Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr — Restaurant in Torrance

I truly dislike that my experience the idea of posting negative reviews unless something exceptional has occurred, but that is exactly what I’m doing and, I can only hope that the circumstances are not normal for this restaurant. I was going to meet a friend for lunch here and arrived first. I was greeted and upon stating that I wanted a table for two was seated and given a menu and water for myself and my friend who had not yet arrived. After a few minutes passed I texted my friend and they told me that they would not be able to make it. I’m not sure how differently things would have been if they showed up. I hope that it would have been very different. I sat for over 20 minutes with a a closed menu and the water that I was served. I was able to make brief eye contact with the two severs who were working but they looked past me or through me as they hurriedly moved about the restaurant clearing and wiping tables. After about 15 minutes of waiting three tables had received their checks, been cleared and left but I still had not been acknowledged. Two gentlemen arrived about this time. They were sat, given menus and water, and had their orders taken in about 5 minutes. The server who took their order walked right past in order to do this as they were seated at a table behind me. That was about all the inhospitable treatment that I could handle and I left hungry, confused, and more than a little upset. I really wanted to eat here. I thought that nothing sounded better than the premium tempura plate and a draft Sapporo for about 20 minutes. After that I just wanted to be acknowledged for sitting at a table in the restaurant without a single thing being ordered. I hope that this hasn’t happened to anyone else, and will not happens to anyone else, but it will absolutely not happen to me because I have no intention of...

The food was okay (duck breast appetizer was overcooked and chewy!) but nothing really special so I don’t really understand what the hype is all about. Or probably it’s all an illusion coz of the social media ‘influencers’ raving about it. But the biggest let down was the service. We came in a Saturday afternoon around 4pm and was initially seated in one of the booths but were bigger people, so it was definitely very uncomfortable, luckily one of the middle tables became available so we politely asked if we could be seated there instead. The lady who just seated us immediately responded with a stern - ‘NO’ and turned her back. They were not busy nor any other guest waiting for a table so we were surprised by the server’s response who wouldn’t even consider their guest/patrons comfort while dining. The other server then allowed us to move but when came to ordering, since it was our first time we were trying to figure out the menu and what combination to order. The server didn’t even make any suggestions and when we had to changed an order she was angry and gave us an attitude, grabbing all the menus very rudely. Bothe the lady servers were very rude which I am very surprised for a Japanese restaurant. Japanese are usually very courteous and friendly. This was a first that we’ve experienced this and be treated so rudely by a Japanese server. So, we ain’t coming back to this restaurant even though they have a Pasadena...

Strangely unassuming, this place punches way above its weight class when it comes to delivering light and crispy tempura, amazing service, and great overall value.

While Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior (lol what a name) may not look like anything special from the outside, this is one of those places that will pleasantly surprise you. This is not your average tempura spot!

Their batter is light and crispy, the quality of their ingredients is top notch, and the execution is pure perfection. It's so airy! You can tell it's made with love and dedication to the craft. Will it be better than a world renowned Tempura Omakase at Ginza in Tokyo? Perhaps not but it will blow most US tempura spots out of the water.

Their sashimi and soba were also good but really, you must come here for the tempura!

The service is also top notch and friendly without being too pushy. The staff handles interactions perfectly without being overbearing. The culture of japanese welcomeness and politeness is apparent.

While the place itself is unassuming and the interior is nothing amazing to write home about, it's still very clean, modern, and functional.

Lastly, the value is there! Let's just say I'd be willing to pay a lot more for the level of quality you are getting (but don't tell them that).

Overall, if you are missing that light, crispy, and airy tempura you can find in Japan but rarely in the US, you must...