TOMO Japanese Street Food

Wow! What an amazing experience at TOMO. Highly recommend this place for authentic Japanese street food, I ordered the lunch special panko shrimp bento box that includes rice, goyza, salad, miso soup and shrimp and it was fantastic, delicious and worth the price. We also tried their karaage Ramen and was blown Way by the broth and the fresh Ramen and perfectly fried chicken! We also tried their friend chicken bun 10/10 delicious flavors! Will return to try even more items on the menu.

Had a special dinner and splurged with 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, and a hot sake and tipped generously bringing the total to about $50 a person and was very satisfied with everything. Could have easily spent less than $20 on getting just entrees and been just as happy. The food was excellent and very hight quality for "street food". I loved the atmosphere with it's perfect retro Japanese city pop music. I can't wait to come back and get the full experience in their private karaoke room.

5+5+5🌟 It really had the feel of a small eatery in one of the quieter regions of Japan. Chris the owner wanted to give a realistic experience. His wife who is of Asian descent, also a veteran of the food business, had a huge input on the menu. And, it is a wonderful menu. I had the teriyaki steak bowl, also the cucumber salad, some hot sake to drink, and, the black bean paste dessert. Very sweet. My wife, she had the octopus, the cucumber salad, green tea, and a very delicious Japanese guava juice. The facility is very clean, it is small, but they have a large room in the back for karaoke. By the way the bathrooms and the kitchen were extremely clean. That tells you all you need to know about the compassion of the owners. All in all, it was a wonderful experience. It really did remind us of Japan when we went to visit our daughter. One thing I will mention, they do have a day, Tuesday, where there is an English conversation dinner for all non-native English speaking students going to northwestern. It's like everyone getting together and learning about everyone else. It's a very United Nations type of feel. What a wonderful idea! 🫶

A cute Japanese restaurant located in downtown Evanston. We ordered ramens and octopus balls. Fairly tasties. The service was good. The server was attentive. The prices were average as expected for the type of dishes. The Japanese anime and music were not for me. Overall, I will be back.

Great place for Japanese food that’s also one of the most solo-diner friendly places I’ve been to. The staff here is always polite and makes the place feel comfortable. The food is also pretty great - I love to try their ramen when I dine in, but for takeout I like to try their bentos and rice bowls. You can’t go wrong with anything. One concern is their spicy stuff does upset my stomach quite significantly, but that might just be a personal problem. I would be aware of the risk if your stomach can be pretty sensitive to spicy food.

The spicy miso ramen is incredibly tasty, with a rich and flavorful broth. The chicken karaage is both delicious and delightfully crispy. Ordering your food is made convenient by scanning the QR code on the table, and the service provided was very good.

Cute and casual. Very quick service (and we walked in at 5pm on a Saturday). The food was ah-mazing! The gyoza perfectly crispy, the ramen mouthwatering, the sake perfectly warm. Highly recommend, will definitely come again! Got two appetizers, two entrees, two deserts and alcohol, with good tip $106.

Small portions are perfect to share and you have the opportunity to try many different dishes. It is freshly and quickly prepared almost right in front of your eyes( depends where you are sited). Service is quick as you order and pay online. Udon are very good!

: I'm so fortunate I chose this cozy ramen shop for my evening meal last night. I'm here in Evanston temporarily and I really needed some ramen for my energy levels. I can say after my meal I literally felt so much better :) Based on the rave reviews of the chicken karaage...I had to try this one which was am extremely creamy and thick decadent broth with corn fried chicken and succulent noodles Here's to the talented chef who obviously cooks with love and the kind owner who checked in on me frequently to make sure I had a great dining experience. My server was wonderful too and so polite. I really had a wonderful meal last night and highly recommend this ramen shop if you're seeking authentic Japanese ramen in a casual and comfortable setting The owner and I shared a wonderful conversation and just to note I admired the ways he runs his restaurant and treats his staff with kindness. I'm a foodie and part of the fun of dining out is the enjoyment of meeting new and interesting people and of course having an incredible meal. You will not be disappointed if you dine here while visiting Evanston. Originally I posted this review by accident to the Seattle location so posting again without photos unfortunately but once I dine in here again I will gladly post more photos. Kudos to the owner for making me feel so welcomed see you soon!

