357953 Sun Jan 07 21:42:28 -0800 2007 1 5 Texas 0 2162921 I was driving along Greenville Avenue this afternoon when a glimpse of a restaurant awning nearly made me slam on my brakes: Tampopo Japanese Cafe. Now, if you haven't seen the movie Tampopo, I direct you to netflix or amazon to get a fuller description of the plot. For right now, just know that it's a movie about a ramen restaurant in Japan. So the idea of a bowl of authentic Japanese ramen prompted me to pull a u-turn into Tampopo's little parking lot. Unfortunately, despite the title, the restaurant does not actually serve ramen (it least, it's not listed on their board). It does, however, have a small menu of udon, sushi, gyoza, tonkatsu, and other miscellaneous Japanese fare. Order at the counter and have a seat; the staff will bring the food to your table. I tried the gyoza for $3.50. They looked and tasted pretty much like the frozen kind from the grocery store. I also ordered a side dish of fried rice for $3, which came in a portion that can actually be consumed in one sitting. It wasn't greasy at all and had a more homemade flavor to it than your average Americanized version. The store itself was cheerful and small. Another plus was cheap Japanese beer and sake: $3 Asahi/Kirin and $2.50 small sakes. So all in all, my first impression of Tampopo is a cute, cheap Japanese shop that serves ok Japanese. I'll probably return soon-- want to try their tempura shrimp udon. Sun Jan 07 21:42:28 -0800 2007 29812 vktp 1 2175327 That movie rocks. One of my favorite flicks. Wed Jan 10 23:56:46 -0800 2007 2162921 58781 Mr Zero