Please don't mind the lighting because I was eating right at the parking lot. I couldn't wait. They were closing when I came but try to accommodate. They were so nice to us because we drove 1 hour to eat here. And the food was amazing. It was worth 1 hour drive read more

Foo Foo Tei - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hacienda Heights, California

I visited Foo Foo Tei with my dad a few weeks ago for dinner. There was very limited parking in their small lot. We had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated. Service was a bit slow, however it was understandable since they were packed for dinner. We ordered Fufu Potato ($6.80) to share, a Tempura Bowl ($16) for myself, which is originally $12 but I requested all shrimp for +$4, and the Eel Bowl ($13) for my dad. The Fufu Potato appetizer was underwhelming. It came out super hot which was great, however after eating a few potato balls I realized they had no flavor; just tasted like unseasoned boiled potatoes. Next, we were served the salad and soup that were included with our entrees. The salad was okay. I was not a fan of the dressing, but that's just me. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the soup! I expected it to be regular miso soup, but it had a few pieces of clam which was a nice touch. The Shrimp Tempura Bowl was the best part of the meal. Included in my bowl were 5 or 6 (I forgot) humongous pieces of shrimp, pickled cucumbers, and takuan all over a bed of white rice. The bowl was also served with a tempura dipping sauce. I was more than satisfied by my bowl, and even had enough leftovers for another meal at home! The Eel Bowl came included grilled eel, pickled cucumbers, and takuan over rice, and was presented in the traditional unaju box which was really cute! My dad said that the eel was good but nothing spectacular. He would have preferred the eel to be a bit more grilled to create a crispy texture, so that is something we will request on our next visit. I mentioned earlier that the service was slow, however the few interactions that we had with the staff were good. I hope to return here soon, perhaps when they are less busy. read more

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3.5 stars rounded up for the generous portions! Foo Foo Tei is definitely a restaurant you won't leave hungry. The size of their soups are huge! Located in a super random area of City of Industry/Hacienda Heights, tucked away amongst factories and the like, Foo Foo Tei is ready to satisfy your hunger. Came here for my first time this past Monday for lunch. With over 1,900 reviews and a 4 star overall rating, I was excited to see what this place was all about. When we arrived around 12:30pm, it was pretty much filled up completely! This restaurant is definitely popular. Service was nice, and our party of 4 was seated pretty quickly, however. I ordered the #1 shoyu ramen priced around $8. Their menu is very overwhelming, with countless options and pictures covering the pages. From hot and sour soup ramen, to curry ramen, the variety is endless. There is something for everyone. Overall, I thought my ramen was pretty good. I wasn't blown away by the taste, but the quantity was to my liking, especially at the price point. With cheap prices and huge portions, it's no surprise that Foo Foo Tei gets great business. The menu is very comprehensive, extending beyond just ramen, and the prices cannot be beat. Service is pretty quick and definitely friendly. I'd say this restaurant is definitely worth checking out if you're near by. It's an interesting spot, no doubt. read more

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Haven't been here since before lockdowns, but the menu is still the same. Get there early or be ready to stand in line. Got there 30 minutes before opening and I was still 4th in line. I will return again. read more

It's finally winter in SoCal and we were craving a nice, warm bowl of ramen. Ordering through the phone was a breeze and our order was ready in 20 minutes. Our go to order includes the #17 Nanchatte Tonkatsu Ramen and #6 Hot & Sour Ramen, with a side order of #15 Broiled Squid. We usually get the large portion for an extra $3 each and share between 4-5 people. Super worth it! Too bad they don't have the large portion option for takeout though. Instead, we got extra noodles yum! Servers are always super friendly and have a smile on their faces. We've been coming here for at least a decade. Food has always been consistent and, most importantly, delicious every single time -- even for takeout! read more

