Tensai

Beyond my expectations! Upon entering it feels like you are entering a little cozy restaurant in Japan. You are greeted by the chef and staff as you pass the kitchen into your seat. Service was quick, and of course staff was very knowledgeable.Now for the food I got the Ebi Niku Udon which came with shrimp tempura and thin beef slices. The tempura was light and crunchy, not oily at all and cooked to perfection. Now onto the Udon.. so first i am not really a fan of the thicker noodles but the noodles were cooked to perfection and the broth was heavenly! The broth was filled with so much umami, not too salty and was just incredible. I'm still drooling over the broth as I write this review!The appetizers were all delicious as well, recommend the corn croquettes definitely a crowd pleaser!

This is a very cute, small udon place. We came a little before noon on Saturday and had no issues getting a table for 2, but by 12:30 the restaurant was full. There were only 3 staff members, 2 in the kitchen and one server/host but the service was great. Food came quickly and the server was pleasant. The seats were more like stools, so it was a good thing they had a coat area inside by the bathroom.Our takoyaki was very good, 5/5. The udons arrived warm, but not hot. I like my soups server boiling hot so that was a little sad on a cold day. The poached egg was on the raw side, it immediately disintegrated into the soup when poked at. The noodles were pretty soft, and the broth was light and clear.Overall it seems like a nice neighborhood spot.

Small little restaurant that makes the best of a tiny space. It is small and a bit cramped but they really tried their best to make the best of a small space. The staff was kind and gave great recommendations.Karrage: 5/5 delicious. Juicy tender chicken on the inside and crispy on the outside. Cooked to perfection! Came with a nice spicy mayo.Ika Geso:4/5 nicely flavored squid tentacles and fried just enough to be crispy without being overwhelmed with batter. Came is a wasabi shishoto pepper sauce. However, for the amount and the price it feels a bit underwhelming.Ebi Niki Udon: 4/5 Great flavors for the broth. Caution: it will not be as strong in flavor as what you'll be use to for Japanese restaurants. However, the flavors are on point but milder. The udon noodles were cooked to perfection and bouncy but not chewy in texture. The shrimp tempura done to perfection and absolutely love the flavor of the meat. Actually well marinated with a hint of sweetness that compliments the meal.Special Rice Don: Mackerel 4/5 Mackerel cooked well and nicely seasoned. Paired with rice shredded cabbage and a small bowl of miso soup. Miso soup unfortunately was lacking the depth of flavor that should come from a miso soup. The flavor was too mild.Overall 4/5. I enjoyed that I was able to finish my meal; enjoyed it; and not feel like I need to drink a ton of water or feel sluggish from all the salt content that is typical when eating at a Japanese restaurant. If you are looking for those strong umami flavors then this is the wrong place. The flavors will appeal more to those that are use to a lighter palate.

Took my mother here as she was visiting for a work trip from the west coast. We were exited to try a highly rated Japanese restaurant within NYC.We each ordered a bowl of udon and a fried calamari appetizer. Unfortunately the food was sub par. Very weak, very un-flavorful broth. Tasted cheap. I felt bad as my mother ate only half her bowl due to the dish being so poor. Not sure if it was just a bad batch of the night but I would not recommend this spot for udon or Japanese food

Decent and speedy service, but the portion size is a bit small.. The space is also a little tight and there is not too much between each table so you will be very close with other parties next to you. Love the broth! Very yummy overall but left feeling still hungry ):

We came here for a late lunch. Service was really fast and good! I got the shrimp tempura with egg and it was soooo good. Broth was flavorful and the tempura was very fresh. The restaurant is small but plenty of seating and super cute. Great spot for some udon!

My first time here. So there are two sides the restaurant but they serve both menus on both sides I think ha. I was seated on the right side of the restaurant and there was a decent sized bar as well. I didn't see the set up for the other side. Authentic feel to the place. There was a ramen/bowl menu and a sushi menu as well. I went with ramen and donburi bowl. The tofu appetizer was delicious as well as the main courses. Service was decent. Polite staff

Place was good but nothing special. I think this tastes just like those packaged udon with the powder soup packet that you can get in Japanese grocery stores. So it definitely pretty good, but felt like something I can easily recreate. Karage was yummy.

Came to tensai for a quick lunch as I was craving something soupy! I ordered the karaage udon. It was not the best udon I have had before but definitely above average. I think my biggest complaint is that I wished that they had the karaage on the side. I've been to other udon shops who have their toppings on the side which helps with the topping to not get soggy. With the karaage soaked in the soup, it wasn't the crispy texture I expected out of it. Considering it's recently opened, service was okay. It was a bit slower than expected. The shop itself is clean and there's a few tables and booth seating. If you're a big group, it may be a bit hard to get a seat here.

Excited for a new udon place in the area ever since Udon West left us, my partner and I tried kaaeage, tako wasabi, takoyaki, shrimp tempura udon, and beef bacon udon. Service was friendly and prompt. Since the space is small, there are not a lot of seating- be aware if you plan on coming here with more than 2-3 people. Food was pretty good, every dish is exactly as expected. Good size of shrimp for the tempura. However, there were barely any beef bacon in the udon and that disappointed my partner a bit. Overall good udon fix for the area but nothing that sets it apart.