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Definitely worth the visit if you like katsu, tempura, Japanese curry and udon. Everything is fried and cooked fresh and you can taste it. Came in with a couple friends and we kept talking about how everything was cooked well. Tampopo is small and tucked in a random hallway in the Leslie University building. Turn left down the hallway after Yume Ga Arukara and Cafe Mami. Come early or expect a wait since they don't have many tables. It can get a bit chaotic with just one staff member running orders but there's to be expected. I need to come back again soon as they are closing in June 2026. As an udon fan I'll miss this place so I'm looking forward to visiting more.
Got chicken katsu curry udon! There was so much food for such a reasonable price! The curry was flavorful, the katsu was very nicely crispy, and the noodles had great texture. It's hard to find a more value meal than this! Service was quick and friendly, very small restaurant in a plaza but it's cozy, clean, and homey!
Sweet little restaurant with welcoming and quick service! Every dish we had was so comforting and flavorful - the udon was perfectly Q and all the parts of the curry (carrot, onion, egg, broccoli) all went beautifully together. Great portions and a chill ambiance.
Such a comforting and delicious meal for a rainy day! The shrimp and vegetable tempura was crunchy and cooked to perfection. The curry udon was flavored well and the vegetables/egg paired nicely with the cutlet. Very small seating available, but the patrons moved very quickly in and out. You can even see the cook make your meal behind the counter. Come here for a homey and inviting meal.
yummy comfort food for an excellent price! i loved the vegetables in my pork katsu curry. my fav was the fried gyoza dumpling - perfectly crispy! the service is also wonderful and kind.
My favorite meal during our visit to Boston! My husband and I were regulars here when we lived in Cambridge over 20 years ago. It was such a delight to return for a visit and find Tampopo with the same great food (expanded menu), good service and homey atmosphere. A wonderful place to come for authentic Japanese food!
I love everything about this place, and can confidently say it's the best tempura I've had. The chicken curry with udon noodles were also delicious. This place is family owned and the couple serving are incredibly accommodating and sweet. The ambiance is such that you feel like someone has invited you into their home. Will definitely come here every time I'm in Cambridge/Boston
Very nice and cozy place, only 3-5 small tables. Food was solid and the lady up front was very nice. She ran after us to give food she forget to put in the bag.
I was excited to try Tampopo because of the many good reviews. Honestly, the food was just all right. The takoyaki was probably the best dish we ordered. There was one piece of octopus in each takoyaki ball. I would rate it a 7/10, compared to other places that serve takoyaki. We also ordered two ramens, one spicy and one regular, as well as a chicken katsu don. I was curious about the ramen because I noticed not many people have reviewed about the ramen, however the ramen does seem to be popular. I definitely understood why I did not see many photo reviews of the ramen because their ramen was beyond mid. I rate the ramen 6.5/10. Nothing special about it. The chicken katsu was also nothing special and quite disappointing. It seems like many reviews made the katsu the best dish to get; I beg to differ. Overall, I would not come back here in the future... though I would most likely come back to try the other food stalls next to Tampopo. Service wise, our waitress was super kind and helpful. They get pretty busy and had a line to the side.
Tampopo is a new go-to spot for me! Operated by a cute old Japanese couple, it felt very authentic, like I was back in Japan! I had just visited Japan during the summer, so coming back in November was reminiscent of the trip. The flavors were light and authentic. The karaage chicken was super moist with a nice crispy outside. They also offered special ingredients straight from Japan that i'd love to try next time! We were one of two tables at the time, but the service was excellent and very attentive. I can't wait to come again!
I'd say this is the most underrated restaurant in the Lesley University complex. They have to compete with hard hitters like Cafe Mami but I'd say Tampopo holds their own. Run by the sweetest Japanese couple, every bite transported me back to a childhood of home cooked noodle bowls and I'm not even Japanese! In short, give Tampopo a try and warm your stomachs and your hearts with a home cooked feeling meal.