Service was quick, friendly, helpful. Got seated right away, even helping to setup a table near a wall charger for us. Menu had a lot of options for appetizer type food, which maybe we strayed from a little. We got an order of pork gyoza, a karaage curry rice, a miyaki beef and a green tea. Gyoza out first, 5 pieces, little on small side, but decent amount of meat in them and skin was nicely thick and crunchy. Karaage curry rice out next- karaage little over done, but flavor was nice. Rice had great consistency, not super hard or soft and curry had a bit of zing. A satisfying dish. Miyaki beef- nice stops of beef that were tender, but this dish definitely needed rice to tone down the saltiness. Green tea was standard fare. Overall enjoyed a quick dash and go with the items we ordered. Would stop by again. Sorry no photos, too hungry to take them : )

Located in the heart of downtown Evanston, Tomo offers Japanese street food at an affordable price with tons of flavors. From ramen to baos and rice bowls, there's something for everyone. They have tons of metered parking right out front. I came by for lunch one day after a few meetings in the area and ended up getting a bowl of their miso ramen. And the flavor, the noodles, the tenderness of the pork really just hit the spot. The portions are decently size so you're getting the bang for your buck. I've also previously had their pork belly bowl which so good as well! Whether you're looking to sit down and have a nice meal by ordering right from The QR code at the table, or if you wanted to just order it to go and take it home with you. The staff always has a friendly smile on their face, and eager to share their favorite menu items with you. I can't wait to come back and trip some of their other rice bowls, and dishes soon.

We ordered for carryout. Kids meal portions are perfectly sized and food was very tasty. Fried items remained crispy. The only miss was the yakisoba which came with overwhelming amounts of seaweed and bonito (not mentioned online). Prices are a little high for non-kids plates.

Came here on a random Saturday evening and luckily found parking after hours and it was free. Otherwise, you will be stuck paying we walked in and again got very lucky that it wasn't totally full and There was a table available immediately. The menu is pretty straightforward and it is a little bit diverse as far as taste are concerned, and if you are a vegetarian as well Food came out pretty quickly, and the Ramen are incredible because the noodles were well cooked and the soup bases and soup stocks are really well flavored without being overly salty. I will say that the portions for the chicken karaage are a bit on the small side. The Ramen bowls are your class size so not overwhelming and not tiny. The soft crab was well cooked just like the chicken. The appetizers were quite tasty. The place is very casual as it is in a college town and service is decent, but nothing outstanding. I would consider coming back because it was good quality and considering all the Ramen competition in Evanston as well as the surrounding suburbs this is pretty good

Wanted to try this place and didnt really know what to expect. Didnt even k ow what was on the menu. Im glad we decided to because the food was great! Its a small cozy place. Street parking available. And service was great! We were so hungry we ordered ao mich atuff they had to connect 2 tables to fit the food lol. Takoyaki was good. The chicken karaage looked a bit burnt on the outside but the inside was still tender. The squid karaage was cooked and seasoned perfectly. We also had the shrimp robata which had 3 gigantic shrimp per skewer and the sauce had a bit of a kick in it. We also ordered the Ebi Tempura Don which honestly wasnt what I was expecting. I was expecting the classic tempura shrimp but it wasnt. It didnt taste bad tho. The Hibachi Steak Bowl however was my favorite and i would definitely come back for this!!! Check this place out if you havent!!! Happy Eating!!!

Service: The wait staff knew us when we walked in and memorized our favorite dishes. I want to say they continue to impress me with their patience in explaining foods to us as we try new things. Ambiance: Clean, oraganized The veggie gyoza was 5 stars (new dish we tried) The shrimp shumai 5 stars (new fish we tried) Otherwise we ordered our favorites.

The food at Tomo is great for a more casual setting date or a hang out spot. I think the food is a bit on the pricier end like other spots within the area of Evanston. The food overall was great! I love the freshness of the food they brought out to us. The sake shot was a bit hard to remove from the can since it's mostly jello. The service was good, we ordered via the QR code on the table. Alcoholic drinks needed to be ordered through a server so they can check your ID which is paid separately at the end. Overall would recommend stopping by and trying their food!

My daughter loves this restaurant. The food and service have been consistently good each time we have been there even when crowded.