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Been coming to this place for years and didn't think I had to do this, but last weekend went in with wife and daughter they were craving some Ramen and curry. Haven't been here for a while felt like the food wasn't as good as before, slight drop off, portion good though. Bill came out to be about 56 which is the new norm with inflation hitting everyone at this point. Went to pay for the food and had $60 cash on me and told waitress, an older Japanese lady, to go ahead and keep the change. In which she replied what about tips? It's at least 10% or sometimes 15%. And I had to tell her I don't have any more cash on me, but it was her attitude after I said it that irked me. She went from smile to rolling her eye and turn away in disgust in an instant. I didn't even had time to react and she walked away. Never experienced anything this direct and frankly rude at a restaurant so was shocked and also left. Looking back service was honestly mediocre at best, nothing more than bringing the food out. I know it's a common rule to tip at least 10% but I'm sorry I was like a dollar short, still doesn't justify service employees to be acting out like that towards long time customers. Two stars for the food quality currently and I don't know if I'll go back now since being told straight up that HAVE to pay something that's voluntary just doesn't sit well. just FYI to expect their expectations. Update 6/14/24 This is a direct response to Takeshi. Hi, you seem to think I don't know how to tip, so shared an article to educate me? Let me teach you, tips is NOT a tax, it is NOT mandatory, and the amout is customarily set by customers, not by a blogger or your server. I suggest you take the time to do some real research on how to manage restaurant business and employees. Especially go learn how to provide genuine customer service. You can be unhappy with tips amount received (again I was short, sorry) and you can refuse my future service. On the flip side I can be unhappy about being asked to give amount of tips, I can refuse to give you anymore of my money in exchange of food, and most importantly I can leave a true customer experience review here so everyone that wants to try you out to be careful with expectations of high price for mediocre food, 10% sales tax, AND mandatory 10-15% tips, that's all. You know, a simple and direct apology to an uncomfortable dining experience would have been great. I hope you don't get blinded by the success of your restaurant and think your restaurant is now better than your customers. I will also personally speak to my friends and family about this experience, thank you. read more

I can see why this place is so popular and if I lived in the vicinity, I would be a regular. The portions are huge and the quality is top notch. The curry is packed with small pieces of carrot and the nanchatto ramen broth is so creamy and rich. Would pass on the tuna w oroshi and the cheese mochi, which is Korean rice cakes covered in cheese and a Japanese western gravy. Service is friendly but albeit a bit slow + their attitude is very no nonsense. You can see them hustling so I didn't mind that but beware of waits/tables running out before close. read more

I love this place! Food is always good and the people who work there is always nice and welcoming! read more

Never been to a restaurant this good. Great quality food, good service, great atmosphere, great portions, and great prices. Not much else to add except that the portions are MUCH MUCH bigger than you'd expect. Great place for sharing and everything I ate was 10/10. read more

One of my favorite ramen places, and I have been coming for the last 7 years. The staff are very friendly older ladies, which is different from most restaurants. I think it gives the place more authenticity. This place gets really packed so it's best to arrive early, and it's a good sign for their business. We waited almost 40 minutes, but the food was worth the wait. They give out huge portions and you don't get tired of eating the same thing because it's so good. I recommend all my friends and family to come here whenever we are in the area because service is great! It's also a good place for kids to come try out since it's healthy. I always get the Matcha Calpico, which sets this place apart from other restaurants. The cold sour and sweetness make it a perfect combination with the hot ramen, and I'm always able to finish the entire drink. The crab omelette was full of flavor and paired well with the food. Definitely will be back again soon! Parking gets packed since it's a small hole in the wall so I usually park on the streets and walk in. read more

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Oh MY oh MY! Foo Foo Tei was a nice surprise! Stopped by on a Sunday night. There was a wait of 5 tables in front of us, but we were seated in about 10 minutes. Upon examining the menu, I found so many varieties of ramen and so unique. I chose something unfamiliar #17. It was delicious! One of the hottest if not hottest (temperature) ramens I've ever had. So tasty, I'm still thinking about it 3 days later! And for only $11. The ambiance was lovely. Lots of food. Lots of diners. It felt homey. Service was great. Our lady was very friendly. Overall, exceeded my expectations. I'm ready to come back! read more

Foo Foo Tei - #17 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hacienda Heights, California

In my honest opinion this is the best ramen in 626, #17 is the go-to and even the rice dishes are amazing. The service and the mom and pop style is just a great experience. I just wish they were opened more hours lol read more

Great food. Insane value. Very authentic. Very packed and crowded. The only drawback of the restaurant is that they stick to old school ways of order taking and billing and it can take a while. read more

There is a reason why this place is always busy and that's because the food is great. Service is great and staff are very nice.

