Tempura Shige
Highlights
About Tempura Shige
Newest arrival in Orchard Plaza. Does exactly one thing: tempura. 8 seats around Chef Shigenari Sato's kitchen. Japanese chef, 14 years in Singapore. The most focused specialist in the building.
Tempura: feather-light, shatters at first bite, revealing the ingredient's natural glory. Not heavy batter — the Japanese ideal where batter serves the ingredient. Chef Sato's technique is 'almost theatrical.' Counter seat = front-row to a performance.
Menu: three sets S$38-68++, à la carte from S$4++. Seafood and seasonal vegetables. Prawns headline, but vegetables reveal the chef's true skill — pumpkin sweetness amplified, shiso complexity preserved. Pricing is remarkably honest for the Orchard area.
Recommended For
Menu & Pricing
Tempura Sets
| Set A | S$38++ |
| Set B | S$48++ |
| Set C (comprehensive) | S$68++ |
À La Carte
| Per piece | From S$4++ |
| Premium pieces | From ~S$8++ |
All ++. Seasonal menu. Ask Chef Sato what's freshest.
Compass Verdict
A tempura specialist with focus on seasonal ingredients and light batter. Each piece fried to order. Tempura Shige offers the kind of precision frying that elevates tempura from side dish to main event.
Practical Info
- Tue–Sat: 12pm–2pm, 6pm–9:30pm
- Sun–Mon: Closed
Dietary Info
Photos
Location
150 Orchard Road, Orchard Plaza, Singapore 238841
📍 Open in Google MapsYour Tempura Experience
Find the Counter
Orchard Plaza — same building as Kai, Apollon, Sage. Shige is a sliver with 8 seats around Chef Sato's frying station. Small but once seated: intimate, focused, nothing distracts from tempura.
Choose Set or Build
Set A (S$38++), B (S$48++), C (S$68++), or à la carte S$4++. First-timers: Set B for best balance. Add individual pieces. Ask Chef Sato what's freshest today.
Watch, Eat, Repeat
Counter rhythm: dip, fry, drain, place. You eat immediately — tempura waits for no one. Prawn golden-translucent. Pumpkin caramelised. Shiso — green whisper in gold. Pace is the chef's, not yours. Cannot be replicated at a table or on delivery.
Rice, Miso, Exit
Rice, miso, close. S$40-75++. Genuine Orchard value. This aging building now houses: Kai (yakitori omakase), Homura (charcoal), Apollon (draft sake), Sage (French-Japanese), Shige (tempura). Arguably Singapore's most concentrated Japanese specialist collection — in one building most shoppers don't know exists.
Editor's Note
Tempura Shige fills a gap: dedicated tempura counter, Japanese chef, accessible prices. Technique excellent. Caveats: new (2025), reputation building; extremely small; Set B is the sweet spot. Vs Tempura Ensei: more accessible. Vs chain tempura: genuinely different craft level. Possibly best value tempura counter near Orchard.