Neutral Bay has so many great Japanese restaurants; I had always thought of trying Tanpopo, but the recent negative reviews put me off. After finally trying Tanpopo, I regret waiting this long!
We ordered the eel don and the plain udon special with five pieces of aburi ($16.90 for udon and five pieces of aburi?!?!? That is an insane value!!!). The food came out very fast and it was flavourful and satisfying. The eel portion was generous and very well prepared: a great grilled taste and the classic eel sauce was salty and savoury without being too sweet. My plain udon was nice and soothing with an umami bonito broth, and the five pieces of aburi were simple but very delicious.
Within the crowded Neutral Bay Japanese scene I think Tanpopo is a great option for a yummy and satisfying meal without breaking the bank.
Tanpopo's ramen are some of the best in Sydney. Whilst their restaurant layout and kitchen set up is a bit rough-and-ready - the ambience isn't quite first date impress material - we haven't had a bad ramen yet.
Whilst we're locals we've tried ramen all over Sydney - had some good and some bad. However Tanpopo has remained consistently good with the pork always ample and super succulent, and the soup not too thick and not too thin, with every addition available as extras if you want more pork, seaweed etc. They don't scrimp on extras. Lucky us not having to travel for tasty take-away. :)
Service is fast even if the English imperfect.
If you want fine dining don't bother coming here. But for fast, flavoursome and friendly service Tanpopo won't disappoint.
Tanpopo is our to to Japanese restaurant. The ramen is delicious, not overly thick. Miso eggplant is incredible. Agadashi tofu melts in the mouth. Tempura vegetables are light. Sashimi super fresh.
We usual come here for a nice sushi dinner, never tried something else from the menu though. The sushi is nice and fresh, take a bit long to be served but surely worths. Recommended.
Super glad we decided to eat at Tanpopo, Neutral Bay is full of Japanese restaurants and this is up there. It's nothing fancy but the food is fresh and tasty. I'm a sucker for a volcano roll because the sauce is super yummy. The soft shell crab is a must try as well as the ramen. I don't usually like tempura however they have perfected it so it's not oily but light and crunchy.
Priscilla @FoodPornNation.com
+4.5
This is a really cute place that I highly recommend you go to. It's tiny, it's quaint and has that Japanese-esque feel to it. Ka-wa-ii de-su-ne. The setting is a bit squishy and the service is a bit inattentive but the food more than makes up for it. It is excellent. Don't get me wrong, the staff are lovely, courteous and friendly. But at times, they just don't seem to look up. They get really focused on the job at hand. So you may find yourself either staring them down to catch their eye or making the giant leap forward to the counter to speak to them. The beef tataki at Tanpopo is one of those dishes that once you have had it, you can't imagine your life without it. I have had cravings ever since. Looking at this photo gives me momentary flashbacks into its luscious rich red centre which just sends my animal instinct into demented drooling delirium. The beef is carpaccio thin where it is slinkily nestled on top of the salad leaves and the dressing is absolutely worth
I was pushing it when I started ordering things like sushi, resulting with the rookie waitress yo-yo-ing between us and the kitchen to see if the boys were willing to make it. No we couldn’t have the aburi sushi but we were allowed to have the kingfish carpaccio
The Hokkaido Ramen is just as spectacular as the ones I've had in Sapporo. I would stick my head in the bowl of it wasn't so antisocial....
Delicious. I live down the road from Tanpopo and its a regular choice. The pork soup ramen is great - the stock is a really beautiful flavour that you can tell has been developed lovingly - not rushed with a range of artificial additives - but a natural flavour. Had their dinner box special ($20) and it was very fresh. Like a lot of smaller operators they dont accept cards/debit which may be an inconvenience to some, so you do need to come armed with cash. Definitely worth a try if you're after authentic, simple Japanese flavours.
Amazing Japanese food, quick service, cheap prices, friendly staff- my fave in the area
I don’t know why this place is only 3.7 star rating. Solid Japanese izakaya with delicious, hot ramen, generously cut pieces of chashu that’s robust in flavour. Curry pork katsu is delish. Portion sizes are above average to generous. Chef gave us extra gyoza on the house. They were accomodating when we rocked up at 8:50pm (closes 9:30pm) when other places in the area were reluctant to seat us in. Owners are friendly and helpful, and hardworking. A neighbourhood gem for sure.
Nice little Japanese restaurant. Reasonable price for lunch bento $15.50 these days.
Our family's absolute favourite Japanese restaurant. Delicious, authentic food. We have never once been disappointed and it's fantastic value for money. 3.8 stars does not do this place justice.
First time I tried Kumamoto ramen. I love garlic so I really liked this ramen dish. The pork katsu & karaage were cooked perfectly. Service was efficient. Covid-safe practices in place for a small restaurant (QR code login, sanitisers on table, EFTPOS payment, and main door left open for ventilation).
My wife and I dined here for her birthday and I must say the food and service were both exquisite and beyond the standards of any restaurant I’ve ever been to. The staff were incredibly kind and lovely and the food was to DINE for
Love this place. Been twice in four weeks and it’s caring, flexible and absolutely delicious. Eireen is amazing, we got in late and she sat us and then the three guys who came after.
I just moved to Neutral Bay and so pleased to have such a wonderful local Japanese restaurant around the corner. The waitress was lovey and working alone but managed the place even when it was almost at capacity. It has an authentic Japanese vibe and the vegetarian menu was substantial with plenty of vegan friendly options.
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