For over 10 years they have provided awesome food to my family and I with an unmatched level of consistency with food, calm ambience and commitment. Will continue to support their service to the community with their healthy straightforward options, they are a blessing! read more

Not open at all normal hours but great Korean food in university city. Good quantity of meat for the price read more

Tampopo - Spicy Chicken Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My friend introduced me to Tampopo, and I thought it was great. The food is reasonably priced and it tastes good -- there is a solid variety of options on the menu ranging from Yakisoba to Bibimbap and more. The staff is also extremely friendly, and the service is fast. After you finish your food, you bus your own dishes and bring them to a bin. Definitely a spot worth checking out in the area. read more

Tampopo - bibimbap and yakisoba - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I recently heard about Tampopo from a friend and, after seeing the prices and pictures online, I was very excited to try them. The restaurant felt like a small, family restaurant. They also had a wall with their most popular items if you get overwhelmed with options like me. I ordered a bowl of squid with white rice (they also offered brown rice) and my friend ordered the beef and spicy chicken bento box. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed off its dine-in section so we had to take the food home. Regardless, the food was delicious. The squid was a mix of sweet and (slightly) spicy. The portion was great for the price and I was definitely full after finishing my bowl. My friend also enjoyed their bento box and actually had some leftovers, which they saved for later. Overall, the food was delicious and the price was great compared to other restaurants near us! read more

Tampopo - Beef and chicken bento box - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Food: These hole-in-the-walls are always full of surprises. The food was out-of-this-world! 5 Stars Service: Chipotle style ordering. Friendly and warm greeting. 5 Stars Ambiance: Clean. And I love the background classical music. It reminds me of the old days. The pray, nobody plays classical music anymore. 5 Stars Overall: 5 Stars! read more

I stopped by for an impromptu lunch here at Tampopo as I've walked by it many times and haven't had a chance to try it yet. It was really cute inside with a decent amount of seating. I got myself a lunchbox, with the fried dumpling option and the tonkatsu. My partner also got a lunchbox with spicy pork stir fry. It comes with a salad with sesame ginger dressing and plenty of edamame beans. I really liked the composition of the box, although I do wish we had soy sauce to come with it for the dumplings (though, I didn't ask so maybe they just keep it behind the counter). I would describe the cuisine here as Japanese-Korean fusion, and I think they do a great job of offering a lot of different dishes from both cultures. I really enjoyed my tonkatsu, they definitely didn't skimp on the chicken pieces (they gave me a TON) and the plum sauce was the right amount of tangy. I felt like the meat portions for both honestly were really generous compared to other places I've been to with bento box options. The price also was super reasonable. They have water for diners but also have a fridge full of delicious drink options like Ito-En tea or Ramune for you to choose from. I really loved the spicy pork my partner got as well and kept stealing some from him. I thought the marinade was really delicious. I definitely will be coming by here again whenever I have a craving for a nice hearty lunchbox meal, or for takeout. Service was great and the food came out pretty quickly. I'd highly recommend! read more

Tampopo - a tray of food with rice, carrots, and meat - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Stopped in for a quick meal on a Tuesday before a concert at the Mann center. The staff were kind and friendly - they explained that we would order at the counter and it would be delivered to our table. They offered for us to grab a cup of complimentary tea and explore the menu. We got pan fried pork dumplings, beef japchae, and tofu and egg bibimbob. The place was dead, I think it's mostly take out of which they are missing out because my hot stone bowl fish was only offered in restaurant. Our food came super fast but the servers accidentally brought it to the only other table, who ordered after us ... Innocent mistake of course! Our food was ample, fresh, and flavorful. I got a cute frozen treat for dessert, but could have picked out many more Asian treats to go! For sure a place for a solid meal. read more

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Pretty good, kimbap, Dolsot bibimbap, veggie tempura On point but not super authentic. I think it's more of a Japanese Korean fusion. But still tasty. Why isn't kimchi given for free with every entree? Also needs optional metal spoons for dolsot bibimbap lest you have a partially melted flaccid plastic spoon Good drink options Good service Quiet ambiance read more

Tampopo - Stone pot bibimbap Kimbap Tempura - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tampopo is a go-to spot most weeks. Lovely people and great food that is always fresh. Perfect low-stim environment for dining in as well.

