Address: | 464 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019, USA |
Phone: | +1 646-596-9056 |
Site: | tottoramen.com |
Rating: | 4.3 |
Working: | 4:30–11PM 11:30AM–3:45PM 11:30AM–3:45PM 11:30AM–3:45PM 11:30AM–3:45PM 11:30AM–3:45PM 11:30AM–9:30PM |
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zeecookaymunster8
So Im giving this place one star. The reason being is that my boyfriend and I went to this restaurant because we love ramen and the place is fairly easy to walk to (we live on 60th st). We were seated, ordered an appetizer, drinks, and two ramen bowls and were NEVER TOLD that the place was cash only (theres a small sign out front but its easy to miss, obviously). However, that wasnt the only issue. After discovering this (it was only slightly annoying), my bf ran to the ATM to grab cash...no big deal. He had to return briefly to grab his debit card and went out again all while Im patiently sipping my tea. Our bill was 37.09 and he took out $40. My bf felt bad for tipping poorly but hey, maybe we should have been told about the damn cash only policy and he was NOT going back to the ATM. We leave the restaurant and before we can even get to the corner, a little Asian chick comes running out. First, we are confused because why are you running after us like we dined and dashed? No, the reason she ran after us is because we didnt tip her well enough. What. The. Hell. This was not even the same girl who took our orders and we only saw the order girl once for our entire meal! This lady would NOT let us leave and kept pestering us about American customs and why we should tip her more. She told my bf to go back to the ATM to get more cash. Me and my bf both have tempers but I knew my bf was one minute away from going completely psycho on her because she was extremely rude. I felt sorry she felt that desperate and asked her how much more she wanted and she said two bucks. I went about my bag and gave her the crumpled singles and she walked away with us shocked and staring at her for stalking us for 2 bucks. I generally tip $20 for meals $100 bucks and under because we are well off but geez, I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER go to this restaurant again. We also tell everyone else in our social circle not to come here. Food is ok but Ippudo is better anyway.
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Raymond Li
Food was pretty good but somewhat expensive (especially including tips, more later). They dont have a particularly diverse selection but thats kind of what you expect from a ramen restaurant. A good selection, however, of toppings and it timings and a fair selection of ramen. Not sure I would recommend the pork ramens unless you like your pork tasting very gamey and not much like the char siu they advertise. Soup condiments had the habit of sinking to the bottom and they dont mix it together for you particularly well. Despite this, the soup was quite good. It would have been nice to know that the manager chases you out for tips though. In some strange perversion of the Japanese custom of not accepting tips, the restaurant decided that it doesnt accept tips under 15% unless you had a particularly valid reason which is a little puzzling given that the service itself wasnt the standout part of the experience. In fact it hardly stood out at all. It was a little difficult to get the servers attention, it was difficult to communicate with the servers since their English wasnt all that great and they werent particularly proactive. It was simply average if not below that. So when the server returned my change and told us they didnt accept tips less than 15 persant or something (its a loud establishment, my hearing isnt great and the servers English was just as bad. Also Im Australian) I misunderstood and left. And so I was chased for tips. Anyways that was my experience. Id give a clearer recount but noones gonna read it and Im in a hurry. Tempted to leave a lower rating but the food was that good and I have nothing against the establishment. Just come prepared with cash and youll be dandy.
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Michael Wang
Amazing new location for Totto Ramen. This particular location is at least twice the size of their original spot. At Totto, there are tons of awesome noodles to be devoured. If you want to go with their signature ramen, order the Totto Chicken Paitan Ramen. This is a chicken based bowl of noodles, that offers up a clean meal. If youre looking for something that isnt so heavy, then this one is for you. Instead of chashu, you get pieces of chicken. Ive actually liked this ramen on occasion because its so different than what you usually order at other ramen shops. Its not too salty, but at the same time, it has tons of flavor in the broth. If that is not for you and you want something a little heartier, then go with the Totto Spicy Ramen. This is your straight tonkotsu based ramen, with splashes of layu in there to give it a nice little spice. Loaded with your usual ramen goodies, and topped with a couple pieces of chashu, the Spicy Ramen is also damn tasty. Aside from their choices of ramen, there are some sides that you can order as well. I dont really pay attention to them because they arent really the star of the show. I guess if youre really hungry, you can get a bowl of rice and pork, but why not just help yourself out and just either get extra noodles or the epic Niku Ramen. Whats the conclusion? Everything here is amazing, and you can not go wrong. The wait isnt as horrible as their original location. I was able to get a seat for 2 during dinner within 10 minutes!
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Eddie M
We were curious as there was always a line up to get in so we decided to try it out. After about a 45 minute wait, we finally got in and sat in a very cramped table (its New York!). The pork buns were delicious and when we asked for a few more for take out, we were told that they dont do take out. Thought it was odd but okay. We had our food and thought it was good (wife didnt really like her dish) but honestly, really couldnt understand what the fuss was all about. Not entirely happy, we paid and left a tip we thought was reasonable. However, upon leaving, the server told us that the tip amount was not enough and that we need to pay 20%. She did ask what was wrong and we told her but she continued to ask several times for a higher tip then just walked away. I read some other reviews on Yelp and apparently this happens a lot at Toto Ramen. "Bullying" customers to pay them a 20% tip regardless if they dont deserve it is not right. Its unfortunate that this person completely ruined the experience for us and we will never eat there again. They have received a plethora of positive reviews so I guess they feel they can do whatever they want. Be prepared to explain yourself if you dont tip them well.
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Darryl Rich
Went to Ippudo Westside just before 5 pm for a pre-theater meal on a Saturday night with my wife and a couple from out of town and the line was 100 feet long waiting for them to open. Didnt want to wait so went to the original Totto Ramen on 52nd. We didnt go there first because of the poor atmosphere. They were not open until 5:30p and there was a long sign-up list. We were advised to go to this 51st St sister restaurant, and got seated immediately. The place is much bigger (original seat 24 - this one about 50) and atmosphere much nicer than the original. The ramen was as good as I remember it from the original and they had a special - a cold non-broth sea urchin ramen that was a real $ deal given the cost of urchin and how much you got. Ippudo has a bigger menu, more ingredients in the ramen, a great atmosphere, takes credit cards, puts on a show (waiters yelling in Japanese), and a bit pricier. Totto has better noodles and broth, but less ingredients. However, in my mind, it wins in the taste test. Cash only. None of the places take reservations, so expect a wait. The 52nd St location has better hours (opens at 5pm and has lunch (Tu-Sun). This is my top ramen place now