I came here for lunch on a Sunday. They have a QR code for the menu, for ordering, and for paying. There was plenty of seating in the restaurant and they let you take your pick. The food came out within 10 minutes and the service was very prompt and friendly. For the food, I thought the noodles were a bit thin for ramen noodles. I prefer thicker egg noodles. The marinated egg was delicious and had perfect texture. The meat was fatty and flavorful. But I thought the soup was as a bit flat tasting and there wasn't a lot of depth. The corn didn't add a nice texture or flavor to the bowl of noodles either. Not my favorite ramen in the area. It was decently priced at $16 for a bowl of ramen. With tip and tax it ended up being around $20.

we got the shishito peppers to start which were charred rly nicely. i got the yaki udon as my main dish and it was soo good. noodles & veggies were cooked rly well but my favorite part is the sauce ; it's just the perfect balance of sweet and saltiness that i haven't rlly tasted before. i'd come back for noodles anytime. my friend got the kimchi ramen and said it was some of the best kimchi she's ever had. i love how fast and casual the service is & the vibes inside are so cute and pretty even tho this is a more "casual" restaurant ? It's like the perfect mix of nice but still casual so u just feel rlly chilled out

Three of us came for dinner. This is a quaint place with amazing service. We started with the okonomiyaki. Not a huge portion but packed with flavor. I was expecting something more crispy but it was on the softer side. I had the tonkatsu ramen. Comes with 3 pieces of yummy pork belly as bamboo shoots and half an egg and bunch of corn kernels. Lots of wonderful broth.

Not really street food, but it is mostly Japanese. And fairly good Japanese food at that. We were seated promptly and the food came hot and tasty. Not much of an ambiance, but the place was clean and functional.

[TOMO Japanese Street Food] Local Japanese restaurant located in downtown Evanston that just opened this year Ordered the Takoyaki, Signature Udon, and the Yakisoba Everything was good. Food was flavorful and well seasoned. It is self serve through scanning the QR so I cannot speak on their service. The price point was decent which is reasonable for $15 per entree. The only criticism I have for this restaurant is that it was not that filling I was still hungry after eating this considering we got 2 entrees and a appetizer. Overall, 8/10. Pretty decent https://www.tomostreetfood.com 1726 Sherman Ave Evanston, IL 60201

Yummy and fast. We arrived at 6pm on a Saturday night and it was busy. You can scan the QR reader table side and order on your phone, which is what we did...shrimp shumai and veggie gyoza to start, then 2 rice bowls, the pork belly with kimchi for me and the port katsu with curry for my husband. The food comes out when it's ready, so my main and app came out simultaneously and then my husband's did a few minutes later. Next time I'll order in courses to avoid that. The food is good; fresh and hot with well balanced flavors. Nothing fancy, but a good quick meal when you don't have time for anything more involved. Close to the Davis stop on the purple line.

Had been in previously and had one of their buns. Absolutely delicious. This evening it was me, my wife and one of my kids and we all had some great dishes. Ramon was a hit, the rice bowl w port belly was delicious. Be back soon!

What a nice find in Evanston. My wife and I walked away from here very impressed with everything we tried. My dish had excellent flavor and a sneaky amount of spice to the fried chicken. I can't wait to return again for more of their selections.

Ramen tastes great, the broth is good. Not a huge fan of ramen in general, but when the girlfriend craves it we come here. Probably the best location nearby for Ramen. Meat is really soft and addicting, wish they gave more. Too much corn though. There was no wait to sit down. Ordered through a qr code and paid before food came out. The food came out surprisingly fast, also tasting really fresh and hot. They have anime on TV most of the time, my first time coming in they had One Piece on. Spoiled a little bit for me, but respect for One Piece!

Stopped by here as we were passing the Evanston area during dinner time. Overall, we weren't over the moon about any of the dishes. Not bad, and also not the best, just ok! We had the gyoza potstickers- crispy and tasty filling beef robata- okay, the glaze was good but pieces were a tad chewy Kaarage Don- least favorite dish, we got the sauce on the side not realizing it's gonna need the sauce and then some lol chicken was good but there was nothing to the dish really, just chicken and rice Hibachi steak bowl- this was okay, came with miso soup which was good. The meat was tender, the sauce/marinade had good flavor, just wish this came with a veggie of some sort! All in all, I'm happy we gave it a shot. Service was decent- you order on your phone and then the food arrives to the table (interesting). The ambiance was inviting, solid music playing, and overall clean.

Unfortunately the ramen was unremarkable and bland. Mostly flavorless soy broth and the shredded vegetables mixed into the broth distracted from the rest of the bowl's ingredients. The ramen noodles tasted like they were out of an instant noodles package and were a wares of calories. Others in our group said they enjoyed their chicken dishes, so probably stick with something other than the ramen noodles dishes at Tomo. For ramen Table to Stix is far superior.

The food was served nice and fresh. Everything tasted great. They served water, food, and dessert at the appropriate times and made sure we were satisfied. The ambience is really nice. I really liked the lighting and the seating. There is always some anime playing on the TV and is fun to watch. No complaints. This place is great.