After my second time ordering takeout from here, I can confirm the same assessment as most of the other reviews here - Tampopo is pretty great no matter what you get. Last time I had the salmon bibimbop, which was pretty tasty, and I'm picky about bibimbop. I think I might have liked my soba noodle salad with tofu and spicy dressing this time even more though. The salad is super filling so either order when you're really hungry or if you like having leftovers. My partner can confirm that the yakisoba noodles with tofu are also very good, but the curry yudon tofu is GREAT. I have to admit I was a bit envious when he got that the last time we ordered. I was thinking of getting it this time but decided to go for something lighter. Now he's declared loyalty to curry yudon tofu for all future visits so I've lost my chance. Guess I'll just have to try japchae noodles instead next time... read more

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Delicious food! As a vegetarian I really appreciate a variety of dishes and this place definitely provides. Everything I've tried is super yummy and I highly recommend this place! Also the dumpling sauce is super yummy read more

My girlfriend has so many options near her apartment in Ucity. This place is one of her spots. I hear the service is good, but we had to do carryout #covid. I enjoyed the kimbap and udon stir fry. The stir fry was flavorful and saucy. The rice underneath the chicken katsu was mushy, and the katsu became soggy. However, I can't blame them for the sogginess because it's in a takeout container. I would come back and try out their options. read more

Tampopo - Kimbap Chicken katsu don Kimchi udon stir fry - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My co-workers and myself order from here religiously. Spicey chicken bowls are a perfect quick dinner.

Met friends at this Tampopo for a late lunch (to which I was late for). Unsurprisingly, the place was empty save for two tables. Much like their state of affairs, the interior is simple, naturally-lit, with austere wooden stools. At the counter, I wished for (and paid $8.50 for) a bowl of Tampopo ramen and received a buzzer. When it lit up and made noise, I ran to the counter for my ramen. Tampopo's ramen was a welcome afternoon snack. The noodles were okay, yielding, with a little heft. There was a good amount of meat, sweet and tangy, and an egg added flavor. Not sure if you can set the broth's heat level - I didn't specify - but it was slightly spicy. (Most normal people will cough after their first sip.) When we were done, we cleared our table, placing plates and silverware in handily-labeled rubbish bins. Those new to ramen will enjoy Tampopo's interpretation of ramen, but all others should leave high expectations at home. For sure, my meal didn't suppress my noodle-y ramen cravings, but their menu is intriguing enough to warrant future visits. read more

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Awesome, awesome place. My experience with Korean culture is limited so judged this review based on that. A coworker introduced me to this place and it's become our new Friday spot. We used to get Ramen every Friday but our place closed. Everyone is friendly and there is never a wait. This is great because we're coming from woodland and only have 30 minutes. Tofu Bibimbap with an egg. Then they give you this little side sauce. Mhmmmm mhmmm. read more

I got the bibimbap and it is pretty darn good, but I found the sauce that came with it to be way too salty (thank god it was on the side). They can serve it in a stone bowl too if you're feeling extra fancy and want to spent an extra few dollars. Their curry tastes like it came from those Japanese curry bars from the Asian market, but I don't know how you'd make curry otherwise so I guess this is okay... my boyfriend liked it a lot more than I did. Their service is fast, the staff is friendly, but the place seems kind of cold.. maybe because it's kind of empty and quiet and clean. That may sound great to you though. Also, they have brown rice, yay!. Prices are lower than at Koreana (and you also don't have to tip). It's a little out of the way for university city, so the customers are mostly locals, whereas Koreana is mostly students. read more

Tampopo - chicken katsu curry don - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Food was great and the server is very friendly! Bibimbop gyuksoo was delicious and so was tofu katsu. Good portions and feels healthy fresh and light read more

