon. I made the rookie mistake of not getting a reservation ahead of time and so the wait was about an hour before we got seated. First off, the staff is very friendly. I never had an issue with getting someone's attention and everybody was polite. The parking lot here is a bit small, but there are options around where you can park and then walk to the restaurant, so no issue there. I ended up ordering the Kohaku Dashi Stock Udon (see attached photo). The noodle texture was perfect, the broth was flavorful but still light, and the tempura was hot and crispy. I would 100% order this exact dish again the next time I come back. Overall this restaurant is great and I loved the vibe and atmosphere that felt very warm and welcoming. I would love to not wait for an hour again, but that's on me to try and get a reservation in earlier. Highly recommend Tendon Kohaku to anyone looking for tempura or udon! read more

Tendon Kohaku - Kohaku Dashi Stock Udon - Japanese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

This place absolutely delivers. The staff is warm, attentive, and genuinely helpful. They took the time to walk me through the menu without rushing, which I really appreciated. I ordered the Thick Cut Rare Salmon Katsu with the Ikura Don set, and it was outstanding. The salmon was buttery and tender inside with a perfectly crisp exterior. Every bite hit just right. Then came the sweet potato dessert... unreal. Truly next level. Do yourself a favor and add the ice cream. It takes it straight into must-order territory. The space is clean, modern, and welcoming, the service is gracious, and the food is a straight 100/10. I'll be thinking about this meal for a long time. read more

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We picked up a last minute dinner reservation the day of and had a lovely date night, seated in the cozy booths in the back. Our absolute favorite was the seasonal creamy udon dish. If you like uni, definitely try it out before it goes out of season! Everything was delicious, including the dessert we treated ourselves to. Service was really quick and friendly. My only comment is that they try to turn tables extremely fast since this is a popular spot! Our dessert came out before we were done eating our entrees, and our check was paid before our dessert was done. I felt a bit rushed to leave even though dining windows are 90 min, and we had only passed 60 min. read more

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Every time I come to tendon kohaku I have a great meal. There's usually a one hour wait, so you can either come 30minutes early to get a number and get in right when they open or you can put your name & number down, go shop at Bellevue square and come back. You don't need to wait in line physically so that's good. I've been here a few times and I've tried the below - Wagyu don: perfectly cooked steak over a bed of perfectly cooked seasoned rice with a runny yellow egg yolk and ikura. - Black truffle grilled steak don: this is really similar to the above w a slight hint of truffle (not overpowering). I think their beef don's are my favorite menu items even though they're known more for their tempura. - Chicken katsu curry: the curry is rich and thick. It's a chocolate curry but it's not sweet, slightly creamy. Katsu is crisp. Nothing too special. - Beef brisket curry udon: not my favorite dish but the brisket is tender and the udon is nice and bouncy. - Tempura don: their tempura is always so crispy, albeit a bit heavy after the first two. But the first few bites are sooo good and paired with the rice that is slightly salty slightly sweet, it makes for a good meal. The servers have always been super kind and attentive. Their food is always good quality and well cooked. I'd always come again :) read more

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I couldn't believe that I found a tempura place comparable to Japan in the US, but I was so pleasantly surprised to find such a gem in Bellevue. We got the Akiaji tempura set and wagyu bento set and were blown away. The wagyu with uni addon was quite flavorful and juicy. The seasonal tempura set was quite large and crispy and flaky, and the dipping sauce definitely enhanced the flavor profile. We did takeout because there was a 75 minute wait for lunch. Parking is very limited, but there is street parking available. The takeout service was quick and quite prompt. The outdoor decor was cute and reminiscent of Japan. read more

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I love the curry and tempura here! I typically go later in the day (8 PM and later) and am usually able to get seated with a short wait. The service is so great and the waiters are friendly and attentive! I don't typically get drinks at restaurants, but the matcha latte here is one of the best I've had in the Seattle area and definitely worth giving a try! read more

