The Best Tempura in Torrance, LA｜Carlos Jr 🍤✨

Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr 📍 1510 Cabrillo Ave, Torrance, CA 90501 ⏰ Mon–Sun: 11 AM–8:30 PM Torrance is home to many Japanese companies, so it’s no surprise the area is packed with authentic Japanese restaurants! This restaurant is named after its founder, Carlos A. Pinto—a Peruvian chef who trained for over ten years at Tendon Kaneko Hannosuke Nihombashi Honten in Tokyo. Later, he became the store manager at Mitsuwa Hannosuke in Torrance before opening his own spot in 2019 after its closure. Naturally, the menu here focuses on tempura! You’ll find a variety of seafood and vegetable tempura options, available à la carte or as part of a set meal. Set choices include: 🍚 Tendon (Small Bowl) – Tempura served over rice with sauce, blending crispy bites with savory flavors. 🍱 Tempura Plate – Rice and tempura served separately with dipping sauce, highlighting the crispness and freshness of each piece. 🍜 Combo Plate – Mix and match with soba, udon, tendon, or sashimi! 🍤 Special Tempura Plate Includes white fish, two shrimp, assorted seafood, pumpkin, seaweed, and shishito peppers. Comes with a soft-boiled egg, rice, and miso soup. The special tempura dipping sauce is shown in the bottom right of the second photo. I personally prefer the tempura plate—it lets you control the saltiness of each bite with the rice! 🥑 Avocado Tempura I might not have tried this without a friend’s recommendation—but it’s surprisingly delicious! The avocado wrapped in tempura batter is light and tasty, especially with a squeeze of lime for a tangy twist. Honestly, before trying this place, I wasn’t a big tempura fan. Most tempura I’d had had thick, heavy batter that overpowered the ingredients. I never understood why people loved it—until I came here! The difference is night and day. Highly recommended! Have you been to Carlos Jr? What’s your favorite tempura spot in SoCal? Share your go-to place below! 👇🍱 #TendonTempuraCarlosJr #CrispyGoodness #LightBatter #SeafoodTempura #VegetableTempura #ComfortFood #AuthenticJapanese #ChefStory #MustTry #FoodieApproved #SimpleAndGood