Tanpopo in Annadale - ramen/sushi menu now on line

[MarietteB]

I hope to try them next week. I am not an experienced ramen eater - and they only list 4 varieties, though you can add extras.

I'd love to hear opinions as to which I should try first!

http://tanpoporamenhouse.com/

[cheesepowder]

Are they now open?

[MarietteB]

I emailed them and got this reply "The Tanpopo Ramen will be open next Thursday 8/23.
We are having 20% off for the month of August."

[Worldwide Diner]

They all have the same toppings, just flip a coin.

[Guy Incognito]

And where would she find a 4-sided coin?

I'd say that either the tonkotsu or shoyu would be the best introduction to Japanese ramen. Tonkotsu would have a milky, richer broth, while shoyu would be much lighter. Most of them have the same toppings, except the miso, which also has corn - a common topping in Hokkaido. I don't see butter on the menu, but that's also a good addition for miso ramen.

[Worldwide Diner]

You could flip a coin twice. It's not rocket science. And they all come with tonkotsu broth.

[MikeR]

Awwww, that's not sporting. A REAL Chowhound would be asking what's the best topping for each of the broths, and order four bowls at one sitting.

Of course "best" could be the most traditional Japanese, the most creative modern combination, the spiciest, and so on.

Discuss and debate. <g>

[Guy Incognito]

It was a joke. The real issue is that telling someone to flip a coin is not really helpful at all.

Plus, I'm not sure that this menu is entirely accurate. It doesn't really make sense for all of them to have a tonkotsu broth because that's a completely different style than say, shoyu or miso. Maybe they're all pork-based, but that doesn't make them tonkotsu.

The description for the Kyushu ramen (the area that's known for tonkotsu style ramen) says it's "Salt-flavored noodle soup." That would actually make it a shio ramen.

And Nagasaki is on the Kyushu island so I don't know why that's a separate menu item. It says that it's spicy, but I haven't heard of Nagasaki having their own distinct style. Maybe they mean Nagoya, which does specialize in spicy ramen (aka Taiwan ramen).

[Worldwide Diner]

You seem pretty knowledgable abou ramen. You think this place is legit given their bizarre menu? Giving advice without nothing OP's preferences or what this restaurant is good at doesn't seem to be any more helpful than flipping a coin, no?

[monkeyrotica]

Like a lot of sushi places, this is Korean run, so I'll be interested to see whether they try and serve Japanese ramen or "ramyeon" that's closer to Korean tastes (spicier).

[alkapal]

interesting about the corn!