Tendon Kohaku - Japanese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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I kept seeing reels about this place on my TikTok and Instagram, so I decided to try it out, and I don't regret it! Reservations were easy to make, the staff were very welcoming, and the food was delicious, you can really tell everything is fresh. The ambiance was clean and warm, and I definitely plan on coming back. Just a heads up: the line can get long on certain days. read more

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I've got to this place multiple times and it never gets old! They have seasonals they rotate through and give plenty of tempura , I always have leftovers. The food is always so fresh and the tempura has a light fry, it's not heavy at all. Service is great, they're always checking in. Parking is the only difficult thing since it's a small lot and fills up fast. read more

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This is a popular place so be prepared to wait or book rsvp in advance. Very nice dine in clean/ modern esthetics. Service was great, felt taken care of. Food was all seasoned well and everything meshed together. I tried the Premium Tendon Set (Anago Eel), Udon Noodle set and the Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte. Would recommend them all. read more

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I only found out about Tendon Kohaku, after seeing the Korean Momma's post, I bookmarked it-of course! It was so hard to decide, picking from my Washington collection I had via Yelp, my final decision= Tendon Kohaku! It was meant to be as we were staying in Bellevue, 10 minutes away and I didn't even plan this way, super cool! After checking in our hotel and dropping off our lug ./stuff, we stopped at Tendon, parking was full that night and YES., I knew it would be busy & popular place. The wait for table was 2 hours, long but we waited. I gave the host my info. and luckily the mall was close by, we walked over to explore and came back within 2 hours. Tendon Kohaku is such a nice/cute restaurant, feels like I am in Japan even though I have never been but from seeing the Japan Instagram vids, looks/feel like it, hehe. I love the cute wooden piece of QR code for the menu, so trendy! We scanned it and wow. such hard decision to make on what to order, everything looks and sounds amazing! I went with one of the order that the Korean Momma had, we got the salmondon set, pork katsu, curry udon set, one order of uni tempura, and the sweet potato brulee. Wow, everything is so nice & colorful when the food was brought out. We took our pics before digging in, & the verdict , YUMs!! We enjoyed everything we ordered, pork katsu, salmon, curry udon noodle, chawanmushi , I have to admit, I've never had Japanese food for the longest time and this sure hits! The sweet potato cream brulee, just wow! Very delicious dessert with a crunchy sugar coating and creamy sweet potato. I could taste the freshness of the salmon from the Pacific Northwest and it was cooked perfectly. First time ever trying uni since it is tempura style and not raw, I LOVED it and now a fan of uni. The wait staff were kind & hard working despite how super busy it gets. Overall, I am so glad I selected Tendon Kohaku for our dinner here at Bellevue, great dining experience hence the wait, we got to explore Bellevue so everything works out! I am a fan & can't wait to be back, need to try the other items on the menu! read more

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I managed to snag reservations for lunch on a weekday! iykyk! The assorted tempura was authentic Japanese-style tempura - delicious! The carbonara udon was stick to your ribs satisfying, and the kohaku dashi stock udon hit the spot with its comforting umami packed broth. I would like to visit more often if it were easier to get reservations, but I'll definitely be back to try the other menu items, like the mentaiku udon. read more

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Tendon Kohaku in Bellevue really surprised me with how good the food was. The creamy mentaiko udon was insanely delicious, rich, savory, and a total show stopper. I am still thinking about it. The beef steak aimori tendon set was good, but honestly pretty forgettable compared to everything else. And do not skip the sweet potato crème brûlée. It was outstanding. However, the experience outside the food was rough. Parking is a mess. It is tight, chaotic, and drivers are desperate. A car in front of me drove past an open spot and then tried to back into me to get it, and backing up would have forced me straight into oncoming traffic. Then there is the seating policy. We were a large party for a colleague's birthday, and everyone was present except for one person. They still refused to seat us. There is no real waiting area, so we were all stuck outside. We understand that the last person was late, but some grace would have been appreciated, especially for a birthday dinner. The food is truly excellent, but the parking situation and the lack of flexibility with seating hurt the overall experience. I would still return for the dishes alone, but I hope they reconsider some of their policies. read more