I GrubHubed some food from Tampopo today. I felt like some Asian food and after checking out their menu online, I decided to give them a whirl. I ordered the Spicy chicken bowl and a order of pan fried pork dumplings and a side of Kimchee. The delivery was quick, and I received all the necessary utensils to enjoy my meal. The Spicy chicken was delicious, sliced into bite sized strips with a tasty sauce, the sauce wasn't that spicy but the chicken was grilled perfectly. I enjoyed that it wasn't too soft and it felt like you were having real chicken. The dumplings were tasty, tender and a little bit on the smaller size, but very flavorful. The kimchee was good, with a satisfying amount in the container. My meal was as promised, the only criticism I have is the spice level was kind of PG-13. I'm looking forward for my next experience with Tampopo. read more

I've ordered the Bibibimbap and Spicy Pork Hot Stone Pot over rice from here - while the flavors themselves aren't that bad, I find the meats are often quite dry. Especially with the pork hot stone pot, the meat felt rather tough after many bites. The low rating is mainly due to the fact that there are a number of better Korean restaurants nearby with much better alternatives and hot stone pots. Also, Tampopo's menu is quite limited in comparison to these restaurants. read more

Tampopo - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I came here to escape the heat of my apartment and for a late lunch. I've been to the center city location and this location is twice the size with ample seating. I got the beef bibimbap with a fried egg. Despite the heat outside, the inside is still pretty cool so I had no problem eating this hot dish. The moment the food was set down in front of me, I could smell the sesame oil and it really stimulated my appetite. read more

Tampopo - Beef Bibimbap - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Love this place. Have always loved eating in as it's a byob but love getting take out. Great food and super high quality. Great value and really good service. Definitely a place to try. read more

In the words of my friend who joined me for dinner, Tam-no-no. I wanted to like my food, but couldn't deny the bland, mushy brown rice I had with my Chicken Katsu. The chicken was soggy and it appeared my rice was floating in liquid. The food wasn't seasoned well and just was unremarkable overall. My friend's food was the opposite - too dry. I did like my fried dumplings, but it's a shame I paid more for my entree and just didn't really like that at all. I got a little to-go box for my soggy chicken and went on my way. read more

I get this place at least 3x a month. It's great and it's decently priced. I always get my food consistently good and the front staff are always nice people. read more

My bf's go to is his spicy chicken bowl with brown rice $7.00 . This is A-OK. They give a lot of chicken, and the meat to rice ratio is amazing. They give you 2 pieces of broccoli . Overall it's delicious, but for the value.. meh. You can make this at home for less than $2.00, less than a dollar probably. Seafood Udon soup $7.50 I got this because I was still in pain from my wisdom tooth extraction. This was broth with udon noodles, 1 piece of broccoli and 1 slice of fish cake. Where do you think this is going...? Yup, not worth the value. It tastes the same as any instant noodle udon I've gotten from Hmart before (for 1.50). There are no toppings in it to warrent the $7.50 price tag. To add 2 pieces of shrimp tempura = $11.00 noodle so up. Umm.. I can get 2 bowls of pho stacked with meat for that. Imo, the 2 piece shrimp tempura udon should be $7.50. That would make them a 4 star for the value... read more

Tampopo - Chicken bento box $9.50 - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I rarely leave reviews but this place deserves one. Any time I order out, 90% of the time it is from Tampopo. One of the few takeout places in the area that actually makes good salads (none of those pale, soulless tomatoes). Everything I've ordered from them (bibimbap, various noodle dishes, dumplings, salads) has been great and they're quick too. Have never eaten inside so I can't speak to that but for takeout/delivery they get an A+ from me. read more

Word of advice - go to this tampopo instead of the one in center city - better cutlery and overall environment (more open and spacious) and the way the food presented is more pleasing to the eye (for example - bibimbap tastes so much better eaten out of a glass bowl/stone pot rather than a plastic one - just my opinion). I am a fan of the salmon bibimbap for something refreshing during summer. All the ingredients taste very fresh. I also enjoy their bento boxes - serving size is enough to fill me for lunch and have leftover for dinner. Bibimbaps in the stone pot come out sizzling and Insta-worthy presentation wise. I cannot attest to the authenticity of Korean cuisine but I do know that it tastes good! Very fair pricing as well. One thing though - I wouldn't recommend getting the katsu - it's not crispy as katsu should be as the rice bowl is quite mushy and soupy...never quite understood why...taste isn't bad but texture is off and definitely not what you'd be expecting for katsu. read more

Tampopo - Salmon bibimbap - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Small place to get sushi and such. Food was good and I felt was worth the value. Vegan options.

