Tampopo is a chain, but it was created with the idea to bring the best of all of the different southeast Asian cuisines into an accessible format with a flexible mix. All of the flavors and recipes are at least 80 to 90% authentic levels, including spices, heat, in general textures. The difference is where in normally in order to order a decent Thai food you would have to go to a Thai restaurant, Tampopo manages to do it all in one place with a wide variety of chefs, able to re-create all of these very diverse recipes in collectible format. The atmosphere is laid-back and chil, even though your plates arrive from the kitchen via a robotic server. This is the kind of place you go to when everybody has different tastes and it's difficult to satisfy everybody's different ideas of what to eat. The difference I found was that this place does almost all of the dishes exceptionally well, which is remarkable for any chef to achieve, especially in a reproducible chain restaurant format. read more

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Food you have quite a good selection Service is fast and the people at trafford center are really friendly Ambiance is quite nice specially on a Monday cause there only a few customers read more

I wouldn't generally choose to eat at Tampopo and very rarely come to the Trafford Centre, so this was an unusual event. I had received a voucher - anyone who knows me knows how much I love a good voucher. The coupon led the decision on where we would eat last night. We were greeted and sat on a table in the entrance. There's an area out front, which feels a bit like you're sat in the shops, and long benches inside that feel like you're actually in a restaurant. We felt neither here nor there. To make matters worse, there was a light above us that was flailing in the manmade breeze of the Trafford Centre aircon. It was swinging like my Dad at a wedding and quickly made the table feel like it was onboard a ship. We asked to move. Without hesitance we were led to a table in the heart of the restaurant. We made it, we were in. Let's eat. I had no idea what I wanted and felt uncomfortable repeatedly saying "just 2 more minutes" to our very patient waiter so asked what he would recommend. He kindly organised a taster dish of one of the contenders; Chicken Katsu Curry. It was tasty but reminded me too much of chip shop curry sauce. I'm sorry Tampopo. It's not you, it's me. Needing my daily coconut hit, I went for the Thai Green Curry - not it's official title but the menu is a blur to me now. The wait gave us time to investigate the unfamiliar bottled sauces next to us and discuss travel plans on the very clever map-printed placemats. The food arrived smelling and looking fantastic. On first taste it was very spicy but well balanced with aromatic Thai flavours. There could have been more chicken and it was lacking in greenery - not counting the coating of coriander it arrived with, the only vegetables in it were green beans and (very bitter) thai aubergines, which were tasty but it would have been nice to have another fresh veg flavour in there. The rice was good. Overall I enjoyed it. I presume it was the head waiter/manager that cleared our plates. He apologised for our wait on the main course. We didn't feel like it was a particularly long wait but perhaps, had we been in more of a rush, it would have been more noticeable. He very kindly offered desserts on the house! He definitely filled 100% of his 'random acts of kindness' quota. Shocked and thankful, we ordered the sharing platter. The mango sorbet was incredible. Everything else (churros, dipping sauce, chocolate/coconut fondants) were edible. Without the incr. We were very impressed by this visit, wholly due to the lovely staff. Not sure I'd make a special journey for the food but we felt genuinely well looked after and valued - which has made a trip back far more likely. read more

Tampopo - Sharing platter dessert - Asian Fusion Near Me - Manchester, ABE

As a previous reviewer said it was a meh. Went bowling and Christmas shopping in the Trafford Centre and was looking for somewhere to eat. This looked pretty appealing so plonked myself down on their outside chairs. Had the starter selection which had gyoza, spring rolls and other things and the gentleman who brought it out explained what everything was. Our waitress helped me choose a main and she was quite adamant I had the fried rice, which was really blah and I couldn't finish. My friend had noodles which looked OK. We had a fair few different drinks- including green tea, ginger beer, beer etc. At the end of our meal the woman was really pushing for us to have a dessert and came over several times- we simply wanted a coffee. I ordered a Vietnamese coffee but wanted it sweet and they ran out of condensed milk so she brought out a free one. gave it to the gentleman next to us because I just didn't want it black. So I ordered this green tea latte which was really nice. The bill was pretty hefty considering we didn't have dessert and I wouldn't go back really, it was just average. read more

