Amidst the sparkly stores and bright lights of Greenbelt 5 is a forty year-old culinary legacy that has defined (and continues to define) a distinctive taste of Japanese cuisine in Manila. Going to the Greenbelt 5 branch is like going up to food heaven---you take one step and the escalator brings you closer to what is a glittering stretch of yellow lights, reflective glass, polished floors, and a huge, red, welcoming sign of KIMPURA. With "kim" meaning golden and added to "pura" that represents tempura, Kimpura stands for "golden tempura." And anyone who has grown up to enjoying the good food Kimpura offers (including my photographer Allan Florendo) knows that the best tempura in town can be found in any of these three Kimpura branches: Greenbelt 5, Greenhills, or Trinoma. Take your pick, because all these three branches offer the same authentic Japanese cookery that it has offered to four generations already! They also boast of the same sophisticated, zen-like interior: a modern set of stylish tables and chairs arranged in a spacious room adorned with yellow and white radiant light, wood furnishings, and trendy metal embellishments that give the restaurant a tasteful silver and golden glow.

In the advent of innumerable Japanese restaurants that are sprouting like shiitake all over the Metro, Kimpura persists to be the premiere restaurant when it comes to first class servings of sukiyaki, teppanyaki, sashimi, and of course, their famed tempura. Kimpura has created memories for its customers and evolved to become more than just a mere Japanese restaurant in the big city, it has become a landmark of gustatory history---Filipinos always look back at Kimpura for one memorable dining experience or two. Generation after generation of loyal patrons would return to the familiar home of tempura goodness. Over the years, Kimpura has preserved the genuine taste of its house bestsellers and its quality service.

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