Tampopo is one of my to go destination after a long day of work. Food is good and quite worth the money. Portion size is great for a person. The beef bulgogi was very flavorful however the whole platter was a little dry. The yaki udon was moist and tasty. Both their dining in and takeaway is equally good. Ambiance is fun and enjoyable with medium group of people. There are few free parking spots near the restaurant, so that's a big ease to come and have the food. read more

Tampopo - Beef Bulgogi - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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After walking by a few times my boyfriend and I decided to give this little hole in the wall a try. The staff was friendly, our food was prepared quickly and the price was excellent considering the amount of food we were given. We ordered two rice bowls, which were both good, though my boyfriend's chicken bowl was slightly over salted (though he still enjoyed it enough to finish it all). We will definitely come again when we're in the area and in need of a quick, cheap bite. Also, I love that to cut down on waste they encourage you to bring your own bowl when ordering take out-they'll even give you a small discount for doing so! read more

Tampopo - Kimchi fried rice bowl! - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I am definitely a fan. I have been here a few times and have no complaints. I am actually quite surprised as the reviews made me a little hesitant at first. I love the spicy chicken bowl. It has a quick but not overly spicy over rice. I convinced myself i would only have half and ended up finishing the bowl in minutes. The bento box meals has great portions- i usually have to bring some home. read more

Tampopo - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Back again three years after my initial visit, and it's better than I remembered. We came here on an early Sunday afternoon and there was plenty of seating. Here, you order and pay at the counter, seat yourselves, and then they bring out your food. Subsequently you place your dirty dishes in a slot when you've finished. I ordered the standard beef bibimbap with a fried egg, and it was quite good. I've never had mind-blowing bibimbap.. since it's literally boiled vegetables and marinated meat mixed together with rice, but the ingredients tasted fresh and the portions were generous. Got like... 5 different veggies in this meal, so definitely not feeling guilty upon leaving! read more

Tampopo - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Don't get the Chicken Katsu (over rice) - Probably the worst katsu I've ever had. The breaded chicken was soggy, and I've never seen a katsu served with what seems to be an egg stuck/wrapped tothe chicken. They were out of white rice so they were only able to serve it with brown rice. Cleanliness note: I observed one of the servers carry a few dishes to customers table. One of the dish was being carried by her inside elbow and the ends of her long hair was touching the inside of the rice bowl. No thanks. read more

When a place that's known for it's sushi moves into a location that has been desperately in need of a good sushi place like West Philly, you'd think that sushi would be the first thing that they would push on their menu. But the fact that it took close to three months for them to offer it is just astoundingly foolish. And overall it's choices like that which make it hard for me to rally behind Tampopo to the fullest. Josh F. is right on about the cafeteria style mentality being pretty awful. And that's why I usually stick with takeout and either waiting outside, or in Local 44 over a quick brew. Upon first trying the sushi (Philly roll and spicy tuna) I found it to just be slightly better than grocery store quality, and not exactly worth the price tag. The hot and spicy beef don that I picked up was just decent, and the shrimp shumai was pretty bland. When it comes down to it the West Philly version needs a bit of work. But considering the reviews for the flagship store, it looks like it could get that way with age. read more

I'm very glad tampopo exists in West philly / University city. Coming from Dallas, Texas where Korean food is very accessible and good, I've been looking for a decent Korean fix near my school campus and this place does the job. Tampopo is definitely is not truly authentic as you can taste the sweetness in the red spicy sauce they give you, but it is still good. You can also do take out for their food if you want to walk down to Clark park to enjoy it in the nice weather. One thing to know is that it is self-serve so you need to get your own water and clean after you eat so please be mindful and clean after yourselves. My go-to is beef bibimbap with fried egg or the bento box. If you are like me who craves decent korean food in this area, def give it a go! read more