Should really update the hours on Google. My friend and I have been looking forward to this place for weeks and we get here at 8:15p to a modestly full restaurant and we get turned away saying they "stopped serving at 8" and only offered to go. I mean, sure, we could've had it to go but it wouldn't have been the same experience. We were so bummed! Time to look for a new favorite ramen spot. read more

Been going here for many years. It was not as tasty today as it was before. I remember really enjoying this place. Today, it was very average, maybe even below average. The broth was not flavorful as it used to be. We had tempura, as a side dish. Not crispy like it should be. It is a shame the quality has degraded. Maybe they lost their head chef. read more

They are open for take outs! If you're looking for some great bang for bucks, this could be your go to but not their services. They have a great selection of chouka Japanese food. I've been to this place for years and their number 17 (nanchatte tonkotsu ramen) never disappoint! As a ramen lover, I usually come in for their creamy savory broth. The hint of ginger on the side toned down the heaviness of pork broth. Charshu is flavorful with a satisfying cut. Only con was their noodle, typical ramen noodle that was sold everywhere in the state. Nothing special. For appetizers, I would recommend egg cake. It's a little different from tamago sold in Japanese market. Warm, fluffy, and tasty. There's usually a line during normal hours so be there right when they open to avoid being in line. They do take a while before taking down your order, never go when you're extremely hungry. read more

its been awhile since we been to foo foo tei, staff usually are nice and polite! However, they totally changed mg impression this time! We drove like 25 mins here for lunch, arrive at 1:27pm, which yelp indicated they close at 2 pm, but the elder lady won't let us sign in, saying they close at 1:30? What? But still no time yet! She's saying we wanna close and we don't have any relation with yelp! Well, I know your business is good, you guys don't care about money! But treat your customers nice! We been here since 2008! Update your hours on yelp, or have yelp delete the business since you don't care yelp at all!!! Hope this helps, bye bye FFT! read more

For being in Hacienda Heights, Foo Foo Tei is a real charm. Some pretty authentic dishes are offered here and the price is very reasonable. On my last visit the party next to me had this huge bowl of ramen that was literally twice the size of their regular bowls.. i inquired about this and for just $3 more you can get pretty much a double portion which is a total steal if you're planning to share. Things you HAVE to order here are their Grilled Squid & if you like creamy stuff they have this Cream base ramen that is my go to ramen dish here. Prepare for a queue time of around 30+ minutes if you're coming here on a weekend.. as the restaurant is quite small. read more

Foo Foo Tei - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hacienda Heights, California

I've had this place bookmarked for years and was so excited to finally try it! Sadly, I haven't had such a terrible experience at a restaurant in a long time. First, the restaurant is really dirty and rundown. I grew up eating at a lot of small Mom and Pop restaurants, so this normally doesn't phase me, but this place literally screams health code violations left and right. Second, the service is beyond horrific. There's a major language barrier with the staff, plus they're downright rude and stingy. We asked for straws for our drinks and were curtly told they don't have straws, but a few minutes later we saw another table with straws, so what gives? When they delivered my ramen, the guy tilted the bowl so badly that a ton of the hot broth spilled all over me and he didn't even apologize, nor offer us anything to try to make up for it. Third, the food is completely overhyped. We ordered the shio (salt) ramen, which was oily, came with an exorbitant amount of sesame seeds and wasn't even close to our favorite place for shio ramen. I tried their famous nanchatte pork tonkotsu, which was interesting. The creamy broth was strange with strong notes of ginger, but otherwise wasn't anything worth driving out of your way for. They use really fatty pork to the point where it's super slippery and nearly opaque, which isn't my personal preference. We also tried the spicy shin-shin ramen, which honestly reminded us of instant ramen with a bunch of random vegetables and garnishes thrown in. We also tried the shrimp tempura (which they charged an additional $4 for), which was probably the best thing we had, but even then, each piece came with way too much batter to the point where we were actually picking some off because it was just too overwhelming. Overall, the experience was negative, disappointing and quite frankly, gross. We ended up rolling over to McDonalds afterwards to make up for the terrible food, poor service and yucky environment. I seriously wonder how anyone can like this place - unless things have changed that dramatically over the last few years. Personally, I will NEVER be back! read more

