Ordered via Uber Eats. Food was tasty & fresh. Portion size was appropriate. Would definitely…read moreorder again. Only comment is they did Not include Utensils.

I recently visited the Tanpopo branch in Howick for the first time. It's been a while since I'd…read morevisited the one in town, but I feel like the two branches, menu aside, couldn't be anymore different. Tanpopo Howick seats quite a few more people and has more of a Saturday hangout feel as opposed to a family restaurant. There are bar seats aswell if you're just there for drinks or would prefer to have your meal there. Our table for two was massive, and suitably so because it ended up being covered in food. The tables and ottomans are very close together and its s tight squeeze to get in and out of your seat. I didn't find this to be a huge problem, but this really depends on personal preference. The service here was awesome. We were greeted immediately by one staff member and they were great throughout the night. Our food came out quickly and it took us a while to get through it all. Their miso soup is just delicious and for $3 you get a massive bowl- it will certainly make you realise that you're being ripped off everywhere else. This is also the best miso I've had in recent times and one is enough to share between two people. We also ended up grabbing a loyalty card to get a few dollars off on our next visit. We even got a couple of extra stamps on ours because it was our first visit! Excellent and consistent service and food, I would highly recommend Tanpopo for a great meal.

Hole in the wall establishment run by what looks like a husband and wife. Comfortable seating for…read moremaybe 24-28. Takoyaki - it's good says dbp. - perfect (6) spheres Spicy ramen - Comes in hot no need for extra spice - deep smoky flavor - mash your own sesame seeds is a nice touch Tonkotsu shoyu ramen - plain flavor feels under developed - wifey says it's homey - kinda grows on you as you eat it Mukashi traditional soy ramen - best in show - clean Miso taste - added corn bc I love the crunch Tonkotsu paitan salt ramen -

Metro rated it as one of the best Ramen houses in Auckland or perhaps it's on the top 50 cheap…read moreeats. Regardless which one it sways towards, it does live up to its reputation. It's not brilliant because I guess you only get that in Japan I suppose but compared to Mentatz (on High Street) and Tanpopo (Anazc Ave) it's good. It's also famously nestled between a few well known Symonds St eateries namely Ginas which is a funny and loud Italian restaurant, a top end Japanese eatery which I can't remember the name of, a well known Sushi eatery and also a cheap and cheerful Thai dining house. So you assume that there's plenty of competition about! First time I rolled in I ordered a Giyoyaki Ramen (fish and pork broth and probably spelt wrong) and it was delicious. The broth is probably the most important part of Ramen and it was rich and creamy. Some may argue otherwise that it's each individual part that gives the rise to the whole Ramen. But I say broth. For me it was a little tad on the small side as I was super hungry but everything is fine, a little short on the extra condiments as I usually like a bit of bamboo shoots. Second time I went I had a spicy ramen. I had a good look at the menu and was pleasantly surprised to discover that you can make it large for an extra $1. So I went with that and it totally filled me up. Go get your Ramen Fix there!

Another of my favourite " nothing flash " eating venues. It's small ;so seating can be limited if…read moreit gets busy ; the staff I find are quick in taking order and then the food coming out. The menu consists of all the usual in these sort of Japanese restaurant plus they have monthly specials. The price is pretty good , the place clean and a good thing is you can watch the food being prepared as the kitchen is open. But I find their portions of meat a little less compared to another Japanese restaurant I reviewed but barring that it is equally delicious. Drinks are available as well as help yourself water. No credit card facilities though , only cash or eftpos. It's tucked away in the queen st side of Tyler st and could be easy to walk past if not really looking.

