Tampopo Ramen

Not the same. We’ve been coming to Tampopo Remen for years and everything we had is just…noticeably different than it used to be. This used to be our top ramen place to go and now my daughter doesn’t want to go back. The service was quick and friendly. The tontatsu ramen was ok, but not amazing like it used to be. My daughter was disappointed in the shio ramen. The chicken karage is now served with mayo instead of the salt seasoning it used to be.

I came here a when they first opened and thought the broth and fresh noodles were bomb. I don't know why I never came back until now, it's still fantastic and my 12 year old son said he was the best Ramen he's ever had. He would say he's an conissour. 🤣

This is a ramen store that I would go to every weekend if I could. The restaurant is small and cozy. It is always busy so make sure you come early if you come with a big group. Their ramen is delicious, my favorite one is Tonkotsu, the soup is so fragrance with the perfect chasu, grill pork belly cook to perfection, I always order extra because that is how good they are. Their noodle is so tender but yet cuper bouncy with each bite. I highly recommend order extra noodle because that thing is so addictive. We also order Takoyaki and Agedashi Tofu for appetizer, which are delicious. The Soymilk base vegetarian ramen, and I quote from my partner “The broth is to die for”. The service is super fast and friendly, I highly recommend this place if your date loves animate and Japanese cuisine.

Long time comer, and was utterly dissapointed. Ordered the mentaiko-don, and got it still frozen. I'm not here to complain about the fact that food is frozen, but when you can't even thaw it properly the night before... Moreover, the one they served me was clearly nuked in the microwave, which causes some of the roe to get cooked (as pictured some of the roe is white) There is a proper way to defrost something, and this wasn't it. Really dissapointed in the lack of care for food

Our favorite weekend go to. My husband and I love the flavor and the legitimacy of the broth being used. The place is small, cozy and perfect for a go-to-ramen-craving-spot. Their mochi icream (matcha flavor) is actually really good! As a matcha lover, I can say that the matcha is ceremonial.

It’s a good place when you are craving ramen! I ordered the Miso ramen, the soup didn’t have that deep miso flavor I am used to but the egg & noodles were my favorite part. The Karaage chicken appetizer was good too. Lots of seating and fast, friendly service. Would recommend ~

Authentic and amazing! You can see them making the ramen, and the ambience is great with generous serving sizes. The ultra spicy ramen, wings, and mocha mochi were all delicious.

Visited this place during my visit in Summer 2021 business trip in Chandler, this place has the best Japanese Ramen i ever tried. The ramen is very delicious, the shop and seating can be quite packed but not to the extend of uncomfortable. The environment tho small, but comfortable and tide. Good cleanliness.

I had been craving ramen aaaaalll day, and did a Google search for ramen places near by. Tampopo came up in the search results, and so I decided to give it a try - I was NOT disappointed. First of all, we walked in just before 8pm last night (Friday) and although there were quite a few patrons, we were still seated right away. There were no individual tables, so we sat at the long communal table in the center. The service always wonderful! Prompt and courteous. 10/10 there. My fella got their Miso ramen and I got their Tonkotsu. My dish was exactly what I wanted - flavorful, hot, and a plentiful portion (so plentiful I took 3/4ths of the meal home). I will say that it was pretty warm inside the restaurant, so the only thing that could have made the experience better is if they had turned the AC on higher. All in all, I will 100% be back. This was a great experience with awesome service and wonderful food.

As a visitor from the east coast nyc/philly area, this is the best ramen I've ever had, and most customizable with sides. I got the Spicy Miso with creamier broth, extra corn and pork belly. The pork belly is clearly freshly made and delicious. The egg was amazing. The broth, delicious and flavorful. I'm not always impressed by ramen places, but Tampopo was truly delicious. The fried chicken was amazing as well. The plum wine was the real deal. Highly recommend trying this place out!

