Bland broths. Ordered Tonkatsu Ramen and got some fried mystery meat that was not slices of pork…read more(not fried). They declined to fix the order saying it is how they make it. Never seen it like this before and won't try it again as I prefer the sliced (not fried) pork in a soup. (Besides, breaded fried foods don't mix well in a soup). The Chicken Buns were delicious and so was the chili sauce.

Wonderful Japanese soul-food Ramen spot focused on high-quality homemade ingredients and innovative…read morenoodle-soup recipes located at the modern Galleria 7 in Latham. Try the outstanding Tonkatsu, with slow cooked tender chashu, springy straight noodles bobbing in simmered broth, a dozen or so available toppings, all prepared by a highly-skilled Ramen chef. A Ramen destination spot!

I took a trip to Albany with my family to visit the Capitol, and we were on the hunt for a good…read moreplace to eat. A quick Google search for ramen led us to Tanpopo Ramen. Pulling up, I'll admit--I was a bit confused. From the outside, it looked more like an old-school diner than a ramen spot. But at that point, we were committed (and not about to turn back toward NYC), so we decided to give it a shot. I'm really glad we did. The interior is no-frills and a bit tight for a family of five, but the staff made it work and got us settled comfortably. We started with edamame, which was perfectly seasoned, and shrimp and vegetable gyoza that the kids absolutely devoured. I also grabbed a Sapporo to wash it all down--solid start. Then came the main event. We ordered a mix: chicken ramen, beef stew ramen, two tonkotsu with double chashu, and a red curry ramen. The only dish that didn't quite stand out was the chicken ramen--it wasn't bad, just not as flavorful as the others. The tonkotsu ramen? Total hit. Both of my kids demolished their bowls--nothing left behind. My wife went all in on the beef stew ramen and loved it so much it sparked a debate at the table about how it stacks up against some Manhattan spots. And then there was my dish--the red curry ramen. Shoutout to our waitress for the recommendation. It had the perfect balance of salt, savory depth, and heat. The broth was this vibrant, bright red that just looked incredible--and tasted even better. Easily one of the top three ramen bowls I've ever had. I had my doubts walking in, but don't make that mistake. This place is a hidden gem. My only knock on the place is the table size for a family of five. Service was great. Now I need more excuses to come up to Albany just to visit this place!

Decided to come back after not visiting in probably the last 8-10 years as I was really craving a…read morebig bowl of ramen. Service was very blah. Upon entering, the girl behind the counter just stared at us. No greeting. No direction on where to sit. No smile. We assumed it was self seating so we found a booth. She came over, poured our waters, still said nothing. We had about 45 mins until the restaurant closed so I'm unsure of what the cold attitude was for, as there were still 4-5 other patrons there eating as well. My friend is a vegetarian and ordered the veggie dumplings, and I had the same but with meat. Once the plates arrived, the one set in front of me was green, and his not. I figured I would double check to make sure we had the correct ones - I didn't want him to end up eating the meat ones if it could be avoided. Sure enough, the plates were mixed up. Honestly seemed to be done purposefully because it's very clear they are 2 different orders. The texture was chewy/foamy and they also tasted like old grease. Disappointing but we still had soups to look forward to. Our ramen finally arrived and I was hoping it would be the redemption moment of the evening but it wasn't. It really lacked any depth of flavor. Again the meat was chewy instead of tender. More distracting was how we awkwardly felt rushed as the server was shutting off lights and music...again...with at least 15 mins until the kitchen closing time. She seemed annoyed we asked for to go containers. At no point did she check in with us, refill waters, or even crack any resemblance of a smile. I used to love this little spot when I was in college. It was cozy, delicious, inviting. Couldn't have had more of the opposite experience this time around! And for this reason I would not return. I will travel to Colonie for Kuma Ani for better food and MUCH better service. TLDR; this place is extremely overrated

Cute place that offers large selection of boba tea and giant sushi. Staff is fast and efficient and…read morethe decor is very modern.

This is a cute place. I would say i instagrammable! :- ) they have 2 screens where you could order…read more We ordered the tonkatsu ramen and i ordered the brown sugar boba. The ramen is OK but I think they could add more flavor. The milk tea needs more flavor too. It is so light that I am not really enjoying what Im drinking. The service is great. They give you your order right away. For now, this is a place that it's good to try or you want to hang out with friends but unfortunately, it's not something that I would crave for.

I can't comment about the food because - much to my great surprise - it's a take-out place and not…read morereally a restaurant, which I was looking for, so I didn't stay. There's a small sitting area with very uncomfortable furniture.

The ramen continues to be really good at Koi. Once again my wife ordered the Tofu Vegetable Ramen…read more(still $14.97 after 2 years) and enjoyed the flavors and quality of the ingredients. I tried the Tom Yam Ramen ($14.97) with shrimp, and the standard scallion, bean sprouts, bamboo, corn, and half of a hard boiled egg. The tom yam broth is listed on the menu with one hot pepper for spiciness, but I did not notice any spiciness at all. However, it still had a delicious blend of flavors with lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, and fish sauce. We tried the Pork Belly Bao Buns ($9.95) for the first time and were very pleased with the textures and flavor of the buns. Definitely something we'd order again. Hopefully, the next time we'll remember to try the Takoyaki ($9.25), crispy octopus balls. I'm increasing my rating to reflect consistency in our enjoyment of the food as we try additional items on the menu. Service continues to be fast, friendly, and efficient.