Seeing is believing. However, when it comes to restaurant, it should be eating is believing…read more I believe it is a fairly nice Ramen place to fill the hungry stomach in this crowded city pace. Soy sauce, Miso, Salt and Tonkotsu Ramen, four elementary Ramen but classic to choose. There are more to come if you would like some special treat to your noodle. Quite a Japan Style! Honestly, for this kind of noodle place, always try the basic and best one. Tonkotsu is not a bad choice. Nice soup, slow cooked pork slice, bamboo shoots and fresh spinach for a taste bonus. What's more, you can choose fried dumplings, they call Gyoza and some pork stew for small bites. They are both quite authentic. Just wish they could turn these seats a bit more tidy, then it would be closer to my Ramen Place expectation.

Visited after reading a review and was not disappointed. Had the creamy pork soup base ramen, and…read moredumplings. Delicious. Fairly low key shop outside the mall on the main road, good service, great authentic Ramen. Will return.

If I could give this place a 3.5 I would. We wanted ramen on a cold day in Auckland and TANPOPO had…read morereally good reviews and as a vegetarian I saw a few options so knew we had to go here. We ubered here because as foreigners I did not trust driving and parking downtown in Auckland. We were greeted so kindly by the staff and given menus. I ordered the miso ramen and you could tell it was fresh! We love ramen so we're super excited, the serving size wasn't too huge which was nice. The ramen was less creamy and more watery in a sense. Overall it was good but I wouldn't consider the food amazing! The staff were so sweet to us and maybe some of their other ramen may be better!

1st timer. Tried the Tonkotsu Shio ramen. I asked for it to be extra spicy, and wow it was exactly…read morethat . Small staff that do a darn good job handling the number of customers arriving. The ramen cook especially has great energy greeting and engaging customers, and must be one of the hardest working people I've seen at a restaurant. Hope to eat here again.

THIS PLACE IS HEAVEN. The only downside is I didn't discover it sooner…read more The restaurant is trendy and modern inside, great for a date or a casual catch up with a friend. They have drinks on special, the night I went our choices were Orion beer or a prosseco brut. I got the sparkling and my partner ordered a beer. We were seated at a high table with bar stools, which isn't usually my cup of tea but we were by the window which meant great lighting and fabulous people watching. The server took our order as soon as we snapped our menus shut and brought us drinks super quickly. I ordered the veggie ramen, after asking if it was vegan and the server saying he "thinks so." Hoping that meant yes. He did tell me the noodles were made out of wheat, which added another tally to my list of people in New Zealand who think vegan is the same as gluten free (I LOVE BREAD, PEOPLE!!). The ramen came out very quickly as well and holy SH*T IT IS AMAZING. The broth is rich and slightly spicy and so flavourful, the noodles were cooked to perfection and squishy and hearty, and the combination of cabbage, seaweed, and whatever that other green veg was made it just over the top incredible. I ate my ramen before I even finished my drink, which really says something. By the time we left, bellies full and sloshing, I had ramen juice all over my white dress and a huge, fat kid smile plastered on my face. The total for my partner and I's meals came to $50, which is absurdly cheap in Auckland. Cheers to that!! Ps my partner had a seafood ramen and loved his as well.

Zool Zool is a modern ramen bar with a killer whisky list to boot. Ever since Uni I've been a huge…read moreramen fan so I am stoked this trend is finally hitting NZ shores. We came here recently for dinner with a group (note. They don't take reservations) and were luckily able to grab a few tables upstairs before the dinner rush. A few of us arrived early and were ravenous so ordered some edamame (spicy) and takoyaki to start. The edamame came in a large brown paper bar covered in spice. A cool idea, but ours were overcooked and in need of a good sprinkling of salt. The takoyaki on the other hand, came with a generous garnish of dancing bonita flakes and were light and crispy - delicious! On the recommendation of the waiter I ordered miso ramen for my main and a karaage chicken to share. It was way too much food but if there's fried chicken involved, I've got to try it. Back to the ramen, the flavour was more refined that others I've tried but still really well balanced and meaty. The noodles were perfectly cooked but I have to agree with Milly H, it was missing a few garnishes that I've come to expect. The Karaage was, in my mind, perfect. Light & crunchy on the outside, perfectly cooked, moist chicken on the inside - highly recommend. The service was friendly albeit a bit patchy. It seems like they don't have sections and because about half the seating is upstairs you have to grab a waiter while you can before they disappear below. There were lot's of loud "excuse me" 's from different table trying to get the waiter's attention. Zool Zool have only just opened and are probably still trying to iron out some kinks. I plan of heading back there when the weather cools down. There's no outdoor seating and ramen + AKL humidity is not my favourite combo.