Little Japanese eatery specializing in ramen with housemade noodles, dumplings & pork buns. It is cute, small, and cozy. It good there are only two of us. We got the end spots on the long table in the middle. It was nice! We were greeted immediately. It helps that my friend is a regular! I got the Tori Karage, Yaki Gyoza, and Miso Ramen. Our appetizers came out very quickly and they were delicious. Then our ramen came out. Yes, please! It was very tasty, steaming HOT, and so good. The service was great too!

Something's changed. The fresh-made noodles I remember have been replaced with pre-made ones that are kinda a sticky mess. Maybe I just came on an off day, but expectations were not met. And I decided to try the curry broth. The bowl of noodles with a ladle of stew was a surprise. Poor choice on my part. I thought it was going to be more of a soup broth, not a thick stew. Wasn't a fan of the takoyaki or the potato/corn croquettes either. Will return later to see if the noodle thing was a fluke or not

FAST and friendly service! Yummy food and several options to choose from. Can't go wrong here!

Tampopo is definitely my preferred ramen spot - a little out of my way but can't beat the price and the food is always solid. I usually go for the spicy miso ramen. The gyoza and shishito peppers are good for apps. The restaurant itself is located in a strip mall on the corner of Southern & McClintock. It's narrow on the interior with some booth/table seating and some community style tables, with an open kitchen concept. The prices are very fair as well compared to other ramen spots in Phoenix.

Was brought here by a friend and it was almost full! Nice and clean atmosphere and the workers there are very nice! Food tasted good and they have a lot of deserts I've never heard of before so it was nice exposure! Would go again for sure.

The name of the game here is consistency. Tampopo is not the BEST bowl of ramen I've ever had, but I've also never had a bad experience here. Staff is pleasant, quick, and the ambiance of the restaurant feels very homey and intimate. I always see people stop by, eat quickly, and head out. I would love to see their tonkotsu be a little more flavorful and have some more texture to it. Their chashu is great - fatty, warm, melts in your mouth. The soy marinated eggs are always perfectly cooked. I have great memories here, and will continue to come back when I am in need of some comfort. I'll probably try the spicy miso as I've heard that's their best broth recently.

I haven't been here in a very hot minute but the food quality has gone downhill over the years, speaking specifically on their ramen. It used to be good, but now the flavor is lackluster and noodles are not as bouncy and fresh. My go-to order is always their kakuni don, pork belly over rice. If you get anything, get this! It's marinated well and the meat is tender. I would pass on their ramen, even if that is their specialty.

So delicious!! I've been to Japan before and this ramen tastes authentic. Would definitely recommend.

This is our go-to ramen place in Arizona! I always get the tonkotsu ($13) which tastes so clean and good. Also they have half boiled ramen eggs which are my faveee. We weren't really fans of the spicy miso here, but the shio is good as well. We also love the bowls, like the chashu bowl, and usually get it to-go. The takoyaki is a must too! The service is fast, and the store is usually busy but we never have to wait. Plenty of parking in the lot.

The recipe isn't what it used to be, and honestly, there's nothing that makes this place special anymore. The broth is too oily & the noodles aren't fresh like they used to be, and now they're kind of sticky.

Ramen is so good. All appetizer tast delicious. We've been coming to this place for the last 8 yrs. It does not change you can always count on a nice bowel of Ramen.

Great service, a little warm in the restaurant to sit and eat. The tofu was really good, perfectly fried, and had a great sauce with it, and strips of crispy seaweed make a nice touch. It's nice to be able to see the kitchen. Easy location to get to and plenty of parking.

usually our favorite ramen place, we drive all the way from north scottsdale, often passing 5-8 other ramen places on the way.... however, they are never open and their hours posted online are not accurate 9 times out of 10. super disappointing to see they're open online and drive 30minutes just to see a sign that they're on summer vacation, they couldn't even be bothered to update it online... lazy service but we come for the good food anyways, thanks to this inconvenient day i likely won't be back.

Tampopo is my favorite ramen spot in the valley. I love the ultra spicy with extra pork belly because I'm a big fat boy. Kendall is super friendly and we always have a good time here. Thanks!!!