This is my go to place whenever I am in Evanston. Working my way through the menu and everything has been awesome.

Service is poor - server forgot to bring the drinks for at least 10-15 minutes and didn't stop by to give refills or anything like that. + Took a long time to order Food - Tan tan men is quite greasy and leaves a weird aftertaste in your mouth. Chicken karaage is delicious. Ambiance - very cool! Nicely decorated and the TV plays anime.

Came here for my birthday dinner last month and it was so good! Everything was flavorful. The staff were friendly. You scan a QR code and order through an app then the staff bring the food out. Location was easy to get to and near a lot of other restaurants. The restaurant was nice and clean. I would return!

Great food! Ramen is delicious. Service was very nice and quick. Highly recommend! I will definitely be back!

Service excellent . Food so fresh and so fast ! Too bad the appetizers are a little pricy :)

My spicy miso ramen was quite tasty, rich, and quite spicy. Unfortunately that's the highlight. The ordering in app was pretty annoying, items lacked descriptions and we were unable to ask questions. Had we been able to ask about the kids menu we would not have ordered kids ramen or the chicken and rice. The ramen is literally noodles and clear broth. No veggies or protein or anything interesting. The shumai serving was pretty small for $8.

Delicious food - perfect for a hungry NU student!! A little steep on price - I paid 19.78 for a filling rice bowl with a decent about of meat.

We went to a very early dinner or very late lunch at 3pm at Tomo in Evanston, you decide which one. On a lazy Sunday it's nice we were able to just sit down and order and pay from the phone. My favorite dish was the beef small plate and veggies with the Shrimp Shumai being a close second. It's an easy casual place to stop by and grab some food quickly. While it was good, I wouldn't go out of my way to come back unless I was already in Evanston. In terms of Asian cuisine in Evanston though, I would rather go to Joyee. Service was good and a chill atmosphere to enjoy each other's company on this last warm day in Chicago before the tundra comes and the sun sets at 430pm.

Most definitely will come back. First time trying it last night and really enjoyed it. It's located right in downtown Evanston and fortunately it was a Monday evening and parking was easy to find. It's small like Table to Stix Ramen but the ambiance is bright and cheerful. When you walk in you see a neon sign of a cat eating ramen, so cute! Near the back there is a neon sign of eating ramen out of a skeleton bowl, adorable. Water is served right away and they have you use the QR code to view the menu and order straight from your phone. I'm not quite sure why a person has to register a first name only but no matter...I thought you had to order all your food at once and then they will serve you based on the normal appetizers first followed by the entrees or main course as I've come to expect, but rather you should only order the first items you want and when you'll soon be ready for the next course you order the next items. We got our soups first followed by the edamame and soon after the beef skewers. She did not rush us but now I know for next time. I like that they have rice bowls, Karaage, yakisoba, udon and other various quick dishes that I'm sure are just as delicious as the food we ate. Give it a try and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Nice atmosphere! Great food! Slightly expensive but really good. Fairly quick service.

Visited on a Friday afternoon. The restaurant was busy with carry-out orders but the restaurant was empty. We had the spicy fried chicken ramen, it was delicious. Get it extra spicy if you like spicy. We also had the dumplings, they were okay, a bit salty. We also tried the chicken skewers and that was 2 skewers per order and it was dark meat. If you like dark meat, this would be good for you. We had the fried chicken buns. They were small but yummy. Service was good.

Passed by this spot after dinner one day and was intrigued so I've been looking forward to trying this out. We were greeted as soon as we walked in and told that we can sit anywhere we wanted. We opted for one of the high tops against the wall which was neat Bc the wall seating was actually a bench. Our menus were just a QR code scan which takes you to a ToastTab account with the corresponding table number. The electronic menu had pictures right next to it so it was easier to know what to expect. There were plenty of options but we chose to go with the grilled squid, lava takoyaki and I went for the tantan men and my brother for the grilled mackerel. The squid was cooked to perfection where it was still tender and not at all rubbery. The takoyaki was served on a bed of spicy mayo with huge chunks of octopus. My tantan men was a tad too spicy for my preference but was still very tasty. I had initially planned to try the taiyaki and dango for dessert but got too full so I'll have to come back next time. This spot is a bit on the pricier side but the ingredients and quality are top notch and worth it.

Ramen are not soft enough. The curry chicken is over cooked and rough. The price is high for the quality of the food. Ambiance is okay. Service is okay too.