This place is in a prime location. It's in the heart of uni city surrounded by universities, students, professionals, clinics, office buildings etc.. You would think the food would be top notch? NOT. I've tried the sushi here a few times, really no frills there.. My most recent and my last time venturing in on my lunch break I decided to have the hand-drawn chicken teriyaki noodle soup. I don't think the noodles were boiled all the way, they hurt my stomach so much after consuming them... Just felt like they were sitting on my stomach. The broth was so bland and was definitely missing flavor. Never again read more

Tampopo - Chicken teriyaki noodle soup - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Would have given 4 stars If I were a non-korean; 3 stars given because I am korean. haha. To explain, the food here is decently priced & there really isn't anything wrong with the dish -- in fact, I think it's pretty darn tasty for what it is -- so I would have given this place four stars... BUT! here's the catch. Because I know how real Korean food tastes like, the slight alteration (perhaps an american fusion twist of sort?) which may include an addition of an ingredient or two, makes it taste kinda... cheesy (no not literally cheesy but weird, eh, it's alright but odd kinda cheesy lol). For example, they have a dish called Tuna (or Salmon) bibimbap. Koreans wouldn't normally add mayo as part of the sauce but I think they do here. Another example, their Kimchi Tofu dish is like a stir fry of a lot of red pepper paste and sugar or something. I don't know. It's definitely a fusion of... something. I would know because I tend to do the same when I'm trying to cook korean food at home and have nonkorean ingredients in my fridge. Anyway, that's why I give this place 3 stars. It may be an unfair rating for some, but considering where I come from... I can't help but give it 3 stars... Also, please note that I haven't mentioned anything about their sushi because I haven't tried them. The 3 stars is really just for their korean part of their menu! read more

They're a BYO. They have katsudon - that's a fried cutlets of your choice of meat over a bowl of rice and warm broth - which to me is like quintessential Asian comfort food for when you're sick, or even when you're not. They're also cheap. All the same, I can't think of a single dish here that I really makes me think "Man, I gotta go to Tampopo and get me some ______." I've tried their sushi, their katsudon, their ramen. It's alright, but it lacks a certain flair that I need in my Asian food to keep me coming back. Especially in this town, where we have a respectable Chinatown, Viet town, Cambodia town, and two - yes, two - Korea towns. Anyway, Tampopo's alright. If you need some quick food and would like to bring a few bottles of beer to go with it, you can't really go wrong. read more

Cheap, casual and fast Japanese/Korean eatery serving all types of food from ramen to bulgogi to sushi. Great for groups because it's BYOB and has a wide variety of menu options. You order and pay in the front (no need to tip) and they bring out the food to you in a bit. I got the bulgogi stone pot special which was just okay. It came with white or brown rice but my bulgogi was also mixed with vermicelli. The curry udon and kimchi fried rice are quite spicy - beware! Right next to lil pop shop if you'd like to satisfy a desert craving :) read more

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After reading all of the less than enthusiastic reviews for this place, my initial excitement from discovering how close this place is to me dwindled. At first glance Tampopo3 isn't anything impressive, its kinda located in the middle of nowhere on a random street in West Philly. The decor is plain and simple. If people are expecting great service and elaborate/intricate decor then they are going to be disappointed. This place is about a step up from a food vending machine. You order, pay, eat, and leave. Since I was craving Japanese and all of the other Japanese places in West Philly suck, I decided to make the trip. I ordered the Curry Katsu and it was surprisingly good. The curry tasted a bit generic, but not exactly bad, the katsu was fresh and crunchy and seasoned a lot better than other places I have been to. It was kind of expensive at 8 dollars a bowl, but it is a nice change of pace from the usual fare offered in that area. read more

Tampopo - Curry katsu - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great spot for lunch with your friends. The menu is relatively mid size so you can pick something quick but still have tons of choices to choose from. I had the Tampopo Ramen (mild) and Green Tea Ice Cream. The ramen was not too spicy but I am not one for spicy food so go Spicer if you can handle it. The ramen was good. I wouldn't be craving but it was a good since it was freezing outside. Themosphere is very casual with limited seating so it can be hard to find a spot sometimes. Overall, the place had good food and service. Would go again. read more

Tampopo - Tampopo Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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