Tampopo Ramen
| Address: | 3223 S McClintock Dr, Tempe, AZ 85282, USA |
| Phone: | +1 480-491-2177 |
| Site: | tampopo-ramen.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
RI
Rickey Lynn Gans
Companion and I had lunch at this new restaurant. Having lived in Tokyo for a while, I am more than slightly familiar with ramen shops. Good tasting, filling, steaming hot bowls of wonderful noodles with all sorts of accompaniments, being loudly slurped down by satisfied customers. Tampopo has one of 10 imported noodle machines in the U.S. and one can immediately tell the difference between their noodles and everyone elses. The noodles have a definite toothy character to them and a distinct flavor that is exactly like one is back in Tokyo. This was the start of a wonderful bowl. We started off with two appetizers. First was Takoyaki - small batter balls with a bit of octopus in the center, covered in what appeared to be unagi sauce along with bonito flakes on top. The only thing missing was a bit of Japanese mayonnaise which is usually found on Takoyaki served in Japan. Second was a Hirata Bun which is a steamed bun filled with pork, a few veggies, and mayo. Unfortunately the mayo had been mixed with what I think was a large amount of Togarashi spice and was all but inedible for both of us. This was very un-Japanese. Next was the ramen bowls. Companion ordered the standard Tonkatsu ramen which comes with a slice of roast pork, a medium soft boiled egg, black wood fungus, bean sprouts, scallions, and sesame seeds. Companion loved the ramen, and found the egg to be perfectly cooked to a soft but not runny stage. There was so much food in the bowl that companion could not finish it. For myself, I ordered the same dish but made with the rich broth which is more concentrated than the regular. I also ordered Kakuni (braised pork belly) which is served on a separate plate as well as Kae-Dama which is an extra portion of noodles. The idea is that you finish the items in your bowl but save most of the broth. Then you add the Kae-Dama portion of noodles to it and you have a second bowl of ramen though minus the extra ingredients. In honesty, I could have done without the Kae-Dama as my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I ended up not finishing my bowl. About the only thing missing from the establishment that you get in Japan is the loud slurping of the soup. We also tried the Japanese cream melon soda. It was delicious and should not be missed. The restaurant was spotlessly clean. For those who might think that this is just a fad, it is worth noting that most of the customers were asian and really seemed to enjoy the food. Service was quick and excellent with our waiter providing commentary when needed. This is one restaurant that will be getting a lot more of my personal business as it brought back memories and flavors from living in Japan. Highly recommended 4 stars for cleanliness, service, and quality and quantity of food
ST
Steven M
Updating review. This place used to be 5 star amazing ramen. Now? Not so much. Eggs can be vastly undercooked or overcooked, no control or consistency here Kakuni is now a damn shame. When this first opened up, the owner prepared this and it was just perfect, the right size and cooked for the right time so it caramelized perfectly -- the fat would melt with the meat together into a small little tasty morsel of deliciousness. You used to get 5-7 small half inch cube pieces of kakuni made to perfection . I spoke to the owner about this 2 months ago when I decided to let him know it wasnt as good as it used to be -- that it was an undercooked blob of fat. Now? Its 4 huge 1- 1.25" cubed chunks of fat, cooked for too long so the meat is tough and still huge globules of fat because the heat cant penetrate into the meat enough to melt it down into the right consistency. You might get more kakuni now than when it opened, but now its gross. Broth is still on point. He still makes this and probably doesnt let his "helpers" make it. Noodles are still great, because he has a machine that does it and the helpers cant screw it up. The chashu has undergone many changes since its original iteration. This is one area that I think theyve improved upon. Originally you would get inconsistently fatty pieces, now you get a great piece every time, with consistent thickness and great flavor throughout. The finished product depends on who makes it. If its the owner, it will be a perfect blend of ingredients and have the right balance of flavors. The new guy he has is getting better, but still not as good as he is which is OK. All in all, its ok. Its not holy mother of god amazing, but its ok. Still better than Republic of Ramen.
BR
Brett Berry
When Yuko wants to try out a new ramen place, you go with her, because she knows. Our first time here was fabulous. I ordered everything she did (Tonkotsu ramen and gyoza), because I was in ramen training. In an unexpected turn of events, the ramen arrived before the appetizer, but that didnt stop me from wolfing down all 6 yaki gyoja once they hit the tabletop. The ramen was a delight, with a delicious pork belly surrounded by things, a floaty egg and my first love: noodles. The egg was cooked perfect, with a runny yolk. This day was extra special, because thats when I found out about kae dama... which is Korean for "Bring me extra noodles, please". I dont know, maybe its Japanese. Anyway, an extra order of noodles is only $1.50, but it takes a frickin long time, so if you think you want some, order some once they set the ramen on your table. During my return visit, the yolk was cooked too long, but the service was UNPARALLELED!!! George, my waiter, was outstanding. He essentially fawned over me, explaining the process, and showing me the fancy high tech noodle making machine from Korea. This kid has a bright future in whatever he sets his mind to, because he has a winners attitude!
TO
Tom T
This could be a better place. Im giving it 4 stars because I hope thats where it ends up. Right now its a 3 or 3.5. Several things need to happen: Tighten up the wait staff. I realize the business is new and things can get overwhelming, especially given the fact that every seat in the place was full and there were people waiting. However, this is a good reason to hire another part timer to help with dinner rush. Your $4 pickled veggie appetizer is woefully lacking. Either its overpriced by 50%, or you need to double the size. Roast pork slice in the ramen was quite fatty. It needs to be a little leaner with more char/roasty bits. Overall a decent bowl of ramen. Broth flavor was good, we paid the $1 extra for concentrated broth. Im still trying to find something like the Black Garlic ramen I had at Ramen Koika in Vancouver BC Canada. That is a 5+ star ramen joint.
AN
Anthony Rutledge
Place it right next to a Great Clips which I had to go to twice the past week once for myself and once for my kid and each time I noticed theres a group of people hanging outside. Went back a few nights later to try the place out and same group is hanging outside. Not sure if they work there but seemed odd we had to walk around and through these people. I ordered ultra spicy and the broth was good, the noodles were very good but what I didnt like is it came out room temperature. Soup should be hot. I dont know how long the meat and egg was at this temp so I was a little worried about having a stomach issues later. Also a little disappointed at the serving size. For the price just one piece of meat and not a whole lot of cold soup. Had a bowl of cereal as soon as I got home. I thought the service was great though. Not sure yet if Id go back.