I didn't know food could taste this good. I'm pretty sure I had a shokugeki no souma moment when I went (ifkyk). Did you know that takoyaki balls could be grilled to hold its shape after its first bite?? That the umami from their matsusake starter soup could taste like a fusion of pork bone broth and bonito flakes? Bonus points on their creativity to bring in fusion style ramen - the mapo tofu ramen was such a pleasant surprise! The details of their tonkatsu omelette curry! What a dish made with love. The curry sauce had a tint of sweetness to it, brought out by the bits of veggies that were subtly incorporated. The tonktsu itself was tender, well-flavored, crispy on the outside, and fell apart on the inside upon touch. I feel humbled by this restaurant. Truly. It is a must go. read more

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AMAZING FOOD, incredibly friendly service, overall probably one of the best ramen places I've ever been to! My girlfriend and I originally had come here because we noticed it had raving reviews, plus my girlfriend's family lives not too far away so we absolutely had to try it. On our second visit, we had taken her family here and they liked it a lot! Food: The ramen here is no doubt one of the best. My personal favorite is Shin Sen Gumi but I think my girlfriend's new favorite is this place! We always get the cream-based ramen bowl and something new to try on the side. We got takoyaki during our first visit (which tasted great!) and chicken wings on our second visit, great with lemon and coleslaw! Their katsu curry dishes are to-die for too because the egg melts in your mouth and the price is definitely worth the amount you get! Service: Service is always super friendly. The Japanese ladies are hardworking and so are the cooks in the back. It's a small restaurant so nobody is ever just standing around. There's never time to relax and I can respect that! Normally, there is a little bit of a wait and parking can be a pain sometimes, but the wait is completely worth it. It's a little out of the way too, but if you're going to spend your money on food, I highly suggest coming here. You won't regret it, I promise. Also another plus, they play the best music -- during our second visit, they played old school Utada Hikaru. That's freakin' tight! read more

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Foo Foo Tei you are totally rocking everything on your menu!! It's not just a ramen store it is a full blown Japanese experience. Yes they have huge bowls of mouth watering ramen but they also sell plenty and dare I say a whole lot of different choices in small plated items. I have been here only twice and have enjoyed both my experiences. The place is pretty old and run down but the staff is still upbeat and knows how to really do service! Enjoyed a squid that was grilled to start off and also a mini tuna bowl as my main dish. I wasn't so hungry today and didn't want to eat the ramen but I did try it last time and would say the portions are gigantic and I can never finish the whole entire bowl. Overall a great dinner and wonderful experience with a few friends. Just be for warned everyone needs to be there if you want to get seated! Tip: Come early to avoid the lines and yes they do have lines!! read more

Why does foo foo tei refuse customers over half an hour before the restaurant closes? Arrived 1:23pm stood in front for a few minutes before I saw they decided to close up. (Lunch hours 11:30am-2pm) As I was standing there tables were clearing. I am so confused and drove 16 miles to be denied. #feelsbad #changehoursofoperation FYI this post isn't related to the food quality. Just the experience from this scenario. read more

A small restaurant kinda hidden away in city of industry that makes really awesome food. They don't reservations, so you have to show up right when they open if you want to find a good seat. In the evenings it's ALWAYS packed and the wait times can be a little bit crazy, especially on the weekends. Their ramen is pretty damn good as is their chicken karage read more

