Tanpopo Ramen

This place may not call your attention from the street, but once you taste their food … Wow … This is great Japanese food. The Ramen bowls are affordable and very tasty. The service is prompt and the staff is very friendly as well as accommodating. The different varieties of bowls and broths are very distinctive while the flavors immerse you in the Japanese culture … Should I return to this place? No doubt… and I’m looking forward to try a different Ramen bowl and transport myself to Japan…

My fav ramen place. Fav spot is by the bar table, watch how they make so delicious, then deliver to your table, i always go there, always alone, hope one day i can share w my true loved one

Good quality ramen, at an affordable price. Whilst this store is located on a busy road, once you enter and they shut the door, you could just be in a shop somewhere in Seoul or Tokyo. Their specials are good value, and the meals come out piping hot, really quickly.

Very authentic Japanese noodle place, nothing fancy just a ordinary noodle place exactly same as if u have in Japan. Like it

Yet another place we had read good things about so thought we gotta give it a go. Well we would have anyway but sometimes good reviews can give you a nudge in that direction even more so. Firstly strange décor for a Japanese restaurant and even in the toilet ! Hawaiian theme !!! Well guess it is better though than bare bland walls. The menu selection was not as much as we thought would be, thought there would be more choices. Anyway we chose the ramen with pork, pork dumpling and fried rice. Keeping it small and simple. All were tasty enough, but am not going to rave about it. I don’t think it deserves it. But on a better note the price is not too bad and the staff do give good service. I thinking for now three stars until I go there and feel something special from both the food and when sitting there. The feel of the place to be honest did not do much for me either…

BEST ramen ever. and in my short life I’ve eaten an ocean-​worth of ramen. That’s a fun image to visualize. I’m an adherent of the ideology that yes, a $ 100 steak tastes good but at the same time so does a $ 15 bowl of ramen. eating foam and all that fancy gastronomical fluff is completely lost on me. Tanpopo means ‘dandelion’ in Japanese but it’s also the title of a film which explores the ‘art’ of ramen as well as how it should be consumed in order to appreciate the actual craftsmanship that goes behind making ramen soup. If you belong to that group of people who think RAMEN and crap of the instant mi goreng calibre are the same thing, it will make you question your entire existence.
The décor is very Hello Kitty’s-tiki-hut and on the television screen above the kitchen they always play Ghibli films. actually every time I go there they’re playing Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (which is probably my favorite Ghibli of all time). So maybe they just own the one film. My order is the tonkotsu miso ramen and we usually order kimchi and gyouza for the table. Sometimes I also get chuuhai. Although I’ve yet to visit Ramen Do and Ramen Ichiban (aka Auckland’s other specialty Japanese ramen stores) Tanpopo is such a perfectly sentimental slice of Japan that I will love it forever and forever and ever.
タンポポめっちゃ好きやねん！

The perfect mid-​week pit-​stop on a dark & dreary winter’s night.
Tanpopo Ramen is nestled in that corner of Asian eateries on Anzac St and as they name suggests, they specialise in Ramen.
Since it was our first visit, we kept it simple and ordered their chicken & soy broth, minus the pork. I know I will lose some cred for saying this but the pork they put in ramen freaks me out! The large bowl came out within 10mins and was steaming hot. The broth was spot on — meaty & complex and the noodles, al dente. My only wish? That they served it with a poached egg instead of boiled.
In terms of décor, don’t expect much. It’s Hawaiian themed, which adds an element of fun but in all honesty it’s pretty naff. If you’re after atmosphere head to Chop Chop in Ponsonby, but beware you’ll pay for it — their ramen is $ 7 more expensive.

You need to know ramen before you will appreciate Tanpopo. Ramen is not about the toppings, it’s not about the serving size, it’s not about how good the décor is. Ramen is about the feeling of satisfaction when you slurp up everything in the bowl. And of course the broth itself. Out of all the ramen places that I would frequent. Tanpopo has the best broth, it is a genuine pork bone broth that has been simmering for a very long time. The bone marrows have disintegrated into the soup itself, adds tremendous flavours to the broth.
I love my noodles. And tanpopo has one of the best noodles in Auckland. The fact it sells a normal serving size bowl for 11 dollars is beyond comprehension. I on the other hand goes for the 17 dollar big bowl and then super sized for 3 bucks more. Making it a total of 20 dollars. See my photos for a visual size comparison.
A friendly tip that the Japanese cha shu or BBQ pork is not the red colour meat you normally see hanging in a Chinese restaurant window. The Japanese version is pale. Because it’s rolled up pork belly that’s been steamed. So it’s not the sweet salty pork that most people are used to. And some might not enjoy the spicy pickled bamboo shoots. Then again, most ethnic restaurants don’t apologise to be authentic just because you don’t like it. So I feel rather sad when some people reviews the best ramen bar in auckland with anything less than 5 stars.
I have been going to tanpopo for a very long time. Actually I still remember that the shop used to be an Internet café. But, everytime when I get the craving for some Ramen I d go to tanpopo, if I can find parking near by. I had to circle the block 3 times tonight before I decided to get ripped off by the britomart carpark @ 12 for an hour!