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Finally got to try this place out. I arrived at 10:45am ish and there was already a line outside. Luckily, they accept walk-ins. The staff here were very efficient and got orders out in a timely manner. Joshua was a great and attentive server and made sure I was taken care of. He checked up on my order and made sure I got my water refilled. I ordered beef steak aimori tendon set $26.95 and it was such a great portion and price. The miso soup and steamed egg were so yummy. Tempura were lightly battered. The beef was so tender and cooked perfectly. It's so filling. Good thing I didn't order another side of shrimp tempura because I don't think I could finish it. The Matcha latte $6.45 was legit and tasted good. Overall, I had a great experience and would come back to try some of their other dishes. The uni pasta looked so good too! My eyes are bigger than my stomach. The staff were all so welcoming and the ambiance + music is so relaxing. Highly recommend if you're looking for traditional Japanese tempura. They have katsu curry too. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Matcha latte - Japanese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Food: SUPERB! The food was amazing. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed EVERY bite. Service: was great! They were very speedy and attentive. Ambiance: lovely. They had such cute decorations and the back room has booths which is private and cozy. Note: try to go with a group bigger than four since you are able to make a reservation. Otherwise, go during off peak hours! The line can get pretty long over the weekend. I went 15-20 minutes before lunch opened and by opening time, the line had over 10-12 parties waiting. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Tempura tendon - Japanese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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finally made my way to this place. even at opening on a weekday, there's a line out the door. we made reservations a week in advance so we were seated right away but if you walk in expect at least a 30 minute wait. pork katsu curry was soooo amazing. they make it with royce chocolate and it was soooo damn good. cleaned my plate. it had the right amount of spicy kick. the wife had the tendon bowl and really liked her food. service was fast amd friendly. wish we has room for dessert but we'll definitely be back. read more

Tendon Kohaku - pork katsu curry rice - Japanese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I've been wanting to try Tendon Kohaku ever since it opened in Bellevue, so I came with high expectations and an empty stomach. We were able to snag a reservation on a weekday at 2 pm, and there was a line out the door when we arrived. Unfortunately, we had to wait past our reservation until ~2:30 pm to be seated. The lobby waiting area is extremely small, and we had to wait outside since my father uses a wheelchair. However, the staff was courteous and very apologetic about the wait. The restaurant booths are comfortable, and I enjoyed the warm wood colors and open concept. The tuna sashimi is simple, light, and aromatic. The fish is soft, and it paired well with the spicy creamy sauce. I loved the fried capers' flavor, and the mini peppers gave it a nice kick! The seasonal salmon aimori tendon set included seared sashimi with pumpkin, prawn, bean, and chicken tempura, along with miso soup, cabbage, and steamed egg custard. The salmon was soft and smoky, and the tempura was light, crispy, and not oily. The rice was perfectly cooked, and the miso soup was savory and clean, a nice addition to the fried tempura. The skirt steak surprised me, because it was huge! For $17.95, the amount of tender steak was a great deal. There was definitely a lot of radish chips, to the point that we left most of them on the plate. But if you like radish chips, you'll be in heaven! I would come back to try other dishes, but hopefully it won't be as much of a wait next time. read more

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Amazing dining experience here! The space is well laid out with a back room and booths that sat 6 of us very comfortably. Service was fast and the servers very pleasant. Food was great-- The mentaiko udon with uni definitely was the best--wonderfully creamy with just the right amount of umami from the seafood. The curry was a huge serving! The chocolate gave the sauce a complexity that was very nice. The tempura speaks for itself--definitely get it and we enjoyed the extra set with broth afterwards for the rice. Dessert was a lot of fun--the coconut jelly cat came with a black sesame paint so the kids could draw on the cat before eating it. The sweet potato creme brûlée was delicious and creative. Definitely worth a meal here! read more

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Was thrilled to finally try Tendon Kohaku. I was able to make a reservation for 6 people and we got seated in the back right away without having to wait. The parking lot for the restaurant is tiny and could be complicated to find parking. Food is pricey for what it is but they give out huge portions so it cancels it out. Our group got the carbonara udon, the steak set, and the chicken katsu curry. Food came out all at once and was warm. Would've wished the food came out hotter. Overall, would recommend. read more