I'm not the biggest ramen fan, but that changes here. I've tried all the popular ramen spots around the area, and none have the flavorful broth that Tampopo has. I could drink a bowl of just the broth. The toppings are very good too, of course. I even added kakuni to mine, and was not disappointed. I also tried the pork bun, and it was also a must have. Also, the staff were very nice and attentive. After eating here I don't think I'll be able to go to any other ramen spots. I'll be coming back frequently.

The place was smaller but fit a lot of people. They were busy and cleared us a table within 5 min. Around 7-8pm on a Tuesday. Bathrooms were clean and they had awards posted for best ramen in PHX. Staff were attentive and answered any questions from the menu. Pomegranate sake was nice and hot. Curry was delicious although the curry was over powering the white rice ratio imo. But flavor was delicious. Miso ramen was so good and the egg was perfectly soft. They have free refills for broth which was good because the ingredients were a little cold served but once you dug in it warmed up. Broth was flavorful. Gyozas were perfectly crispy and a little doughy. DESSERT? Red Bean was so divine especially with the green tea ice cream paired. A combo I didn't know I needed. We were going to try mochi but I'm glad we picked that Tayaki and I would get it next time too. Would definitely go again and try the Karaage & Takoyaki with the Tonkotsu Ramen

It was a small and cozy place, we sat up at the bar and watched the chefs do their magic. The ramen was delicious, the broth was nice and creamy, and the noodles were perfect!!

Freshly made ramen noodles on the premises! Lots of choices on a Variety of ramen and a hot ramen and a super hot ramen. We had Karaage which was salted and tasted really perfect when dipped in the ramen! Service was great, the chefs kept simians waving at us from the kitchen. The ambiance was nice and cozy... a definite must try.

Great tradition Japanese Raman (lived in Japan for 2 years). The restaurant is a little small but it's rarely crowded and the tables are arranged in a way that preserves a sense of privacy (great for dates). The chefs have your Ramen ready at lightning speed and it tastes -almost- like what you get at a Raman shop in Japan. They also sell popular Japanese drinks.

My top ramen place to eat at. My go to is the spicy tonkatsu, it never misses! The service is great and the ambiance is so cozy!

Tampopo Ramen is located in a nondescript shopping center at the corner of McClintock and Southern. It's a small restaurant with a few tables, though mostly counter seating. The Tonkotsu Ramen had a flavorful broth and plenty of ramen staples such as egg and sprouts. I'm not a big fan of fungus, though I'm sure you can request certain toppings to be omitted. (Be sure you don't forget like I did.) The Goma Kyuri (Cucumber in Sesame Oil Sauce) was good, though could have used just a hint more salt. The cucumbers were thinly sliced and had good texture. The service was quick. Unless you catch them at a busy time, you're likely to be in and out in less than 30 minutes. Great when you're in a hurry. Of course, they have take out, too. I look forward to returning to Tampopo Ramen, maybe on a cold winter's day when hot soup will REALLY hit the spot.

I had a few people recommend this place and swore by it; I was excited to try it. The hype did not live up to what it should have been. Crowded loud space and had a bit of a wait; not a huge deal, it's dinner time. Service was Adequate at best. Food came and honestly, it was bad. I hopeful about his place but it fell flat. The two stars is for the good saki.

Life time favorite ramen. Everything is taste decent and cheap. Very quick service. Never have problems with this place

I loved Tampopo Ramen when it first came out. Thought the noodle and the broth were amazing. With a lot of Ramen places popping up in the valley, I haven't been here for a while until today. I was disappointed with the quality of the broth and the noodle. The little broth that came with (I was very little and salty, and the noodle wasn't what it used to be. I wonder if they still make their own noodles. Sad to say, I have had a better Ramen noodle in the valley lately.

It may not be the fanciest place but the food is solid and service friendly. Worth going out of your way for.

I treat my mother to a weekly lunch outing, and today we satisfied her ramen craving at Tampopo. Being mindful of dietary preferences, both she and I opted for vegetarian-based broth with our ramen noodles. In addition, she indulged in Japanese Fried Chicken. The food was delicious, and the service was excellent. I paired my ramen with a Mango Creamy Soda while my mom opted for green tea. The service was excellent. Our server made sure our glasses were filled with water, and we were satisfied with our order. As a grand finale to our epicurean escapade, we concluded our repast with the delicate delight of mochi ice cream desserts, leaving us satiated and contented, basking in the warmth of an intimate dining experience shared.

