My brother David sings his praises, and boasts of beef broth recipes he had secretly learnt from Toyo-san. That alone piqued my interest. David is, to say the least, a galloping gourmet who has eaten around the world, and if he is impressed, there must be a certain something there.

So this week, having finished a few errands in Shanghai, I decided to visit Ippoh, Toyo-san's brand-new restaurant on the third floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center, a towering edifice so high you get a crick in the neck just looking up at it.

Toyoichiro Seki is the fifth generation of a proud clan from Osaka who has cooked traditional tempura for the imperial family since Toyo-san's grandfather's grandfather.

Toyo himself was educated in Los Angeles, and he came to Shanghai years ago to etch out his own place in history.

The chef had all the right reasons. Even at the time, he saw China's potential as an economic powerhouse, and Shanghai as one of its beachheads.

A month ago, he decided to plant the Seki flag firmly on Shanghai ground. He got his father's permission to use the Ippoh name, a revered family establishment that brings on tears of awe in real lovers of traditional tempura.