Tensuke Express (Old Henderson)
I had no idea until yesterday -- after living in Columbus for just about my entire adult life, which is 30 years -- that there is a whole Japanese village here.
Yesterday was a rainy, start-of-fall day here and we spent the morning and early afternoon exploring this charming little area. I honestly felt like I was on vacation somewhere.
This little cluster is located near Kenny, just south of Henderson. It consists of:
When I saw the place from the outside, I squealed. It's just so...happy. It's not a Japanese theme park, that's for sure. It almost felt like a very efficient day care. Here's the view from the parking lot:
And walking up to the door, you just can't wait to get in:
Upon entering, there's a very cute sitting area, with bench seating, a spiral staircase that goes nowhere, and a plant wall. I can't imagine any need for anyone to hang out here, because the inside is so spacious, but here it is nonetheless.
Once you get past that, these entirely cheerful yellow doors welcome you in:
These doors are not the doors to the counter where you order, but to a seating area after ordering. Since we didn't know that, we came into this area first.
Before crossing the threshold, take a moment to notice the incredibly gorgeous floors. There is just enough encaustic tile in beautifully muted colors to strike a lovely patterned detail. This is in perfect contrast to the geometric design on the door.
This door takes you into a seating area, which is full of beautiful lighting and simple artwork. Understated perfection.
More lighting:
And even more lighting:
(This is where I should say this post is going to be different than the others because it contains lots of people. I really detest taking pictures of people (I have no idea why), and I've purposely avoided them in other posts. This place was packed, and every time I tried to crop the people out, I lost a sense of the space. So, for now, you get people.)
Even the waste areas are just cheery and happy:
Sneak another peak at those fun yellow doors before heading into the REAL restaurant entrance:
As you walk in to order, there's another bench with simple artwork:
You're routed around to the counter, where you order, and then you can take a pick of seating. This is the view to the left while you're in line:
And this is to the right:
You have your pick of seating. Some areas are designed to give the illusion of rooms:
And there is a super-fun counter seating area. Again, this all felt a bit like a daycare to me...in the good way.
There are little pockets of simple artwork and brass lighting:
I seriously didn't want to leave. The bad thing is....I don't really like ramen. It's good when I'm eating it, but then I'm hungry like an hour later. It just doesn't seem like a meal to me. However, the Belle's Bread bakery got some business from me in the form of fancy chocolate cake, which I promptly ate for breakfast this morning.
Tensuke Express
1155 Old Henderson Road
Columbus, OH 43220
614.451.4010
Mon-Fri 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.,4 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Sat-Sun 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Yesterday was a rainy, start-of-fall day here and we spent the morning and early afternoon exploring this charming little area. I honestly felt like I was on vacation somewhere.
This little cluster is located near Kenny, just south of Henderson. It consists of:
- Tensuke Market - Japanese grocery
- J Avenue - Home furnishings and small gifts
- Akai Hana - Upscale Japanese restaurant
- Belle's Bread - A French/Japanese bakery
- Tensuke Express - Ramen restaurant
When I saw the place from the outside, I squealed. It's just so...happy. It's not a Japanese theme park, that's for sure. It almost felt like a very efficient day care. Here's the view from the parking lot:
And walking up to the door, you just can't wait to get in:
Upon entering, there's a very cute sitting area, with bench seating, a spiral staircase that goes nowhere, and a plant wall. I can't imagine any need for anyone to hang out here, because the inside is so spacious, but here it is nonetheless.
Once you get past that, these entirely cheerful yellow doors welcome you in:
These doors are not the doors to the counter where you order, but to a seating area after ordering. Since we didn't know that, we came into this area first.
Before crossing the threshold, take a moment to notice the incredibly gorgeous floors. There is just enough encaustic tile in beautifully muted colors to strike a lovely patterned detail. This is in perfect contrast to the geometric design on the door.
This door takes you into a seating area, which is full of beautiful lighting and simple artwork. Understated perfection.
More lighting:
And even more lighting:
(This is where I should say this post is going to be different than the others because it contains lots of people. I really detest taking pictures of people (I have no idea why), and I've purposely avoided them in other posts. This place was packed, and every time I tried to crop the people out, I lost a sense of the space. So, for now, you get people.)
Even the waste areas are just cheery and happy:
Sneak another peak at those fun yellow doors before heading into the REAL restaurant entrance:
As you walk in to order, there's another bench with simple artwork:
You're routed around to the counter, where you order, and then you can take a pick of seating. This is the view to the left while you're in line:
And this is to the right:
You have your pick of seating. Some areas are designed to give the illusion of rooms:
And there is a super-fun counter seating area. Again, this all felt a bit like a daycare to me...in the good way.
There are little pockets of simple artwork and brass lighting:
I seriously didn't want to leave. The bad thing is....I don't really like ramen. It's good when I'm eating it, but then I'm hungry like an hour later. It just doesn't seem like a meal to me. However, the Belle's Bread bakery got some business from me in the form of fancy chocolate cake, which I promptly ate for breakfast this morning.
Tensuke Express
1155 Old Henderson Road
Columbus, OH 43220
614.451.4010
Mon-Fri 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.,4 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Sat-Sun 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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