While visiting Tempe me & the hub were craving some ramen for dinner. We stopped by Tampopo and were luckily able to grab the last two person table. It's quite small inside so I wouldn't recommend large groups. I went with the tonkotsu ramen which had an egg, green onions, pork chasu, seaweed and noodles. I wasn't a fan of the noodles, I prefer the thicker ones and these felt almost more like spaghetti noodles. I also wasn't very impressed with the pork. It definitely needed some more flavor. Coming from Vegas we're very spoiled with our ramen options so my standards are quite high. Overall it satisfied my craving, but was just okay.

Tampopo used to be my go to spot in Arizona for authentic ramen! Lately though, Tampopo has lost its ways. The food has seemly gone down hill, the ramen was bland beyond belief. This hasn't just been a one time occurrence either... It lacks depth and flavor. The broth is underwhelming and the noodles were overcooked. The staff is friendly and the restaurant is quaint and cozy! Overall I think there are better options for ramen in Arizona.

This place serves the quickest ramen ever. I always get their seafood ramen with the spicy paste on the side. Be careful with the spicy paste, it has very good heat. This place has tight seating but I was comfortable with it. The only thing I would not recommend is their bao.

Tried this place out last night and it was really good! I got the tonkatsu ramen and it tasted good. Was reasonably priced too. Staff was super polite and the restaurant had cute art hung up.

Stopped by on a rainy day a couple of months ago and was seated right away at the counter. I thought it was cool to see the open kitchen. I had the spicy miso which was good. Loved the picked ginger. I wasn't a big fan of the roasted pork, I think I prefer more pork belly overall. All in all solid choice but not near close to the best ramen I've had.

Tampopo is a classic staple when I'm craving ramen. I've tried the tonkotsu, ultra spicy, and curry ramen. The ultra spicy ramen is great if you love spicy food - sometimes it can be a little too spicy for me though. My new favorite is the curry ramen, which is sauce based rather than soup based. The curry ramen is so flavorful and tasty! The dishes are customizable with many topping options you can add. It's a bit cramped inside but that's helpful when it's busy and I don't want to wait too long to get seated.

My partner and I have been frequenting here for a while now. Especially when I lived in Tempe, AZ to earn my undergraduate from Arizona State University. The food is always amazing, and so is the service :) The shop gives a cozy ramen house experience as best they can with the space, and I like it. Thank you, Tampopo Ramen, for having us!

Tampopo used to have delicious Chashu that was torched and that set it apart from all the other ramen places I've been to They recently changed their recipe so now they have a boiled (?) chashu that is traditional but it's now like any other ramen place and the pork Chashu is not as delicious in my opinion With their recipe change their Spicy Miso was also changed and does not have the same strong flavor. In addition, their phone number isn't working so my fiancé and I had to drive 20 min just for them to tell us their pork Chashu recipe changed. I'm highly disappointed and won't be coming back to tampopo and will be finding a new ramen place to enjoy. See the first image of the old recipe vs the new recipe...

We've been coming here for years but after today, this will be our last. Broth was not as flavorful as before, tonight bland for spicy miso ramen and the toppings were cold. We also got the Kakuni but it was way different than before. Not good either.

Drove from the West Valley just for a ramen fix. We had their ultra spicy ramen and added kakuni. I've been here before and coulda sworn the spicy level was up there. But, it wasn't , however, still good and hit that craving spot for sure. We came in right as they opened and they had a consistent flow of customers. We have also been around during dinner times and the place let's just say stays packed.