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This place opens at 11, but it was already half full with guests at 10:55 when I arrived, but we were able to be seated, no wait! We got counter seats, as it was filling up quickly. By the time I got my food and was eating, there was already a wait list. The food was delicious and looked amazing. Probably the best tempura I've had. Wish they had something like this in NYC! I got the eel tempura over rice and it was very well cooked with an amazing crisp. It also comes with a few sides such as yuzu cabbage, egg, and miso soup. Portion was pretty big too! The in-house sause was also very flavorful. Not too salty or too sweet. I'd recommend any of their meals, I think they would all be delicious! Try the sweet potato creme brulee, just trust me, its sooo good! read more

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Went in a little skeptical with all the social media hype, but everything we ordered was delicious! The prices are reflected in the quality and large portion sizes, so definitely worth it! First time having the sweet potato crème brûlée, and it was such a nice flavor profile with the potato balancing out the crème! Don't skip dessert! We were lucky to get a reservation for our party of five, so no wait. We have encountered a 40 min wait in the past with a party of two. Service was pretty fast and the wooden booth seats are spacious and comfortable! Will definitely be returning soon :) read more

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I checked out Tendon Kohaku and it absolutely lived up to the hype. I went with the premium tendon set, my friends got the seared salmon set, and we also shared the wagyu set, which was a standout as a special occasion order. Everything came out INSANELY crispy but still really tender, exactly what you want from tempura. Nothing felt heavy or greasy at all, which made it even better. The signature sauce was great and honestly took everything to the next level. It is one of those sauces you wish you could take home! The restaurant itself has a really nice, clean ambiance that feels casual but still a little elevated. It just feels good to be in there. Service was also great, super friendly and attentive without being over the top. Only heads up, this place gets BUSY. We went right at opening for lunch and that was 100 percent the move. I would absolutely do that again instead of dealing with a long wait. Definitely coming back!! read more

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Delicious and always keep the food quality. Always a long line, and the parking is a little painful. It's a little pricey but it's using Japanese food as the branding, also they do have seasonal seafood options so it's reasonable. But definitely not an everyday meal option. Service is great. Recommend to have a reservation. read more

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surprising my first time here despite it being open for quite a while now. we had a reservation but still had to wait ~10 minutes for our table to be ready. i got a hojicha latte which was pretty scrumptious. i was super excited for the mentaiko udon but unfortunately wasn't wowed by it; it was luke warm and i didn't love the flavor. the set i shared with a friend was pretty good, and i like all the variety it comes with, including miso soup and steamed egg. the truffle wagyu was pretty fire and i enjoyed that. i feel like for the price you're paying, however, the portion sizes should be wayyyy bigger. $30+ for a dish and it wasn't that much. my party also tried the creme brulee sweet potato which was a delight - super smooth and creamy, pairing well with vanilla soft serve. loved the crunch of the sugar on top. read more

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One of the restaurants where I can agree that it lives up to the hype. We were lucky and made a reservation 2 weeks before dining in. We waited about almost 10 min for our table to be ready. This is HIGHLY recommended as the restaurant gets busy quickly. We got to try a handful of things off the menu as a party of 7. - sliced beef, brisket curry udon - beef steak aimori tendon set - endive salmon carpaccio - kohaku chicken karaage - spicy tuna sashimi - premium tendon set (anago eel) - mentaiko cream and ikura udon set - tiger prawn tempura - sweet potato creme brulee with vanilla custard - matcha custard sweet potato creme brulee - coconut bouncing cat pudding Sake: - kikusui junmai ginjo - hakkaisan tokubetsu junmai - 39 dassai junmai daiginjo I gotta say that the beef curry udon was probably my favorite and the sweet potato creme brulee was the perfect amount of sweetness. The tempura did not disappoint either -- nothing over or under cooked. Our server was very well attentive and gave us great guidance to the menu. There is a free small compact parking lot for the restaurant but we decided to park in the garage across the street as it was full even though we were early for our reservation. Overall, it was definitely worth the visit. read more

