Restaurants with tea leaf tempura in NYC?

July 9, 2024 11:06 AM

Is there anywhere in NYC where I can get tea leaf tempura? I had this dish while visiting a tea plantation in Japan, and I would like to try it again. Alternatively, is there somewhere in NYC where I could buy fresh tea leaves suitable for tempura? Thanks!
posted by andoatnp to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

Wouldn't that require access to fresh tea leaves? Easy to get at a tea farm ion Japan, but not so easy in a place like NYC.
posted by slkinsey at 12:06 PM on July 9 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: One can dream.
posted by andoatnp at 2:23 PM on July 9

This doesn't answer your question, but maybe what you liked about that dish was the crispy crunchy tempura breading around an aromatic leaf. Perhaps another edible leaf can be battered and fried? I know sage leaves are good battered and fried tempura-style (though obviously they have a very strong flavor), as are zucchini flowers and other squash plant flowers.
posted by dabadoo at 8:08 PM on July 9 [1 favorite]

If you want to play the long game, Camilla sinensis can be kept as a house plant. I keep a curry tree this way for similar reasons. Once you get it to a reasonable size I bet you could get a a few harvests per year and have something special to look forward to. I don't have a specific seller to recommend but there are plenty available online with shipping if you poke around.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:43 AM on July 10

Going on what dabadoo suggested, tempura shiso leaves should be more readily available.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:05 AM on July 10