My favorite restaurant. Food is great, the staff is always helpful and nice. It can get busy during lunch and dinner rush but it's ok the food is worth the wait. read more

This was one of the first few places with good ramen back in the days and I would come here for ramen. It would be always be so busy. Haven't came back since after covid and it's still the same yummy ramen. I'm sure it's the same owner too. My favorite is the tan tan men, chicken wings, and fried squid legs. I've tried their other ramen before too and they are so flavorful and good as well. Now that I live so close to it, it's nice to come back often. Highly recommend coming early and expect some wait because it can get really busy. read more

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My boyfriend has been coming here since more than 10 years ago! I love their cream soup based tonkutsu ramen and really like the family restaurant vibe. Really great service too! We will definitely come back! I want to try their omurice. read more

Foo Foo Tei - Nanchatte Tonkutsu ramen - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hacienda Heights, California

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If you're looking for some authentic ramen, this restaurant is the best shot! I ordered the tantan men and it's basically a sweet, soury type of ramen. Doesn't come with meat, more vegetarian style and the broth is definitely not your usual tonkatsu or miso soup, but it's still really good! They have a lot of ramen to choose from and side dishes. Literally everything is so good and worth a try! The only thing I would complain about the wait. It does tend to get long during lunch hours and dinner time so go accordingly, but definitely worth your bucks! read more

Foo Foo Tei - Tan Tantan Men - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hacienda Heights, California

We have been regulars at this restaurant for years but sad to say we will no longer eat there. On 3/114/24 we had one of the worst meals. All five of our meals were below average and only at best half eaten. Don't know the circumstances for their decline but if last night was the indication of a very good eatery gone down hill, sorry not for us anymore. read more

I don't think this place gets the recognition it deserves nor do people realize just how special this restaurant is. They serve Michelin star quality food in a janky restaurant on the industrial outskirts of Hacienda Heights. If this restaurant was anywhere near LA or the west side, they'd be on the news constantly and the weight list would be insane. read more

Foo Foo Tei - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hacienda Heights, California

Unreal - they don't pick up the phone, and I have to line up to order take out? And the waiter was rude to me? Not gonna come back again.

This review is my last experience in the restaurant and the last three times trying to eat at the restaurant. To preface I've been eating at Foo Foo Tei since 2013, it used to be a dinner staple for my coworkers and I after getting off of work. The last time I was able to actually eat at the restaurant in January I was ordering the tempura and beef bowl. My husband ordered the miso ramen. The beef bowl was good and the tempura has always be a go to dish. My husband's ramen however the lacking. Other reviews have also described the ramen bowls lacking the flavor of years last. We also tried to order grilled squid but the waitress forgot to add it onto the bill even though we asked twice. This is the problem with Foo Foo Tei, there has been a steady drop in the service quality of the waitresses and the food flavor is also starting to go down in quality. As others have said, the ramen doesn't taste as good and the tempura I ordered is also lacking in crispness. Before the tempura was piping hot and never soggy, nowadays it's hit or miss. The worst part about the whole experience now is no one answers the phone, the waitresses are rude and impatient, and the hours do not reflect the hours listed. Since new year, my last visit, I come by on three separate occasions and they were closed. Each time we tried to call and assumed no one answered because they were busy. Every time people gathered upset in the lot have said the same thing that the restaurant is loosing its charm and quality. I can no longer recommend this place for friends and I won't be coming back. To be transparent the visit today, they were closed. The hours said in the morning they open at 5:30, surprise it was closed. read more

Taking a late lunch I set my sights on Foo-Foo Tei. I've been there before and I must say that #17 on the menu is the bomb. Nanchatte Tonkotsu Ramen has a combination of flavors and textures that can't be beat. The creamy tofu based broth alone will draw you in with its umami sensation from the salty and sweet ratio that hits your tongue. The chopped green onions and bits of ginger also adds to the broth flavor. The Chashu is delicious with its fattiness and meaty tenderness. The noodles are al dente. But the crowning feature has to go to the soft-boiled egg. The yolk adds to the broth with more creamy goodness and complimentary flavor that will make your eyes roll back in culinary ecstasy. So when you do order this item make sure to add extra Chashu and egg in order to extend your mouth orgasm! read more

