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    Tensai

    4.3 (55 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 3:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM

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    TENSAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Tensai

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    Niku Udon
    Ethan N.

    food: i got the niku udon. the broth was great and light, id prefer my beef to be a bit sweeter but overall not bad. service: service was very good and consistent, staff refilled my water often and checked in one regularly ambiance: very small shop but perfect for a meal for 1-4 people. very cozy and theres a really small ceiling fan they have which i thought was pretty cute.

    Menu
    Risa H.

    Tensai is a small, narrow restaurant for homey udon - perfect for when it's cold out! I do think the prices are a tad high for what you get - the Spicy Cucumber was $9 and it was small / not special. I would've paid for the amount for that. The Niku Kimchi Udon for $20 was decent, but it was exactly what I was craving. Would be back again!

    Stacy T.

    The food is very pricey. About $17 for a bowl of udon with 3 pieces of broccoli , 3 pieces of carrots and a sprinkle of leafy vegetables, 3 mushrooms. I am not sure about the quality of the udon. I saw they were coming out of plastic bags. The flavor was ok. The udon with beef was similarly sparse. My 4 year old was able to eat the entire bowl. The mackerel had great flavor but was a very small portion. The octopus with wasabi has good flavor but was also a very small portion. We had to go somewhere else to buy more food, even though we spent close to $70 here. Staff was nice and the meal was quick. The restaurant is very small and barely room to walk through.

    Chicken Karaage
    Edna L.

    I'm always in the mood for noodle soup but on this particular day, I wanted Udon specifically and this place hit all the right notes! When you enter, this place looks pretty narrow and small but actually has quite a few tables. When we went, there was only 1 other party there and the restaurant never really filled up- but I wouldn't be surprised if it did! We ordered the Karaage to start- it was around 6 pieces for $10. Not bad at all! The spicy mayo was a good pairing. Chicken was juicy, not dry. Had a good crunch to it. Flavor wise is plain unless dipped in the spicy mayo. Solid 3.75 out of 5. We both ended ordering the Ebi Niku Udon. Somehow that's what sounded amazing to us both in that moment. It came with 2 shrimp tempuras and a good heap of beef and onions with a little bit of spinach on the side. Broth was so good and full of beef and dashi flavor! Shrimp Tempura itself would be 3/5 though. Udon itself is a 4.5 out of 5. Perfect amount of chew and was great with the hot broth! Overall bowl of udon 4/5. The 3 staff members working here when we went are kind and friendly. Checked in on us during our meal to make sure everything was okay and that we were enjoying our meal during and after!

    Clarissa L.

    Stopped by after recovering from a cold and was craving something warm and soupy. It's a small restaurant with a handful of tables. We had the karage udon and the ebi Niki udon. The noodles were a good texture and the soup was nice. The protein was a little skimpy, only a few slices of beef and maybe 4 tiny pieces of chicken. They make everything fresh and there was a table that got there right before us service was a little bit slow.

    I have been here 4x just this week and I'm never disappointed. Small place, great Japanese beer, and Ud

    Outside
    Sammi K.

    Tensai means genius, but the food quality is absolutely not meeting the genius standards. If I am paying almost $20 for a udon, I am expecting that rich flavored broth and decent amount of topping. Unfortunately the broth tasted bland and the quality of the beef is meh. The waitress asked us what we wanted to drink without serving the water...... Won't come back again.

    Niku udon
    Lise H.

    Tensai has become one of my favorite udon spots in Midtown East. Nestled on a quieter street, their tempura and udon are light and delicious. The udon soup hits the spot and warms the soul. If you want some spice, make sure to ask for the japanese chili powder (s&b branded ones). Seating is on the smaller side, but service has been prompt and efficient the two weekday nights I dropped by. I'd argue the simplicity and quality of the udon by Tensai outclasses Tsurutontan udon. Tensai is simply genius at its udon and tempura. :)

    Ha An N.

    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.

    Ebi Niku
    Winston L.

    Really nice little shop in the Upper East Side. We were able to make a reservation for 4 for a Saturday dinner. When we got there, there was still a couple of tables open but definitely could be helpful if you come with a larger group. The staff here were super friendly and prompt. I loved the no thrill of Tensai and the simplicity and quality of the dishes. I ordered the Ebi Niku and thought the shrimp tempura was the star as it was fried but not too doughy. The broth was flavorful and the beef was tender. I would definitely return and try some of their other dishes!

    Ken W.

    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

    Menu
    Jennifer L.