This small cozy stall is run by an elderly couple. We have been there twice while visiting Boston and we love it both times. Food is very consist. My kids love their katsu dons. You have a choice with curry, over egg, or plain all over rice. Super comforting food. They only many veggie options also if you don't like fried meat. I opted for a fried tofu over mixed steamed vegetables. It comes with a brown sauce on the side for dripping if you like. The sukiyaki however was a little dry. I would not get it again as there are better choices food food to pick from.
4 years ago
First time back at Tampopo in years; I've been wanting to come back, but I just never really made an effort to go all the way to Porter to try them again. I had a large gap in my schedule, so I wanted to stop by Tampopo for lunch since I had a lot of spare time to commute by train in my itinerary today. Anyways, it's a pretty small restaurant. They have 3 tables, so three groups can sit at a time. It is focused on noodle bowls and donburi, so in all fairness, turnover is probably really fast. The service was nice- I got a Calpico, Karaage, Vegetable Tempura Soba, and 1 Cream and 1 Corn Croquette. Canned drinks are $2.50, Croquettes are $2.50 each, Karaage is $5.50/4 pieces, and my Soba was $11.50. Tax is already included, so I just paid an even $24.50 at the end of my meal, before tip. The Karaage was nice- it was well marinated and very flavorful. It was fried really well and came out crispy and still moist on the inside. It tastes really sweet here- sweeter than other Karaage that I've had- and came with a drizzled soy sauce on it that gave it a nice salty savoriness that balanced out the sweetness. Again, this Karaage was sweeter than usual- it reminded me of gentle notes of cinnamon and sugar- but it was also saltier due to a soy sauce drizzle. One of the more unique Karaage that I've had and I would order it again. As a bonus, they gave me a 5th piece instead of the 4 pieces advertised! Maybe it was because they thought 4 pieces was too little for $5.50? Anyways, just know that one order comes with about 5 pieces. The soba was not good. They never made any claims about house made noodles, so I wasn't expecting amazing soba or anything, but the noodles that I got were on the blander side of soba and they seemingly were over cooked. They weren't incredibly mushy, but between the flavor and the texture of the noodles, I would never get them again here. Surprisingly, they also put the vegetable tempura right into the same bowl. Years ago, I got Vegetable Tempura Udon and I believe that they served the vegetables on a separate plate so they wouldn't get soggy. I don't know why they decided to change it up now and put them in the same bowl, but while my first few pieces were really crunchy and crisp, it didn't take long for the rest of the tempura to turn soggy and limp. I think that the vegetables are seasonal so your bowl may vary with what you have(?, unconfirmed). The broth was meh; I didn't care for the bowl at all besides the tempura. The croquettes were nothing to write home about. The corn croquette was really dry and not flavorful at all. I don't recommend it. The cream croquette did have flavor and it did have a nice mouthfeel due to the creaminess, but it wasn't amazing. Overall, my take away is, come here for the Karaage, I don't recommend the soba and I don't care too much for the croquettes. The vegetable tempura is nice, so if you do get them with noodles, ask for them on the side or just get it a la carte! read more
8 years ago
4 years ago
A small place, when we went it seems like a mom-and-pop shop with a couple serving and cooking everything. There were only 3 tables- might need to wait if it's busy. We ordered takoyaki, pork cutlet combo, and pork cutlet curry udon. The takoyaki was only ok. Each of them have a small piece of octopus in there. We really enjoyed the pork cutlet though! Nicely fried, crispy, and good portion. There weren't much veggies but the carrot was nice- sweet and soft. read more
7 years ago
I just got back from Japan and have been unable to find legit Japanese udon soup here in Boston (not for lack of trying!). Thank goodness for Tampopo who made my Tokyo dreams come true with some seriously good and simple udon & tempura. Nothing fancy, and absolutely perfect. read more
5 years ago
6 years ago