Once upon a time, Tampopo was my FAVORITE ramen spot! Especially the ultra spicy ramen; that used to get my nose running, sinuses cleared, and eyes watering. And I can handle spicy. We ordered to go, as there isn't much you miss by dining in instead. There is one long communal table down the middle of the restaurant and a few tables along the side. As one Yelper noted, the red stools are uncomfortable, and too high to dine comfortably! I went with my usual order, the ultra spicy ramen, $11, and added kakuni (pork belly) for $3 and onion for $1 for a total of $15. Bf ordered the curry ramen, $10.5 and asked to add karrage (chicken), $3, as the worker informed him the curry ramen does not included chicken although it states "soupless Japanese curry mixed with original house-made chicken..." on the menu. We also ordered hirata bunS for $4. The total was $36 which feels steep for a ramen dinner for 2. Our order was ready ~20-30 minutes later. The menu distinctly states hirata bunS as in plural. There was 1 hirata bun for $4. Referring to previous reviews, 2 did come in an order before. The bun itself was fine, neither raw nor oversteamed. My biggest complaint is the price. I assembled my ramen in a big bowl and was surprised to see the ramen was red/pinkish in color. It'd never been this color the multiple times I had ordered it before. Despite the pinkish color, the ramen itself was good; solid. Neither undercooked nor overcooked; not rubbery nor too al dente. The broth had separated in the container and I should have mixed it before pouring it on my ramen; that was my bad. Instead there were chunks of paste in my bowl. The broth was NOT spicy, disappointingly enough. No spicier than sriracha. The only real taste I had from the broth was salty. For the additional $4 I spent on toppings, I was dismayed by the skimpy portion. Refer to pictures. Bf's curry ramen was difficult to mix but once mixed there was enough curry to ramen ratio. He did get 3 pieces of karrage for $3 which were about boneless wing sized. Bf enjoys curry and he enjoyed the curry ramen! It's probably been close to 2 years now since the last time I've had Tampopo and I'm disappointed with the decrease in quality. The ramen itself is good, but broth and cost wise, not so much. Looks like I'll be searching for a new ramen joint! 3.5 stars.

Walking into the restaurant, my friend and I were barely welcomed and told to sit anywhere. We chose to sit at the bar because the place had narrow walkways, so we didn't want to sit close to anyone else and feel suffocated. Once sat, we had to call the waiter over because no one came to explain anything to us or take our order at the bar. Throughout the whole dining experience, I had to always call over the waiter because they didn't check up on us. Additionally, the waiter did not seem very informative about the menu because when I asked questions about extra costs or substitutions, they did not have an answer and were unsure themselves. The food we ordered was subpar too. The fried octopus balls were not cooked through and had wet dough in the middle. The pork bao had flavorless sauce, meat, and bun. The chicken wings were lightly seasoned so it didn't taste like much either, and it had little amount of meat on the bone. The rice triangle filled with chicken was also flavorless and had no seasoning. The only thing that elevated it was the red sauce served in the side, but even that was of little help. The main entrees were ramen and a teriyaki tofu rice dish. Just like the reoccurring theme here, the ramen broth was flavorless and so were the toppings. Even adding chili oil and other sauces available at the bar did not help with the flavor. The star of all these dishes was the teriyaki tofu rice dish, which had so much flavor and spices. The tofu had a nice crunch to it, the veggies were cooked to perfection - also with a slight crunch, and the sauce was savory with a little hint of sweetness. So if you do decide to come here, I would only recommend the rice dishes. Besides that, this experience was not a pleasurable one, but filled with disappointment and a desire for more.

Cute little ramen place. Lots of items to choose from on the menu. I got the fried chicken Kaarage which was really delish. I also got the spicy miso ramen. They only had pork slices which didn't cater to all individuals who'd prefer something else and you can substitute it for anything else or else it's extra. The ramen was good but the broth wasn't very flavorful. The soft egg was delicious. I'd Deff try other stuff on the menu. Service was great and nice staff

Yum yum yum. Small place, great food, efficient, professional. Can totally be for a date, too. Love and can't wait to go back!

Somehow in my life I had never gone to get Ramen. Co-worker was leaving and this was then place he picked for his going away party. I'm allergic to darn near everything so new places like this are a bit frightening to me as I've actually had allergic reactions to food that I didn't fully understand what was in it. But I fared well here with a normal Ramen. Overall good but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to get Ramen as it isn't my favorite.