Tomo Japanese is a solid 4 in my book. The food is good, the atmosphere is pleasant and inviting, and the service is good. We will undoubtedly eat there again in the furture. My only complaint is that I felt it tended toward the expensive side for what you get. But I am sure they pay premium for the location. Well-worth a visit.

I really liked the ramen I got here (flavorful broth!), so it's definitely a place with relatively good Asian food in Evanston -- but I do think that you can get similarly good ramen at a lower price at other Evanston restaurants. Tomo has many options for ramen and other dishes, and uses a phone ordering system so you pay when you order. There are a variety of seating styles (high tops, regular tables) in the cozy space. Dined: December 7, 2022

Great food, quick service, I got the Karaage bento and takoyaki and it was honestly gas.

We finally tried this quaint little Japanese restaurant In Evanston after I saw it on Yelp. I had high hopes for it because really what's better than Japanese street food. However the menu was very pedestrian and not in a street food kind of way. Upon ordering food, they brought out the ramen and tempura udon within minutes which made me believe it was not made to order especially since it was not very busy. Tempura was dry and kind of burned looking. Ramen tasted ok but the char siu was not tender. The best thing we ordered on the menu was the beef don. It was marinated thinly sliced beef with lots of veggies. It was perfectly balanced sweet and salty on a bed of rice. I would get this dish again if I were to come back again.

Excellent food at reasonable prices. No frills, but very good quality food with a very good selection. Service was very fast and efficient.

This was our first time eating here. The reviews brought us in. While it wasn't fancy, it was amazing. I had the signature udon and the flavors were amazing. The service was outstanding! Friendly, helpful, and very pleasant. Over all the experience was great! Can't wait to go back!

Good food, small and crowded. Service, meh. Hate the fact that u can only pay via online. This means u tip before u eat, I don't like this. Portions are kinda small.

Hubby and I were excited to see a new Japanese restaurant nearby and decided to order food to-go. Our food was ready within ~30-40 minutes. We both had the tonkotsu ramen (pork belly, bamboo shoots, scallions, corn, marinated egg and sesame seeds in a pork broth) and shared a chicken karaage. The pieces of chicken were super tiny (smaller than my thumb) and there weren't that many pieces to begin with. The ramen was just okay IMO. The egg was marinated well but was overcooked. The pork belly also seemed a bit dry. The noodles were decent and the broth was creamy but a bit salty. I really wanted to love this place but hoping that it will improve since it is a new establishment.

Newly opened Japanese restaurant in downtown Evanston, another great hot spot for Japanese comfort food, from Bento box, hot Ramen or Rice bowl, with the quick QR scan menu and mobile ordering right from your table or order from staff at register, GREAT food Friendly service I'd highly recommend this place. Tip: check out their online menu ahead of time and try mobile ordering to avoid long line at register

I have now been here twice (takeout and dine in) and I have to say that it's one of the best places for lunch in Evanston! Their Bento box is outstanding and their shrimp is crispy and tasty! I was especially impressed with the takeout. Dining in is fine, but you order by using your phone so the service is kind of non existent. However, you can't go wrong with the food and the price. You get a lot of quality at a fair price. This will be my go to place for lunch!

I wish I could go more often but I can't which makes me sad the food there was delish and The service was so good. I got my food in a couple minutes of ordering

Really delicious chicken or beef skewers ! Great for lunch, tasty Umami sauce. Definitely will return to try other items,.

I love this place. The food is very nice. Everything I tried was great. My vegetarian significant other, who hated ramen all of their life, tried vegetarian ramen at Tomo and loved it. According to them everything else is just so inferior in taste to Tomo. It is not a place where one goes for vibes. One goes here to get most delicious food. On the bad side, I absolutely hate their ordering system. Sometimes I opt for not going there because of how uncomfortable the ordering system makes me feel. Everyone in the party has to pay for themselves during ordering, which is awkward. You must pay tips before ordering food, which is also awkward and uncomfortable. I wish they brought back the normal system.

Yakisoba was delicious! It had a subtle sweetness and not over sauced. The noodles had a nice bite to them yum!!! The veggie dumplings were delicious as well. Service was fast and friendly. I will definitely go back for more!

Everything about Tomo is warm and inviting. The atmosphere is laid back but comforting. There is usually an anime playing on a big TV in the back, ans the walls are covered in posters and neon signs, giving it a wonderful ambiance. We've had a variety of dishes and had friends and family try this place out too, and every single thing that comes from their kitchen has been a hit. The setup has you order on your phone, but someone comes by to check on things at least once. Overall, Tomo is a great experience.