I did end up coming back for some takeout curry! Tasted great even after a long drive home first, hit the spot. Good proportions of katsu, rice, and curry. Pick up details: no curbside, have to go into the food court to pickup. Payment is by venmo (I believe they previously were cash-only). read more
Tampopo (meaning dandelion in Japanese) is a nice, cozy authentic mom & pop restaurant on the first floor of Porter Exchange / Lesley University - University Hall in the Porter Square neighborhood. The Fried Oysters and Fried Mackerel were delicious. They also serve Japanese comfort food such as Curry, Donburi, and Tempura. I recommend dining here rather than waiting on the long lines for the other food stands nearby. Remember to bring cash, as it's cash only here. read more
6 years ago
5 years ago
Really enjoyed my shrimp and veggie tempura rice bowl-see pic. Feels like good home cooked food read more
4 years ago
Pretty crowded when I visit but not really sure what's the hype ! The pork cutlet is ok but could be better. Quantity is pretty small too. Curry sauce feels like something I can buy from Asian grocery store. Don't think I will come back anytime soon. read more
8 years ago
Simple, rustic, quick and easy. A very hearty, mildly spicy bowl of curry noodle soup was very refreshing on a rainy day, as well as the vegetable tempura and pork cutlet. Done simply, very crispy and served piping hot. Heads up! Cash only. read more
2 years ago
Went in at 4:20ish on a Friday. We were the only ones there. Waitress was very nice. I ordered the curry pork katsu cutlet udon with egg & veggies, my brother ordered the pork cutlet curry over rice, and we split an order of the spicy chicken karaage. Soup came out first for my brother's meal. Good consistency and taste. Then our meals cane out; had to wait a couple more minutes for the appetizer. App was the spicy karaage chicken. Nothing fancy. Good quality chicken, not chewy or fatty. A little bland. The "spicy" part was just a dab of Sriracha garlic chili paste on top, not blended or house made. They had a little karaage sauce on the bottom, but nothing to write home about. My curry udon was good, healthy amount of food. Nothing too big, but great for the price. It seemed like they just added a bit of the curry sauce to the existing udon broth, instead of making the udon broth thicker they just let it be very watery, so it lessened the curry taste. Not bad. 3.5 stars for that. But the udon was cooked perfectly. I would have hoped for a bit more pork. A couple pieces of broccoli, a few green beans, and carrot for veggies. My brother's curry pork katsu over rice was much better. Same thing in terms of veggies and egg, but his curry was thick and rich, much better than the udon broth mixture. Again, we would've wished for a bit more pork, but the price is very reasonable. Overall I would say 3.5-4 stars based on food, price and the very nice waitress. Nothing crazy, but definitely not a bad little place that sums up to a college campus food court vibe. read more
9 years ago
great comfort food with very friendly service. We got a curry croquette on the house. We ordered oyako don and pork katsu udon. The oyako don has great sweet comfort flavors with egg (some great egg white that is slightly undercooked giving it great runny texture as it should be) and plenty of rice. For the pork katsu udon the noodles were al dente and the carrots were sweet and soft. The egg and veggie omelet go well with the curry soup which was lighter than a normal curry. The katsu was done very well (crispy umami). We finished off with a mandarin orange jelly dessert which was refreshing. Cash only! read more
4 years ago
Hmmm, when I read the other reviews I think maybe I should have ordered something else? The shrimp tempura was very soggy and did not seem fresh, and the rice was a little bland for my shrimp tempura donburi. The owners however were very nice. read more