Tampopo - Starter selection - Asian Fusion Near Me - Manchester, ABE

Oh oh oh Tampopo, you stole my heart and now I can't say no no. Despite being a stones throw away from my other favourite eatery that is Rice. My recent visit left me with a burning desire to return. Tampopo's Nasi Goreng is fast becoming the run away success of 2012. After passively stealing a bite or two of it from an unsuspecting eating partner, I have never looked back. This dish is to this year what Pad Thai was to 2011. There aren't many days left in 2012, but rest assured I will spend them wisely diving widemouthly into my next plate. Tampopo has risen to the top of my restaurants to eat at in the Trafford centre not just for its food but for its decor (Had my last meal in a tuk tuk, nearly!) fantastic service, and meal turnaround time. Not to mention the reasonable menu prices. What's more if you can't finish your Red Curry, have them doggie bag it in the old school little boxes from Frasier. They'll taste even better for lunch the next day, I promise. Any real foodie be hard pressed to find a better eatery at the trafford centre my sweet Yelpeeps. So hit me up before you go go.. and I'll most likely tag along. read more

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Oh my god I'm so full. After avoiding Tampopo for the longest time because YEARS ago I ordered some weird thing that was like vegetable crudites and peanut dip and a cold boiled egg that was really gross, I decided to go back tonight. And it was really cool. Like the previous reviewer said it is pretty echoy, the music was soo bassy it was like someones phone was constantly vibrating on your table. A really old phone aswell like some old Ericsson phone not like the nice clipt, crisp, clinical vibrate of an htc desire. The restaurant is adorned with asian cooking paraphenalia like chillis, tins of coconut milk and bags of flour (?) The menu has a great selection of different dishes from japan, thailand, vietnam etc. It has soups, salads curries and little tapasy street food dishes that are so freaking good. We had these fried corn fritters, it was like pancake batter and sweet corn cakes with a satay dip. omg they were rly nice. I had ramen which was huuuge, with beansprouts, noodles and greens. The broth was so delicious I could have just eaten that. My boyfriend had Penang curry which was as delicious as it always is anywhere you go. It was just really nice and the prawn crackers they give you are soo crunchy and the waitress was a total gem. It must have been pretty salty though because im so damn thirsty now. read more

Tampopo - ramen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Manchester, ABE

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We tend to head to either Tampopo or Wagamama when wanting to grab a bite whilst at the Trafford centre, as I think they're the better options out of the other 'chain' restaurants on offer. Tampopo however just steals it for me, since I do prefer the Thai dishes. We've dined here a few times lately, on all occasions the food was flavoursome and well cooked. The service is generally pretty good and what you expect from restaurants alike. The range of dishes on the menu is good, my favourite is the Thai curry noodles - spicy, zingy and filling! I could eat noodles like this every day! I highly recommend Tampopo for a quick, tasty and reasonably priced dinner. read more

Tampopo - Thai curry noodles & asahi beer of course! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Manchester, ABE

Mybe i picked the wrong dish but my food looked and taste like a cheap microwave pack. read more

We all know I heart Tampopo. I rarely go to this branch in the Trafford Centre however because of the acoustics. Sounds bizarre I know, but as anyone whose eaten here will know - the main food hall here is like an echo chamber. Tampopo is at the entrance of The Orient section so it manages to escape the vast majority of the noise. On incredibly busy weekends however, it's still possible to hear children screaming, crying and demanding certain fast food outlets! If you can cope with the hum of noise, Tampopo is the best place to eat by a mile. The menu is extensive and with dishes from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Korea, there should be something for everyone. As well as delicious small and main dishes, there is a truly scrumptious desert menu including mango sorbet, toasted coconut and rum ice-cream and Vietnamese fried bananas with caramel sauce. Just writing about it is making me want to taste the latter two again. Anyone got a spoon? read more

Awful meal in this previously good restaurant. Long queues to be seated despite a lot of free tables. Poor service and sorry to use this word but its the most fitting one - crap food. I go to Tampopo at the Trafford centre regularly with a friend. She loves pad Thai and I love most of what they offer. Over the past about two years its been steadily going down hill. This was rock bottom. They have cut down then menu and it feels like they have cheapened the ingredients. The service was truly dreadful. You know those times you want to say to staff 'I'm sorry am I keeping you from something you'd rather be doing?' Our waiter was texting someone on his phone while trying to take our order. We thought at first maybe they had a fancy new iPhone ordering system but as no other staff seemed to be using it we have to assume he was just not bothered about giving us decent service. He really annoyed me by constantly, aggressively up selling things to us on a very robotic way. No we didn't want Thai crackers, no we didn't want pak choi or greens. He then offers us the crackers again. We still don't want them. It was awful. We waited a stupidly long time for the food to arrive and mine was barely luke warm when it came, the rice was actually cold. The waiter did check back on our food but not until we had almost finished. A complete waste of time at that point. We then struggled to get the bill, staff were chatting to each other and just hanging about rather than proactively working. Blergh is my overall review. Sad times when a great concept that used to be well delivered has turned into an Asian style McDonald's. Disinterested staff who barely speak English (sorry but this matters to me) and (here it comes again) crap food. Sort it out David Fox, you should be embarrassed of how your beautiful baby has grown up. read more

