A classic Japanese rice bowl featuring light, crispy shrimp tempura served over steamed short-grain rice with a savory-sweet tsuyu dipping sauce. An authentic izakaya favorite you can make at home.
Prepare the tsuyu sauce by combining dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stir until sugar dissolves, then set aside.
Pat shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Make small cuts on the underside to prevent curling during frying.
Prepare the tempura batter: lightly beat the egg in a bowl, add ice-cold sparkling water, then sift in flour. Stir briefly — the batter should be lumpy, not smooth.
Heat vegetable oil to 340°F (170°C) in a deep pot or Dutch oven. The oil should be about 2 inches deep.
Dip each shrimp in the batter, letting excess drip off, and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry in batches of 3-4 for 2-3 minutes until light golden and crispy. Drain on a wire rack.
Divide steamed rice into bowls. Arrange 6 shrimp tempura on top of each bowl.
Drizzle warm tsuyu sauce over the tempura and rice. Garnish with nori strips, pickled ginger, and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.