Snuggled amongst other Japanese restaurants inside The Shops at Lesley University, Tampopo offers a wide variety of Japanese dishes such as tempura, curry, and udon. The place is small, like all the restaurants inside, with around six tables. For the food, we ordered takoyaki, a combo tempura, two katsu curry, and a tempura udon. Takoyaki - This came 6 to an order with only what looks like a spicy mayo on top. This is different than traditional toppings of takoyaki sauce, mayo, scallions, and bonito flakes. The takoyaki itself are okay, with the octopus and bits of veggies. Combo tempura - This was supposed to be a shrimp, fish, squid, and vegetable combo. I received two shrimps, one small piece of fish, one squid ring, and a couple pieces of varied vegetables. I chose rice and miso soup with my order. The items appear fresh but the tempura batter itself was pretty greasy. It was also only served with tempura sauce and no daikon. Curry - The curry here is on the saltier side but I usually like my Japanese curry sweeter. It came with the pork cutlet and the curry sauce itself had bits of carrots and onions in it. The pork was a bit on the dryer side. This came with miso soup and or salad as well. Udon - This came with several pieces of tempura on top of the soup. Never sure why it was served like this! However, I've had tempura udon in Japan and it's served the same way. I would have liked to have this served on the side. I didn't get to try the udon but was told the soup tasted mostly of soy sauce. Overall I feel the food is quite average. Not bad, but definitely nothing that stood out. If you are in the area and have an appetite for Japanese food, but don't want the long wait, come here! read more
Super small shop located in the food court. When you're surrounded by so many Japanese places, it's hard to choose, so we ended up with Tampopo because there was no wait. There are only a few tables here, so snag one while you can. I got the curry katsu udon and it was quite delicious! Pretty affordable for the amount they give you, but I didn't find it that special. The only thing you have to remember is the katsu will get soggy since it's in soup. So either ask for it separately, or eat it like that. No complaints on my end though because it still tasted good! This is a good place if you're craving curry or katsu, and they have quite a few options to choose from. My friend got the curry katsu rice, which was good too. The katsu is crispy and you can choose pork or chicken. I would come back if the other places were too full, but I'd like to try the other surrounding restaurants first. read more
My mouth is watering just thinking about the last time I went to this place! One of my friends suggested we meet up here (a small tempura style Japanese restaurant), and we arrived with a group of 6 unsure if we'd be seated together. However, the woman there was very nice, and specially re-arranged all of the tables and chairs so we could all be together in such a tiny space! I ordered the Pork Tampopo Don and shared the fried Octopus balls with a friend and they were both delicious and very filling too! Some of my friends tried the chicken teriyaki and curry that I maybe I'll try next time I go. Aside from the driving nightmare that is Porter Square, there is a private lot for parking at Lesley University with very reasonable rates if you get your ticket validated for purchase of $10+. On the weekend I think it was $1.50 for 2 hours. We had to read the fine print and run back to the restaurant to get the lady to stamp all of our parking passes. read more
5 years ago
This place is run by the sweetest and cutest couple. The portion size is great for the cost and you're sure to be treated like family. read more
8 years ago
OK OK love the croquettes ( the corn ones we're better than the cream) love the sauces. The fish Tampopo was very nicely fried but as an overall dish kind of left something to be desired. There was too much rice on the bottom of the dish and the ratios just did not work despite the very tasty spicy mayo sauce and seaweed salad. The highlight of the entire meal was the Japanese curry. If you are not familiar with Japanese curry I highly recommend you tryEither their risotto which is fascinating, or the udon noodle hurry. Looking forward to hopefully ordering again and trying the macaron which is has a very interesting traditional Japanese preparation. read more
7 years ago
I've been here several times, and each time I try to order something different... I haven't been disappointed yet. Everything is always so fresh and tender. Anything fried is done so lightly and it's hardly sickening. Service is great. The prices are shocking in a good way, especially for the portions. Try to go at off-hours, or just a little before it opens, because there's only a few tables. Even if you have to wait, it'll be worth it. read more
7 years ago
Cute little mom and pop shop that serves Japanese curry. I got the katsudon curry, which was reasonably priced, tasty, and a good sized portion with enough sauce for the rice. It also came with miso soup or salad, and they have a lucky menu at a cheaper price each day. Only con is it's cash only. Otherwise it would be 5 stars. read more