Incredible! We stopped in for dinner around 7pm after a long rainy walk. The owner was the sweetest…read moreman, discussed the menu with us, and made great recommendations. We ordered from the east to see photo descriptions on the menu. We ordered the Spicy Udon Noodle Stir Fry with Chicken, and the Ramen with Pork/Chive Dumplings! Both were so delicious, hot, and fresh. The Udon came with rice balls rolled in sesame and nori, and the chicken was perfect and tasty. The Ramen was piping hot, perfectly spicy, and had egg in the broth. The dumplings were very delicious with great scallion flavor. Small fridge of beverages, L&P, sodas, water, and more fruit drinks! They also had made to order sushi for takeaway, and a nice little counter with stools if you prefer to eat in. Would eat here over and over! Go eat here. The owner also told us many great spots to check out in Auckland and marked them on our map for us. What a delight! Thanks so much. 5 Stars doesn't do it justice.

Very busy restaurant and excellent service. I ordered a pork ramen and i think too much salt was…read moreput into the soup. My hubby ordered a seafood ramen and he liked it. Will return if we drop by the area again.

I didn't like Ramen until I discovered this place; now I love it. Super quick service, fresh food,…read moreand on the Metro Top lists for best Auckland Cheap Eats. Definitely worth a visit to find out why for yourself! Great menu to choose from with GF options. Can highly recommend the Vegetable Dumplings (even the strictly meat-loving BF loved these). The Karagee Chicken is also fantastic. Because this place has such a great reputation, it gets extremely busy. Best to get in early to avoid a long wait and/or being turned away.

One of the worst I've ever had, and this is supposed to be one of the best in Auckland???? They…read moremight look okay, but that's where the good things stop. As a ramen lover I decided to google around and see if I can find somewhere I haven't tried before, one of the websites called this place one of Auckland's best, and since the other recommendations seemed legit, I thought I'd heck it out. I sat down on benches along the wall that are clearly broken, half of my butt hanging. Deep breaths, we're here for the ramen, I thought to myself. I ordered Genzui Ramen, which is named after the place. The supposed chicken and pork soya broth cafe with an overwhelming seafood smell (and not the good kind, more like age old dead seaweed), BBQ pork is definitely not BBQ pork by any standard, and cut long the grain??? I'm pretty sure its cooking 101 to cut meat across the grain, their meat was extremely hard to chew and impossible to bite. I had to shove a huge piece into my mouth and chew on its rubbery texture. Everything is overwhelmingly salty with a definite lack of flavour. Proper ramen is salty but with strong umami, this... I just cannot handle... Stay far far away from this place if you have any respect for your palette at all.

Don't look for Genzui through the mall (it only goes up to the third floor via escalators). If…read moreyou're in the mall, your best bet is to go find an elevator to get up to the 4th floor. Genzui is actually located inside the Crowne Plaza hotel, so it's way easier to navigate from the hotel instead. There weren't many places open for dinner on a Sunday night, so we found ourselves getting ramen here. The ramen is actually not really ramen, but more like Korean noodles and soup where the noodle is thicker and chewier. We had the miso corn butter ramen and the ramen chicken salad. The ramen chicken salad was kind of watered down in sauce and was 3 small pieces of chicken on a bed of cabbage with an even larger bed of cold noodles. I can see the appeal if you're looking for a cheap eat, since almost all of the dishes were under 10NZD. However, if you're looking for tasty or authentic or fast ramen (surprisingly took 20+ minutes for the food to come out), this is not the place.