Foo Foo Tei - #17 Nanchatte Tonkotsu Ramen! Yum! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hacienda Heights, California

Came here on a Sunday after driving home from Vegas and waited about 15 mins for a table for 2. This place was packed from the lunch rush but was slowly dying down when we got there around 3pm. Parking isn't that great but since we came when it was on the slower end we were able to find parking on the lot right away. There's also not much of a seating in their waiting area, especially if there are big groups. I suggest you know what you want prior that way you get your food in ASAP and before a big party. Service was really good. Probably because we caught them on a slower end, but they were constantly hustling and making sure waters were filled and everything was okay. We ordered the curry ramen, Omelette Curry, and grilled squid. Curry ramen - Most definitely will order this again. The broth was so delicious and the noodles had a nice bite to it. My only con was that I wish there was more meat to it. Omelette Curry - Also good but nothing that went above and beyond. The egg was really fluffy and mixed well with the curry. I usually just always try to order curry because I love it. Grilled squid - this was a bit too fishy for my bf, probably wouldn't order again. Will definitely have to come back with my cousins next time! read more

Foo Foo Tei - Omelette Curry Katsu - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hacienda Heights, California

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I remembered Foo Foo Tei was amazing about 6ish years ago. My sister frequently visits and tells me great things. So I made her take me here. I normally -always get miso ramen or spicy miso ramen. But I decided to go for my sisters option. #17 the Nanchattan Tonkotsu Ramen. The ramen was creamy in texture. I loved the broth, it had such a powerful flavor. I am not a fan of the noodles that had because it doesn't sop up all the soup. The service was fast and friendly, small knit tight restaurant. There is no ventilation, so it gets pretty warm. The one thing I can appreciate with this ramen place is that they have so many options for ramen. From mapotufu ramen-small dishes-home comfort like curry. It was nice to see a place that caters to japanese cuisine in an izakaya rather than ramen. read more

Foo Foo Tei - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hacienda Heights, California

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I'm a regular here so no need to say about their food and service. FYI for their soon vacation. read more

Foo Foo Tei - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hacienda Heights, California

The food is good and the service was attentive. I remember coming here 10 years ago for their ramen and never had a bad experience. I wasn't allowed to get seated until the whole party has arrived. Also, outside drink isn't allowed. My friend had to leave his drink in their fridge and while we got our check, he got his drink back. That's good that they do that so it didn't allow people to just take up space. I like their wide range of menu items, from rice dish to ramen. My party ordered their popular #17 ramen, pork katsu curry, eel and rice, boiled squid, and sea bass. Certain dishes came with miso soup and salad. The salad was really good, I liked the taste and the slice of melon that came with it. Every dish we ordered was really good. I would come back and do recommend this Japanese restaurant. read more

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I tried to call to check the wait and no one answered the phone. The original hours shown today said they'd be open at 5:30 for dinner. When I got to the restaurant people were gathered upset that the restaurant was closed again. Then later I find out they changed the hours in the morning to be just closed. This has happened three times now trying to eat here over the last two months. This place is no longer worth the wait for games of cat and mouse. read more

Here go my all time favorite ramen place. I have been going to this place for 8 years but I never write any review since this food is so good it gave me food coma all the dishes on the pictures are what I have been loving for years. Honestly, nothing on their menu is bad as I already ate them all. This is just the pics from my recent visit. Ten-shin ramen and green tea calpico are the must for me. Shout out to the chefs for amazing food and shout out to the waiters/waitresses for always being attentive, hard-working, patient and friendly despite being super busy and overwhelmed. The only down side is that the restaurant is not opened entire day, and they close every Monday and Tuesday, which I find it kinda sad since those are now my only days off and I can't seem to enjoy the food lately no more. However I still definitely recommend! read more

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