6 years ago
Support local businesses!! Tampopo has great udon. I got the shrimp, fish, and squid tempura udon, and a miso soup (which is only $1!). The udon was great ! The broth had soy sauce flavors and the tempura was little too salty, but I liked it. The lady at the counter was so so nice and sweet. Will def be back one day. read more
Cute little hole in the wall in the shopping mall. Limited seating but the prices are great. It's cash only but they have a weekday and daily lucky menu special for $6.95+tax. Would definitely want to come again! My friend and I both got the Pork Cutlet curry. She got the udon which doesn't come with soup or salad but I got rice which does. We were both very happy with our choices and pretty quickly each devoured our meals. I think the cutlets were well cut into bite sized slices with an adequate amount of curry that soaked well with the rice. We were both adequately full and spent less than $20 between the two of us. Our Beef Croquette was also deliciously warm with the right texture of a crunchy exterior and melt-in-your-mouth interior. Food took about 15min. Our waitress was very sweet, and there was one man behind the kitchen. Most of the food was served to all the tables around the same time table and it seemed like our waitress was able to manage the roughly 11 guests at a time without too much of a delay. Tips/Takeaways: -Would come again -Cash Only -Limited seating -I went on a Sunday right at opening (12), notice the other hole in the walls in this shopping plaza also fill up quickly in the morning -I wish we had more introduction to the food by the waitress, but she was very polite and the food was good and inexpensive read more
My comrades decided to spend a day in "Japan Town" for ramen and whatever else they offered. Tampopo DOESN'T have ramen, but since we were the first customers and the ramen place was packed, they decided to have a light Lunch #1. Also, this look cluster of restaurants ONLY ACCEPTS CASH (ATM Nearby). I would say about $30-50 should be enough for 2 people ($50 is exaggerating, but at least you have a guarantee). The octopus ball was probably the best I've ever eaten, which is usually at the Japanese Festival (overpriced and barely any octopus in it). The Mini Dynamite had a nice name, but while I working on it, I was hoping something "explosive" would happen...nothing, no spiciness, or explosion of flavor anywhere. The Kara-age Chicken is very starchy and definitely a different taste for me. read more
8 years ago
Was not impressed with the interior of this tiny joint, but Yelp review was good and Fried Oyster is my favorite. So I ordered Fried Oyster Don and my daughter offered Katsu Curry with Poached Egg. What a surprise! Oysters were perfectly crunchy on the outside, juicy inside with a great flavor mixed with spicy mayo rather than tonkatsu sauce on the bed of rice. When my daughter had to make a little modification to her order, they were very accommodating, offering pleasant service. Would def. go back again when in Boston! read more
Decent priced Japanese food tucked away in the Porter Square Shops (go through a main set of doors that says Lesley University and find one main hall of small Asian restaurants). It's a very small space so I wouldn't recommend going with a group larger than 3 people. If you're craving, katsu, udon, basically any Japanese food, you can get a decent meal here for under $10. They have weekday specials for about $7 or a "lucky dish" on weekends for $7 as well. I got the udon with sauce instead of soup, but I have a feeling the soup would have been a better option. Agedashi tofu was great, and so was the katsu chicken rice bowl with curry. Not over the top food, but great option if you're missing Japanese food and don't want to spend a lot. And cash only! read more