Post-Quarantine Review: 5 Stars all day! Tampopo Ramen is the hole-in-the-wall gem in Tempe, right next to a few other gems (Gold Bar, Loving Hut, Fusion Tea Lounge ). It has a homely ramen-bar feel to it, with spacious dining and a centralized tabletop area. One one side is the kitchen, where the chefs work vigorously. At the far end are bathrooms. The mango/lychee drinks are delicious! And they have Ramuné a classic Now to the Ramen! (Tampopo means Dandelion as pointed out by a fellow yelper, give them a thumbs up) The Tonkotsu has a rich broth and is thick. It's flavorful, plenty of noodles to broth ratio, and the pork is succulent and tender. The egg is nice as well. Spicy ramen bowl is delicious. The perfect amount of spice but it borderlines volcano heat My pick goes out to the Karaage Don! They don't have a chicken Katsu but they have a Japanese-style Chicken with Rice bowl. (Go for the large!) I ate mine and was left wanting more. The gyoza is also delicious! Although I wish it was a bit crispier (my own personal opinion) :) If you're in the mood for ramen, stop by Tampopo! Pro tip- the dine-in seating may be limited so try going during the off-hours.

Still the best Ramen in Phoenix to me. Every time I go, the broth is consistently tasty, complex and delicious. I have never been disappointed. Please check out my previous review. An update: *I always get the Enriched broth. *I will substitute the spicy noodles in the Spicy Miso Ramen. It's a nice cross section of the Spicy Miso and the Ultra Soft. *I share my ramen order with my kiddo, so we order an extra bowl of broth and split the Ramen since 2 full orders of ramen is too much for us. Still amazing RETURN Factor: 100%

This is going to be an unfortunate update. For YEARS, I loved Tampopo because they were able to recreate a somewhat authentic (as close to authentic) Japanese ramen, and up until Daruma Ramen opened in Mesa, Tampopo was the only place I went to for ramen that reminded me of home (I'm from the Kansai region of Japan). I don't know if there was a recent change in management, but the taste of the Tonkotsu ramen has changed drastically. I had been picking up on several changes in the food over the last few years, but I went to Tampopo steadfastly because of their Tonkotsu soup (soup is the life of ramen). Even when they decreased the size of the charsiu and yet charged more for "extra", I stuck with this place because the taste was the real deal. Even when they drastically decreased the amount of soup in each bowl, I stuck by Tampopo. But I think the complete change in the soup recipe was the last straw. I even asked the server if the recipe changed, and he said yes. Of course, one need not even ask to tell how different the taste it. This "new" tonkotsu soup was thinner, reminiscent of Shoyu ramen. Tonkotsu has lots of bone marrow mixed in so it should be thick and rich in taste. What I got this past weekend was a watered down version of what it used to be. The charsiu keeps getting smaller but that's just the icing on the Disaster-Cake. The soup, the main umami element of ramen that holds every other ingredient together, is no longer worth the trip to Tempe. I would rather drive further to Mesa to eat a Daruma Ramen now. I'm sad to have to cross Tampopo of my go-to list now...

This place used to be my favorite ramen shop to recommend and go to. Never had a bad experience until this most recent time going. The recipe and quality is not the same. Our waitress she said they changed management sometime in 2023. Ultra spicy ramen was flavorless and not spicy like it used to be. Egg had no flavor. Pork slice was not the same either. Everything was different in the worst way possible. I wish the new management would change the name because what they serve now, is not the Tampopo it use to be.

Covid mask wearing days. Diners allowed. Ordered tonkatsu soup and seafood soup. Quality has gone down from the last time I ate here. To go order had pre-made cold noodles with cold food items. Soup in diff container was hot and seemed a bit greasy. Wanted to like it but didn't like as much

Ramen was not good. Maybe better if you eat there but takeout the noodles were dry. & Seafood ramen is supposed to have scallops , didn't. Squid was dry/ seemed like rehydrated. Pork belly was ok