Tenkyu

We were immediately greeted and seated. Our server was Jesse. Gave me a recommendations for what to order. The soft shell crab was amazing

I found this newly opened Japanese bar in downtown Champaign! It has a small entrance across the street from Hyatt.
I ordered Takoyaki, Lamb Stews, and Karaage Chicken, and got a bowl of lotus root at the end as an opening gift. They do have many options for drinks, but I just went for water -- which was really refreshing as there's a slice of cucumber in! Also, the lamb was impressive! The manager said it was made by a local chef from Northern China. But I would expect an improvement of their chicken karaage. I personally think each piece was a little too big, which might make the flavor less strong and harder to balance.
The environment inside was pretty clean and silent, with just appropriate lighting for a comfortable dining experience.
It's a pity that I didn't try any speciality on the menu this time. I would love to try the lamb ribs as well as the salmon in putt pastry the next time!

Menu wasn't too clear on the mains and grill items, but the ramen and donburi bowls looked straightforward enough, so we both decided on ramen. The restaurant was new enough that the staff seemed a little off balance, but eager to make up for some slightly longer waits or mistakes by offering us complimentary items like some edamame. Edamame here had a slight char and seasoned sesame oil, which instantly made it my favorite version of a dish that I've had more often as an obligation than a true desire--a promising start.

I ordered the garlic tonkotsu ramen, with level 4 spice, their highest tier. The amount of chili oil used for this level was frankly absurd, though it was indeed pretty spicy. The flavor of the broth was richly garlicky, smooth and luxurious, though on the salty side, even for ramen. Chashu was tender and maybe the best I've had in a long time.

Decor was minimalist and modern. The lighting just a touch brighter than romantic but not so bright as to be garish.

Would return to on the promise of what was done well. Some really great flavors held back somewhat by a heavy hand on other elements.

I highly recommend visiting here and getting some appetizers to share with friends. The food here was amazing and they give a good portion for the price point. They use a 6hr bone broth for the ramen and it has great flavor profile, very umami. The service was very good and the food came pretty fast. Our server Spring was happy to explain more about all the dishes. I loved the ambient setting of the restaurant, the matching black plates were a nice touch and really made the food stand out.

Great food and service! David was excellent and attentive. He recommended the Takoyaki-octopus Ball. I was skeptical as I had never eaten something like that, but they were amazing! I would also recommend the Tuna tartar. We got a level 2 spice for the Ramen, (we love spicy foods), but it was SO spicy I couldn't imagine doing a level 3 or 4.
In total, we ordered Shiitake Mushrooms, Takoyaki-octopus Ball, Tempura Brussel Sprouts, Creamy Crabby Jalapeño, Tuna Tartar, and Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen. This was more than enough food for 2 people and we spent just as much money as we would ordering 2 entrees at another fine dining restaurant.
The inside was gorgeous, but I would agree with other reviews that it was almost too bright.

Spacious new restaurant in downtown Champaign. The pork gyoza was excellent although it was served with a side of sauce with a mountain of garlic. The ramen was $10 (opening week special) but it took 35 minutes to get it. I was first seated, two other tables who were seated after me, got their ramen before me.... But maybe mine took longer to prepare? When it finally came, it was tepid and was insanely salty... so much that I was puckering. I know ramen is supposed to be salty , but this was ridiculous. I couldn't even finish it. Hopefully it's just opening week hangups....

We are driving home from SLC to Philadelphia and stopped in Champaign for the night. We happened upon Tenkyu on a Sat. night (tonight), and wandered in for a bite. It's so pretty! The food is excellent, we had the ramen, salmon in puff pastry, and karaage chicken. Everything tasted great and we would definitely come here lots if we lived in the area. It's a new place, they just opened 2 months ago, give them a try, we really enjoyed ourselves.

The food was good! Higher priced. The service was great, we highly recommend the Bao Buns, spicy edamame, and the Octopus Balls. We enjoyed our meal overall!

Great service by a really nice person. He arrived on time and did a very thorough service. You will be happy with this service.

They had extremely slow service. Food was mediocre. Their truffle fries are quite literally truffle oil frozen fries. Their serving sizes are also miniscule. I'm not talking about appropriately small sized fine dining. I'm talking extremely thinly sliced wagyu and fishy smelling uni. If you don't speak mandarin they will also be very slow to serve you in this Japanese restaurant. They also removed my previous review, so I'd stay away from this place. If you want actual Japanese food go to Sakanaya or the omakase place in Urbana.