Tampopo is located right near Porter Square Station inside the Lesley University Mall Complex. There is a neat concept of a Japanese food alley inside. There are several "hole in the wall" style stalls that can only seat maybe 8-10 people max. A lot of these places are cash only and serve casual Japanese fare, street food and izakaya staples. Although they offer a surprising variety of dishes, including Udon and Tempura, Tampopo's speciality seems to be the donburi. The donburi is a rice bowl, generally topped with a protein and sometimes accompanied by a sauce. I was torn between ordering the Katsudon, which is a fried pork cutlet with a curry sauce and the Oyakodon, which is egg and chicken over rice. I ultimately went with the Oyakodon. The meal also came with a choice of Miso soup or salad. I opted for the Miso soup. I'm not sure if this is made fresh or from an instant pack, because an instant pack might be better. The broth does not have a rich umami-ness, as if they forgot an ingredient. Small bits of tofu and wakame. A very basic soup that doesn't quite hit the mark. Now the Oyakodon itself was also off target. The eggs are overcooked, like a reject omelette. Eggs in an Oyakodon should not be fully cooked, but raw and runny, just cooked enough to hold form over rice. The chicken I believe was a thigh piece, no flavor, but satisfactory texture. Onions and scallion add a needed nuance, but the dish mostly blended together into a blandess. Again, it is as though ingredients were missing, or not seasoned properly. The rice has a better, more distinct flavor than the chicken and eggs. However, it was a little overcooked and was soggy towards the bottom of the bowl. In addition to the bland flavor, there was also a lack of proper condiments such as togarashi. Sliced seaweed as a garnish adds a slight salty and savory nuance, but I would have preferred a fresh green like mitsuba or cilantro. I will give my compliments to the housemade iced tea. Nice balance of astringency from black tea and sour lemon tang. Lemon pulp adds nice nuance. And although it was a tad too sweet, I still found it refreshing and enjoyable. I like the concept behind Tampopo, trying to recreate the feeling and ambiance of Japanese street food. Unfortunately, the Oyakodon is not a dish I can recommend. I might return to try the Katsudon, which is perhaps a safer dish. read more
Fast and delicious. The waitress had me swooning as soon as she asked me if I wanted dark or white meat with my chicken katsu don. OBVS dark meat allllllll the way for maximum juiciness! The rice bowl comes with a side of soup or salad. Portion sizes are generous. Chicken is perfectly crispy without feeling oily at all. Totally magical. There were some eggs + stir fried onions but the star of the dish was def the chicken. Guaranteed to easily fill ya up, all for less than $10! I will definitely be back! Also it's cash only so plan accordingly! read more
3 years ago
9 years ago
7 years ago
What a hidden gem! This place makes you feel like you're in an actual, authentic Japanese restaurant. Being from Japan, I had high hopes. And they we're definitely met. I got the pork katusdon and shrimp tempura. Pork katsudon: Very yummy, could have had a little bit moire sauce but still really tasty and moist. Shrimp tempura: Pretty good!! But it's honestly just like any other tempura really so if you don't get it you're not missing out on much. read more
I never noticed Tampopo because I usually go to Cafe Mami or Sapporo. When I saw that Tampopo had good reviews, I decided to give it a try. Came on a Sunday night around 6:30pm and the place was empty... it was a sign. I got the Tampopo don with chicken thigh. It came with rice, some salad, seaweed salad, fried chicken, spicy mayo, and miso soup on the side. The rice was overcooked and mushy. The fried chicken was not seasoned. They could at least season the breading! Literally 0 taste if it wasn't for the spicy mayo. Chicken was also a little dry. I expected it to be way more crunchy, but it wasn't. If you order this, you might want to ask for extra spicy mayo. My partner got the pork cutlet udon with sauce. There was an option to get it with soup (instead of sauce) also. There wasn't enough sauce and the sauce was bland. The pork was bland and dryyyyyyyy. The udon was cooked nicely. Out of the 3 things we got, the takoyaki (octopus balls) was our fave. It was still average takoyaki though and at $6.45 for 6, it was not worth it. Food came out quickly, which made me suspect that things were pre-fried. Service was friendly. Portions weren't THAT big. We weren't full after the meal. Guess it leaves room for dessert? I honestly think this place has 4 stars because they offer a free drink or croquette for any **positive** review. Bribe much? I really wanted to like this place, but there are better options in the Porter Square area. read more
7 years ago
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