專注無雜念地將簡單的事情做到極致，可以稱為職人。若能達到超越職人的水平，那應該如何定義？日本天婦羅名店是山居的主廚早乙女哲哉先生，今年77歲，是日本料理界的神人之一。他將天婦羅做到神乎其技的境界，甚至能夠講授學術，這背後不僅是直覺，更有科學的支撐。

現今許多新一代的天婦羅強調更輕盈、低油，有些流派甚至只在特定食材上撒粉，出鍋時幾乎無面衣，其技法亦非易事，當然也是美味的。而是山居的天婦羅則堅持傳統做法，面衣薄而脆，使用芝麻油混合棉籽油，帶有獨特的香氣。我個人偏好山居的版本，雖然輕盈但仍然保留了天婦羅的精髓。對於那種認為甜品好吃是因為不甜，或天婦羅好吃是因為油紙上無油的評論，我感到困惑。對於那些未曾拜訪過專業天婦羅店的食客來說，似乎存在著對「油炸」的原罪偏見。但一旦真正理解其深奧之處，必定會有全新的認識。

One of the culinary legends in the world of Japanese cuisine is Chef Tetsuya Saotome , the head chef at the renowned tempura restaurant Mikawa Zezankyo. At 77 years old, he has elevated the art of tempura to an extraordinary level, even being able to impart academic knowledge. Behind this mastery lies not only intuition but also the support of scientific principles.

In today's world, many new-generation tempura chefs emphasize a lighter, lower-oil approach. Some even dust specific ingredients with powder, resulting in tempura with almost no batter when it comes out of the fryer. Their techniques are challenging, and the flavors are undoubtedly delightful. Mikawa Zezankyo, however, adheres to traditional methods—thin and crispy batter, a blend of sesame oil and cottonseed oil for a unique fragrance. Personally, I prefer Mikawa Zezankyo's version, which, while light, still preserves the essence of tempura.