Great fast service although ended up feeling a little more like a fast food joint than I'd have liked and the music was a little off putting (loud hip hop?!). They'd run out of most beers so we went for tiger.. It was warm.. Clearly just brought up from the store room.. Warm beer is not cool! Had the Pad Thai minus the egg, which they were more than happy to do. Great sized portion and great flavour with lime and peanuts. I feel there are better Thai options out there which trump this one.. This being said perhaps it's set up this way at the Trafford centre to get people in and out and encourage more shopping! read more

Tampopo - Pad Thai - Asian Fusion Near Me - Manchester, ABE

this place came as a complete shock to me! I was out shopping in thetrafford centre with some family and we decided to grab dinner, and this place was suggested i ruled it out instantly because im not really into this kinda food, but i was outvoted so it was safe to safe we went in and i had a face like thunder and expected to be starving. we sat down at we tble with bench seats that were actually really comfy, the girl got our drinks order and left us to decide..i had never heard of half the stuff on this menu so i was a bit dumbfounded, but the girl seen my confused face and came over and asked if she could help....which was lovely so iasked her about a few things and she really did help me out which was lovely! i opted for chicken ramen, she said was basically like a soup with noodles i was like thats cool i can cope with that.. so the wait was on for the food.. wasn't even 10minutes and the girl was wlaking towards us with these huge bowls, that were honestly as big as thr sink i my bathroom i was like surely she isn't coming to us!? she did and put this utterly huge bowl of chicken ramen in front of me... honestly never seen it coming so i just starred at it.. then i got my chopsticks and tarted to eat aww my god it was so delicious .... i actually ate it all. couldn't believe it.. i never finish a lasagne so this was not like me at all, but although it looked huge once the liquid was gone it didnt seem so bad, and it was so bloody tasty i just kept munching haha. yummm i even used my chopsticks relatively well!! this wee place is lovely. i though on reading the menu it was pricey but like i say i didnt realise the portion size and i dont eat this quisine that often, but on seeing the portion izes its more than worth the money! £50 all in for 4 of us all having chicken ramen and 4 drinks. perfect. i'll be back next time im in manchester! :) read more

A well deserved "Meh. I've experienced better"...I should add "at the same place". The trafford centre can really be hit and miss when it comes to food, in fact more miss than hit. But then again I'm fussy and I try to have some ethics about the food that is put on my plate as much as a life in an urban western-world city allows. Tampopo usually is the place that floats our boat. You can eat reasonably quickly, well and healthy without breaking the bank. I haven't been able to assign all these criterias to any other place at the TC. So we've visited many times and happily came back everytime. But on Monday that got shattered. We were told only oone chef was there and it would be 20 minutes waiting for the food. We still went in and between the prwan crackers and our order, it didn't feel that long before we got our mains served. But the quality of the food on the plate was way below the usual standard. It's a chain, I know that and I don't expect the moon there. The simplicity of some asian cooking is what makes these places great for cheap quick food: noodles, chicken, spices, soy sauce - done. But in this instance, the prawns were nuked to a state of rubber, my duck slices were boiled to death, the curry sauce was barely better than the dodgy stuff you get on your chips... It must have been a bad day in the kitchen, sorry it has to be my first review of it on the site. We will check it again for sure and update if appropriate. read more

Food always tastes lovely. Good quick customer service. The Thai Green Curry is favourite and the spicey prawn cracker yummy. Tiger beer get that too :) read more

Tampopo - Yummy - Asian Fusion Near Me - Manchester, ABE

This place is one of my favourite Asian food restaurants! They have a huge variety from all over south east Asia and having visited a few of the countries on their menu map, some dishes certainly remind me of my travels! The Pad Thai is a firm favourite, as is the Katzu curry, however sometimes it can be quite dry. Today I'm trying to be healthy, so I've opted for pho soup! But it didn't disappoint, it was fresh, full of flavour and topped with warm chicken. I'm even quite full! read more