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tl;dr - wait can be hours, food is amazing, service is great This place is super popular since it opened. Wait time can get up to two hours on some day during peak. In general, you need to go there and join the wait list. The parking lot is pretty small but usually I don't have trouble finding a spot in the area. The food here is amazing and there is care in the presentation. Even the takeout packaging is done extremely well. Kohaku Tendon Set - this is my go to and you can't go wrong. I've also had both the steak and sashimi set and I still prefer the classic. read more

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Omg so good, I didn't order the massive tempura bowl, although I wish I had the stomach space for it because it looked delicious!! My boyfriend and I came here with no reservations and put our name on a wait list which took about 45 minutes. We were sat at the bar so I was able to see some of the behind the scene action and those chefs do not play around. I ordered two dishes one was the carbonara udon which was underwhelming to me, such a bummer because I was looking forward to this one the most! It was good, but it was missing something. The star of the night was the katsu curry, I still think of it and crave it every now and then. The Royce chocolate really did something to add depth of flavor to this dish and I can really appreciate it. I was too full to try any desserts, I wanted to try the sweet potato so bad! Luckily the ice cream machine was down so I couldn't be tempted there. The next time I'm in town I'm definitely coming back! read more

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We just got take out because we heard the dessert was incredible but the wait is always long so we got dinner elsewhere and got the dessert to go. We got the sweet potato crème brûlée and it was delicious! The waiting spot near the to go window was really cute and aesthetic. Our order got lost and it took a minute for us to get our order but the manager came out and personally apologized to us and clarified their standards are better than that which meant a lot to see that there are managers at restaurants who go above and beyond to ensure high standards and a good experience for customers. I hope to find in and actually try the food at this place soon! read more

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Good quality food you could taste but really long wait. About an hour plus time to receive food. Everything tasted ok but not extraordinary. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Front of restaurant. Limited parking - Japanese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Yum!!!! Tendon Kohaku was as tasty as it appeared in photos. My fiance and I both got the Beef Steak Aimori Tendon Set and enjoyed every single bite of it. The set concept with the little sides really pulled me back to being in Japan. Highly recommend skipping the enoki tempura, it tastes like straight tempura.... batter. The enoki disappeared when being fried apparently. We came by on a Thursday afternoon and waited about 15 minutes for a table. Traffic seemed pretty consistent, busy for both dine in and take out. The restaurant itself was fairly clean, including the restroom. The service is meh, employees were yapping the entire time as if they were kicked back at home our entire duration here. And even worse, yapping about customers. Pretty unprofessional and uncomfortable experience. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Beef Steak Aimori Tendon Set - Japanese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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The interior was clean and organized. The staff was very busy since it was dinner time but we were seated right away with our reservation. The food was very good. I got the carbonara and the rest of my family either got the curry dishes or the tempura dishes which were also very good. read more

Tendon Kohaku - Outside - Japanese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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We arrived at 4:30 on a Sunday to line up and entered by 4:50. The line was long enough that not everyone who was there at around 4:45-4:50 could get in and was placed on the wait list. Food was good! The batter was so light and flakey. Uni udon was fresh. The skirt steak was surprisingly very good! Not pictured are the shrimp prawns, which were a bit too spicy. We did this family style, which I recommend. By 6:30 they were asking us to leave (very kindly!) due to there being a line. This was fine, but I wish they gave us at least 30more minutes considering we ordered dessert too. read more

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This spot was on the top of my must go list when we were up in Bellevue. I was a bit shocked when the checkin staff told me it was a 2 hour wait, we ended up waiting 1.5 hours. Granted we came in on Friday around lunch time. The beef was super tender and the tendon was also crispy. The egg in the omurice was fluffy and curry was wonderfully spiced. I loved the little mini egg custard that came with the set. The verdict? Food was good, but I don't know if I would wait 1.5 hours again. 30 mins... yes I would wait that. There is a small parking lot but it gets full pretty quick. There are plenty of paid parking lots that you can park and walk here. read more