Taken here by a Japanese friend and was so happy to have been introduced to this place! If you are looking for an unpretentious eatery that serves tasty, well priced and quickly served ramen then this is your place. Service with a smile!

Delicious and authentic ramen. Servers are amicable and polite. Service is extremely fast. Highly recommended

To say I was underwhelmed by Tanpopo would be an understatement. I thought I would give it a try as some of the other reviews were pretty good and its in my neighborhood but I wish I hadn’t of wasted my money now.
My meal was highly overpriced at $ 17.00 a bowl for some noodles, not nice meat and an overload of spring onions.
While it was just an average meal when it was hot, it was even worse when it was cold. I took the left overs along with me to work to heat up for a late night snack and found it had completely congealed and all the fat had risen to the top of the broth and hardened. I was absolutely disgusted and had to chuck it in the bin. It just was not edible.
I couldn’t believe just how much fat was actually in the noodles, I thought it would have been a healthyish dinner but it appears not. I will not be buying here again.

This place is pretty dive-​bar-​y if that even makes sense. It’s a tiny little restaurant at the bottom of Anzac Avenue, surrounded by other similar places and bottle stores. It’s small and a little unkempt, but the staff are nice and it’s got a bit of a ‘family’ vibe going on.
Ramen is pretty easy — I mean, it’s noodles, soup, a few vegetables and meat if you’re so inclined. It’s hearty and tasty and will fill you up. It’s also relatively inexpensive. The gyoza they’ve got are also good. Grab both and a beer or some sake and you’re away laughing.

Not exactly the best ramen that I’ve ever had, but with a severe lack of ramen restaurants in Auckland city, this is probably one of the best that you’ll find here. Any time is a good time for a big hearty bowl of ramen, but it especially hits the spot on those cold winter days.
The ramen here can be a little inconsistent sometimes; one time my noodles were cooked ok, but my partner’s bowl was really chewy, but apart from that experience everything else has been fine. The bowls are pretty cheap for the massive amount of food that you get. They also do some special combos, like a bowl of ramen and gyoza. Love gyoza. Oh and they serve booze here, in particular Japanese booze; umeshu, chu hi, sake, beers etc.

This is tucked away in a bit of a weird neighborhood that’s near the scene apartments at the bottom of Anzac street.
They make ramen, and you pretty much know what to expect. Their menu doesn’t offer much variety, just the usual variations of ingredients.
I found it slightly oily. Also everything is over $ 10 which is expensive for ramen. But still, worth it if you need a ramen fix!

I’ve been to Tanpopo a couple of times now after a co-​worker recommended this place to my partner. He now swears by their ramen! The restaurant itself is very small and you could miss it while driving down Anzac Ave; its worth the hunt though. The staff here are always have smiles on their faces, and the service is great here.
Japanese food really isn’t my forte, so both times I’ve been here I’ve stuck with their fried rice and miso soup. A plain meal, yes, but paired with some soy beans and spicy pickled bamboo shoots, its a delicious meal. The drinks menu is pretty straightforward, offering soft drinks and teas as well as a couple of Japanese beer and course, sake (hot or cold, the choice is yours). The whole menu is a goldmine of great prices that everyone can afford, and for some excellent, authentic Japanese food, it’s a steal.

This tiny ramen noodle restaurant is located down the end of Anzac Avenue, downtown, and was my inner obsession come dinner time for about one month, whilst working in the district.
As you enter all the staff call out a welcome to you, and you immediately feel like you’re in their home. It’s very chilled, with cute pictures of tropical fish and dive shots all around the walls– I later found out that the owner Michio Kurihara loves to dive.
Only about 2 – 4 staff this very busy Ramen Noodle heaven; however that won’t cause any longer wait times.
I am always happy to order my favorite– Miso Tonkotsu Ramen which is delicious pork based soy sauce blend soup, along with ramen noodles, BBQ pork, bamboo shoots, dried seaweed, and I always add on corn. A really soothing meal, that’s wholesome, and tasty.
If you like you’re Japanese Ramen; please try this authentic spot.