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Only had 1 meal here which I was quite pleased with, it wasn't very busy but still the waitress missed off one of the items ordered. This wasn't a problem as it was a side anyway and was refunded on the bill without any problems. read more

Tampopo in the Trafford Centre used to have a different, smaller spot in the Orient - they have now taken over one of the larger restaurant units and it looks fantastic. Inside the whole left side is open to the kitchen so you can see the chefs preparing your meal. Although they have kept the long counter/bench style tables they have spaced them out in sets of four so that you aren't necessarily sitting with strangers. Food is always fantastic in here, service is quick and efficient and also friendly. Staff are always good if you have questions about the food. On this visit I had the penang curry which was pretty good (not as great as the real deal in Thailand but then that is being a little picky!) and my mum went for the vegetarian pad thai. She was a little disappointed that they had padded it out with lots of tofu and not more veg - but that is a personal taste issue I think! Nice and atmospheric, I love the lighting - very soft and warm. Great for a quick supper whilst out shopping! read more

This was a family re-union late lunch for 7 adults. We came from Hawaii to visit our elderly parents and family. This was a very special lunch that we planned for our last day together. We were greeted by a very rude caucasian manager and the Chinese waitress who sat our group was also very rude. The restaurant was half empty. Our food was a bit late and the dessert took more than 20 minutes. The Pad Thai was great, but the Singapore noodle was very dry. The chicken dish had hardly any chicken in it and more like tiny chicken scraps. Even though the food was late, the attitude of the waitress and the manager really spoiled our overall experience there. The manager passed by our table about 3 or 4 times and not once, did she asked how our food was. We had ordered 6 hot teas and not once, did they bother to re-fill the hot water for the teas, we had to asked for it. I had ordered the virgin pina colada and it came in a half full glass, which was also dissappointing. When they handed us the bill, an automatic service tip was charged on it, so needless to say, they don't care to give a great customer service, because you are forced to pay it, in which we refused to pay. We had a great experience at the Tampopo at Manchester City Center before, so we wanted to try lunch at the Trafford Center. It sure was such a disappointment. read more

I hate the Trafford Centre but if I'm ever dragged there I make visiting Tampopo a condition of our visit. The staff are really friendly, helpful and make great recommendations. I was given chicken when I had ordered beef on a recent visit which was quickly sorted out and we were given free drinks to make up for it. You might have to wait a while for a table but it's well worth the wait to have some decent grub during a trip to a massive shopping centre. read more

Not bad for a chain. Slightly over priced but each dish I've had here has been very tasty. Speedy service and staff are always willing to go over through the menu if you're unsure what to order. read more

A clearly marked vegan item on the menu actually contained eggs! And the excuse was "we forgot to change the old menus" luckily I noticed before purchasing. I am honestly disgusted and will never go here again read more

I'm typically a fan of this reasonably priced chain. the food is predictable, if not factory line, and generally good. I usually have the red thai curry (my favorite thai food staple) but branched out and tried their lunch special pad thai. It was okay, but the expediency (and efficiency) of the service underscored the rather mass-produced quality of their food (it sort of tasted like it came out of a tin). The service is fine, but definitely no frills. they are aiming to get you in and out, presumably because it is a mall and they think you have better things to be doing (which in this case, we did-- a movie, so it was a-ok by us). As long as you go in expecting functional and fast dining, it will be a pleasant experience for all. read more

Three of us dined at lunch (lunch menu) and I wasn't overly impressed. Its no longer good value for money. It's been some time since I last visited. The food was tasty enough (I asked for extra fresh basil with my chicken fried rice main, and got it, which helped) and if taste was the only criteria it would be five star. I also ordered a vegetable tempura from the main menu as a starter. Again the food alone would be five star. But the food portions were small, very little chicken in my main, and the plate and the food were both cold. No customer wifi either, yet its name came up as wifi locked on my phone, and inviting a code, indicating it used to have its own wifi. Now the waitress said I might get free wifi logging onto the customer unfriendly O2, I couldn't so I gave up, not good enough really. Oh, she just said O2, I added the words customer unfriendly. I have a rule: the more I have to pay the greater the food quality, the service and level of comfort I expect. The prices have risen since I last visited too, but customers still sit on benches and depending on where you sit you may be on a seat with no support for your back. The service was alright, efficient. The veg tempura with red pepper, green pepper, green beans and sweet potato, is £1 dearer almost a scandalous 25% hike; a main is now either £7 or £8 without a starter, depending on your choice of main course. If you want a starter add another £2.50 and if you want a diet coke (330ml) add another ridiculous £2.35, or put it another way, over £4 a pint. So a two course lunch for one with a soft drink is either £12 or £13. Yet the fabulous eat all you like Chaobaby with comfy seating - and just two minutes walk away - is £14 for a huge selection of tasty five - star hot food: starters, mains and desserts, on hot plates at about only £3 or £4 more food cost. So sadly it's bye bye Tampopo. read more

Got takeaway. Gyozo are fab! Chap Chae was delicious and kids menu was perfect. Fast, friendly service.