    Def worth a try if you want to try good udon. The udon was perfectly soft yet chewy enough. The Yakiniku udon was my fav as the stir fried made the noodles very flavorful (sweet and savory taste). The steak was cooked well - crispy on outside, soft on inside. The servers were very nice. Checked in on us multiple times and made sure our water was always full. Inside was a bit small but cozy enough. I would come back if I was crazy udon ‍

    Rina D.

    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 ):

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    Perfectly chewy udon, homey place, cozy vibes. Hot sake was perfect! The broth was so clean.

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    11 months ago

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    3 months ago

    It was snowing and I found this place. The udon was decent, but I wish it was a little better and more options for Japanese food.

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    10 months ago

    Quiet, cozy, delicious, with fast service. I had the veggie tempura udon and it was excellent.

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    Katsu-Hama

    Katsu-Hama

    4.0(1.8k reviews)
    0.4 miMidtown East
    $$

    I am a sucker for delicious Katsu and you'll struggle to find better than Katsu-Hama. Katsu-Hama…read morehas a quaint, Japanese vibe in a small but comfortable dining area. It's not especially big, so you may have a bit of a wait if you frequent right at lunch or in the evening but whatever amount of time you have to wait it will be well worth it. Service is top tier but you come for the food. They have a varied menu with a lot of options so if you're bringing a buddy that isn't up for Katsu, they'll have plenty to choose from. The Katsu is the star and I think what sets this place apart is that they offer Berkshire pork katsu as an option. Arguably some of the best pork, it's great to have the option if you're looking to heighten the experience. I love their pork katsu and go nuts over the chicken katsu curry. It's super crispy, slightly greasy but never off-putting. And it's served with the most delicate and delicious cabbage slaw. I could eat a mountain of this it's so good. Highly recommended.

    This place is a bit hard to spot, but it's on the same side of the street as the sorta famous (50…read moreyears +) Phil's Stationery. Katsu-Hama is about two doors to the Left of Phil's, and has minimal, very discreet signage. I got some tonkatsu...I forget the exact type, but it was essentially the most fatty of the tonkatsu offered. It came with cabbage (with a sesame ginger type dressing), daikon radish (with some type of sauce on top), and the standard sauce for the tonkatsu, along with some crushed sesame seed and hot mustard. I'd have to say...the tonkatsu was quite good....not quite as sublime as my favorite tonkatsu place in Tokyo...but still, very, very good. The dish also came with a bowl of miso soup (good, and not overly salty) and a bowl of white rice, which I considered the most disappointing part of the meal. The rice seemed a bit dried out...not moist.... All in all, an excellent meal. I'd definitely come back.

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    Agedashi Tofu

    Okatte Tanto NY

    Okatte Tanto NY

    4.5(60 reviews)
    0.1 miMidtown East

    Called beforehand on a Friday night for two and seats were ready when we arrived at 8:30pm. Upon…read moreentering, it felt like I teleported to Japan. Many of the clientele are Japanese so we knew we were at an authentic place. We got: - Fried oysters: the batter was light and crispy and oysters piping hot - Vinegared Mackerel w/ Ponzu Sauce: fresh & tangy - Intestines Hotpot: comforting & light despite the fattiness of the intestines - Creamed Mentai Udon: they split it in 2 small bowls for us since we were sharing. Udon had a nice bouncy chew and sauce was not heavy We also got a bottle of sake, and they poured it in a beautiful sake decanter to keep it cold. First time seeing cold sake presented this way which was very cool. We tried Suntory draft beer since that was the only draft they had, which was odd since most Japanese places carry Asahi/Sapporo, definitely not as light as the other two beers I'm used to. Even though I was stuffed by the end, I didn't feel lethargic, everything felt light without compromising flavor. Service was attentive although our udon came at the very end, we thought they had forgot about it.

    There are a few restaurants in NYC that make you feel like you are stepping into a Japan portal,…read moreand Okatte Tanto is no doubt one of those. As you step into the restaurant, you immediately feel a sense of formality and strictness. It's also very quiet in the restaurant, and friendly to solo diners, adding on more to the Japan-esque feel. The food is high quality here, but the portions are small, and it is pricey. I would budget to spend around $100 a person here after tip and tax, if you ignore the prices on the menu and try a variety of things. The tuna from the bone is the most famous dish here, but I was not able to get it as they sell out very fast. But I tried the sashimi and it was high quality -- just that it was not enough food for me. But that makes it more in line with portions back in Japan. They have an extensive sake list and they also have the casual cocktail options like lemon drops you would find in Tokyo. The atmosphere really transports you straight into Japan if that is something you are looking for. Expect to pay a premium for small-ish portions, but at the same time very well-made and authentic food.

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    Okatte Tanto NY
    Okatte Tanto NY
    Okatte Tanto NY

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    Tensai - japanese - Updated May 2026

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