Very good bowl of ramen. Tasty broth, lots of noodles. I had with grilled shrimp that were nice…read more Came at a quiet time and service was fast. Pleasant, professional young man working the tables. I like it and will return when I'm on the area.

This is just the best thing! Spicy Cucumber Garlic. That's it. That's the caption. Marinated…read morecucumber, peanuts, fresh cilantro, with reeeeally nice sweet, spicy, & garlicky notes that just make you SMACK! It's so damn good with so many textures and FLAVOR! The first time I had it there was some sort of delicious spicy green sauce for the marinade, but they have since changed the recipe! IM NOT MAD AT IIIIITTTTT!! Big bonus note: they're kindest people! I've never dined in, but the atmosphere is very inviting! Get there people!

Tanpopo in Schenectady is just as good food wise as its Albany counterpart. The ambience feels…read moreless cozy and colder than the Albany location. The trendy black walls and industrial decor are ok, but nothing beats the feel of the old Albany building. In Schenectady you will always typically be able to be seated and not have a long wait. It's a great place for lunch as well. Service is always wonderful there too.

I had an atypical visit to Tanpopo because it was 3 in the afternoon on a blistering hot day, I…read moreneeded to find a bathroom, and the bakery next door I had come to patronize was closed for Juneteenth. Also I hadn't eaten lunch so decided to make lemonade out of lemons, or dashi out of stinky fish for a better analogy, and have me a bowl of ramen. The tonkatsu ramen, my standard order, had excellent porky, fatty broth. Five stars. I need egg in my ramen though and the slices of kameboko were not a satisfactory substitute. Also instead of pork belly they use pork loin, albeit tender with a nice five-spice flavoring. I was the only customer except for a couple of takeout orders so can't review standard levels of ambience and service. The decor is like some older places in LA's Sawtelle neighborhood; it seems to be a part of an earlier generation Japanese-American aesthetic that you don't mind worn vinyl and wooden fixtures or a counter used for random repairs that is clearly in view of the clientele. I found it charming in a funky way.

Busy day running errands. Feeling hungry. No time to get home for lunch. I'm passing Taichi Bubble…read moreTea & Ramen. It's a Taiwan-Asian fusion-inspired fast food chain but I was down for this. It's been more than a year since my last meal here. I don't know if they changed their menu but I experienced a bit of a relearning curve in ordering ramen at the front counter. First, I needed to pick a broth. I chose Tonkotsu ramen, which is ramen in Japanese pork bone broth. Then, I needed to pick a protein which was shrimp and I asked for the meal to be extra spicy. It only took a few minutes. I could hear it being prepared in the kitchen. The young woman at the register was helpful and patient as I made my selection. Definitely convenient. The ramen was good. I got a lot of shrimp and I liked the little slices of fish cake with pink flower designs. The decor has undergone slight changes since I last visited. It seems there are better displays and more varieties of merch. It's still very clean, bright and cheerful. There are still plenty of young customers. Given its close proximity to SUNY Albany that should be no surprise. I liked the playlist, too. R & B and Hip Hop played in the background. Loud enough so that you could definitely hear it but low enough so that students who were dining--some in groups-- could comfortably hold conversations. I didn't plan to come here but my stomach growled. It was a nice, relaxing lunch that hit the spot.

Wow- this might be the worst poke we have ever gotten…read more The interior is beautiful, clean and bright, too bad the food wasn't. We ordered our dishes with two proteins- there was more cucumber than fish! I bring it up because I could actually count the 3 pieces of tuna and salmon in my bowl. The "wasabi" sauce is not only radioactive green but is 100% mayo- no wasabi flavor at all and SLATHERED all over the bowl. Service was great, but the presentation and the quality of food (especially for the money) is not worth it. Very disappointed.

Decent place. The steamed chicken buns were really good. Not a lot of flavor to the ramen and they…read moremixed up all of the orders with my family. Super nice staff and good bubble tea

Great experience and value here! The space is bright, open and clean. I got a taro milk tea with…read morebrown sugar boba and 2 2-protein make your own poke bowls. Yum! The food was fresh and lots of choices. I also like that avocado isn't an extra cost, which it is at many other poke restaurants. I look forward to returning for some of their spicy ramen!

I ordered take out and it was ready quickly. Parking was easy and the place was clean. I got the…read moresteamed gyoza and spicy gyu ramen with enoki mushrooms. The food was incredible! I cannot wait to go back and try something different.

It looks good in photos. But is not good in practicality…read more Tonkotsu ramen: Overall preparation was great, it was hot, pork was nicely cooked. But Flavors were not good at all, poor quality ingredients. - broth flavor: 2/5, does not taste good. Not quite awful, but unpleasant. - pork char-siu: 2/5. Not good. Not much flavor. - soft boiled egg: 2/5. No flavor. Bland. Not properly prepared. And why cabbage? That's a weird choice. Gyoza: 2/5 Also prepared very nicely. Cooked perfectly. But flavor inside was devoid. Tastes like nothing, just the chewiness of chicken and slight unpleasant taste of mediocre cabbage. Service and ambiance are fine.