Respectable chain, with a good menu.

Good small chain that serves up food from Thailand, Japan, Korea, Singapore etc The food here always tastes good and their lunch time menu is very well priced as is their special country menu (at the moment it's Japan.) They do a decent katsu curry and rice and the noodle dishes are good too but the starters are a little on the small side for the price unless it's included in a menu deal. The dishes are all very similar to what you can buy (sauces etc) in Chinese supermarkets, although I do like the katsu curry it is near identical to the Golden ready made curry packets you can buy, but I love that packet curry so it's not an issue. Normally real homemade katsu is in a fruity, thick sauce. But hey-ho it still tastes good. The only real reasons I'm knocking off one star is because the food is never hot, it's served on cold plates so cools before it even reaches the table. The staff can sometimes be run off their feet and it can take a while to pay at the end of the meal. The seating is a little too cramped, sharing tables with other diners does not always please me when I'm not in the mood. But other than that it's a nice place to eat... oh don't order the kimchi! It may be cheap but there is a reason, dry and shop bought. I will keep coming here for a quick bite to eat as the food is good but not fantastic. read more

Fantastic menu, with variety of curry and noodle dishes. The taste is intense and the atmosphere is very relaxed. Enjoyed the food, enjoyed the service and enjoyed the company at the community table. Perfect for a solo traveler! read more

I ate here with friends when I was in Manchester for a few days. It is very similar to Wagamamas in style and decor, modern and airy with large tables. It has a wide selection of Asian food, from many different countries, such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and lots of others. We all ordered different dishes and then tried each others food. My dish was an Asian curry, with chicken and sweet potato and it was absolutely fantastic.The food was excellent, very tasty and reasonably priced. The waiter was also very friendly and helpful and recommended dishes on the menu for us. If I ever find one of these restaurants near where I live I would definitely visit again. read more

Just been here today, the food was fantastic! We ordered off their express lunch menu at £7 for a main course and a side; absolute bargain and a great selection of food. Even if you order from the main menu the prices are not massive and the mix of different food was great. read more

Well this was very disappointing ........there was a lot of hype surrounding this place and to begin with I thought that this could actually be good until we sat down. #1 - if the restaurant has run out of something let the customer know before they order their God damn food , instead of making them wait for 30 minutes to then tell them to order something else. #2 - waiting for an hour for your starter is not good , and when it comes cold that's not good. #3 - if there is a group of people that need serving , serve them at the same time don't have one person served 10 minutes before everyone else that's just rude. #4 - The food , although the descriptions portray the food as delicious the actual end product is half assed and bland , in a word SHIT ! #5 - The server, she is the reason I have given 2 stars and not one she tried her best and the 2 hour debacle that was Tampopo was not her fault. Hopefully you read this review, I was aiming for something constructive but I feel it turned into a rant as I'm so annoyed. Needless to say I will never visit this establishment again and neither should you. read more

Love this place. Favourite spot in Trafford, I always get the sashimi and up to yet I've not had any parasites etc lol so it must be fresh. It does taste fresh. Service is nice and the people are helpful with the menu. I usually get all the menus so I can get some dim sum, Korean and Japanese mix. If you like chicken feet get them they're are done perfectly just make sure you're sat next to people giving you stupid looks I don't really care I just rub it in their faces till they look away lol. read more

Great variety of far eastern dishes - Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Phillipine, Malaysian etc. Delicious & highly recommended. Give it a try! read more

Very good food, big selection, fast service. Only slightly more expensive than a fast food burger meal would have been and so much better. read more

Good Asian fusion food, from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, usually pretty healthy. Started in Albert Square, before the likes of Wagamama. They have a few restaurants now, but dont seem set on global domination ! read more

I think this place has a wider variety of food than wagammama's at more reasonable prices. it is fast which is what you're looking for when you're out shopping. I like knowing where in the world the differnent food options come from. read more

Great place for something quick and relatively cheap, about £7 for a decent size meal.