A crispy and satisfying Japanese rice bowl featuring golden shrimp tempura over steamed rice, drizzled with a sweet soy-based tare sauce. A restaurant-quality dish you can make at home.
Prepare the tare sauce: combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and dashi stock in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside.
Make a small slit on the belly of each shrimp to prevent curling. Pat shrimp completely dry with paper towels.
Prepare the tempura batter: lightly whisk 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 wok. The oil should be about 2 inches deep.
Dip each shrimp in batter, letting excess drip off, and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry in batches of 3-4 for 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on a wire rack.
Divide steamed rice between two bowls. Arrange 6 crispy shrimp tempura on top of each bowl.
Drizzle generously with warm tare sauce. Garnish with nori strips, sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and serve with pickled ginger on the side.