Deeeeeeelicious! One of the best meals we had on our London vacation. The service (shout out to our lovely waiter!) was warm, friendly and helpful... and then, the ramen was the best I've ever had. I ordered the chili chicken ramen- just the right amount of spicy where you're like WHOOO! Not AGHGH. I loved that the pulled chicken was all white meat! And the broth and noodle combo was perfection. Highly recommend the pork gyoza too. This meal was so good, we brought our son back later in the week! read more

It was our first evening in London, and this was the first dinner of our vacation. Jamie W. and I didn't make any reservations anywhere because we weren't sure jet lag was going to decimate us. It didn't. In fact, we had enough energy to explore SoHo's nightlife and thought this might be a good place to grab a bite. Hmm, not really. It was quite mediocre. We were led to a table for two by a server who didn't appear to have interest in serving. There was another more animated server, but he was busy entertaining the two ladies sitting next to us. My ears were bleeding from his constant mispronunciation of Japanese food dishes. We made our order through the bored guy and started with the £7.75 Chicken Karaage (photo: https://yelp.to/7-dU0KJmzO). Barely decent enough and overly fried. There was merely a spot of aioli for dipping. Jamie ordered the £13.45 Chicken & Courgette Katsu Curry as his main. He didn't know a courgette was just a sliced zucchini, so he was disappointed by the ratio of food to sauce, especially the paucity of rice (photo: https://yelp.to/2k-ZrBPUYJ). I ordered the small £9.95 Tokyo Ramen. They weren't kidding about the size which was comparable to a miso soup bowl. The chicken broth was a complete miss, and the noodles were sadly overcooked. The one positive aspect was the thin slice of pork belly which took over the whole bowl (photo: https://yelp.to/_tx6O99jgS). The ramen was billed as "New and improved", so I'd hate to taste what it was like before. FOOD - 2 stars...subpar Japanese standards AMBIANCE - 3 stars...trendy enough to fit snugly in SoHo SERVICE - 2 stars...disinterested TOTAL - 2 stars...no go katsu and ramen in SoHo RELATED - Exploring London? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3zFACrx read more

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I've been here twice so far and would come back. The tonkatsu ramen is authentic,, the noodles are fresh, the gyoza options are solid. A good option if you're looking for something casual, easy, and you're craving authentic ramen read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Tonkatsu Ramen - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

Buzzy ramen place in Soho. Came here solo for an early weeknight dinner, and was seated at the bar just inside the entrance. Didn't have to wait at all. The reviews are a bit mixed, but overall the food, service, and experience were a well-earned four stars. My favorite dish was their Cauliflower Chicken Wings. The ramen was okay, brother good but I didn't like the noodles which is why I'd give the ramen a 3.5/5 rating. read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Cauliflower Chicken Wings - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Nice ramen shop in Soho with a variety of ramen options to try out. The one I ordered had the perfect spice level and the broth was especially delicious. My favorite was the chicken karagae that I ordered as an appetizer. It was super crispy and juicy and the lemon was a nice touch! read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Firstly, the service was very good here. Even though we were sitting outside we were always checked on and our server was very nice. It was lovely sitting outside as well, great people watching and everything. As for the food, it was not super expensive and we got edamame and 2 chili chicken ramens. I am not good at handling my spice so I asked if the chili chicken ramen was very spicy and our server said no so I ordered it, and it was very spicy :( I would prefer if the server was honest about that which is why I removed one star. I could appreciate how delicious the ramen was nonetheless, but definitely would have preferred honesty. read more

As a ramen aficionado, the product at this place is very sub-par. The noodles were overcooked, the pork felt tough and old, the sliced egg's yolk was drying out as if it had been sitting in a warmer for some time, and the broth quantity was low. Service was average and got the food to the table but nothing more. The space itself is pleasant enough if a bit loud. Would definitely carry on to one of the many other eateries in the area. read more

The tonkatsu is the way to go, I went with the seafood ramen and regretted the choice. Tasted my friend's tonkatsu ramen and it was amazing. Noodles have great texture. Tiny restaurant, sharing tables is expected. Great alcohol selection and tasty chili oil. Go early, long lines at peak times. Menu pics attached. read more

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All the restaurants we pretty full on that weekend. Finding a table was nearly impossible, especially with our dog. So we looked for a restaurant with an outside table. After not finding any on the restaurants we preferred, we took our chance here, didn't check any reviews in advance. We only waited a few minutes until one of the two tables outside were available. It's not a big menu they have. Mostly Ramen, some Gyoza and a few sides. But that's fine, better have a small menu and do it right. We've been in Japan before and know good Ramen. It's not an easy thing to get right. So we didn't expect anything. But the Ramen (the "Tonkotsu") turned out to be pretty good. Flavours were good and the broth quite rich. It's not on par with the real Japanese Ramen, but for what it is, it was a good meal. Could have had more "oomph", could be richer, but for a Ramen Shop in Soho, London it's not a bad meal at all. For drinks we had some Sake and Asahi. Service was a bit unexperienced, but very friendly. read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Dessert - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Been to Dean St a few times and was always intrigued if this ramen place is nice so we gave it a go tonight. Ordered the pork gyoza, chilli chicken wings and Tonkotsu ramen. The gyoza was quite nice, but wasn't blown away by it. Thought the wings were really nice and tasty - that I recommend. But this is a ramen restaurant so this review is all about the ramen. The broth looked very rich but was disappointed by the taste - it was bland. The noodles were nice, bouncy but firm. Sad that the broth didn't deliver the taste. I'd come back for the chilli chicken but not the ramen. read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Pork gyoza and chilli chicken wings - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Great Ramen Shop in Soho! We tried the Chili Chicken and Seafood Ramen. The food came out really great and the service was prompt. Seating is limited and we were seated outside which was good. read more

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I promised an update when I re-visited after the restaurant had officially opened. I last visited on their soft opening week. So, what changes? Firstly, they've opened an upstairs seating area though I was seated at the kitchen counter. This area was actually a bit disapppointing - most chef's counters are fun because you can see the chefs hard at work, which is great for a foodie like me and sometimes you get teh chance to chat to them. The chef's counter at Tonkotsu is very low and it feels quite isolated but fortunately, I had my iPhone to entertain me as the lighting was too dim to read My favourite style of ramen is tonkatsu ramen. Incidentally, Kevin L and I weren't sure whether there's any difference between tonkatsu and tonkotsu ramen and he thought it may differ according to whether beef bones are used in the making of the stock. In any case, I love that the most because a good tonkatsu stock is so full of fatty goodness and flavour which comes from boiling it for hours I supplemented the ramen with some tofu. Described as silken on the menu and home made by the waiter, I was glad to be able to confirm that the large slab of tofu was indeed very smooth - the toppings of bonito flakes and spring onion were enhanced with a little dash of soya sauce, on advice from the waiter Then came the piece de resistance - the tonkotsu ramen. The first impression was that the stock looked a little pale, unlike other tonkatsu ramens that I had eaten. However, I dived in with an open mind and it was certainly a big improvement on the Tokyo spicy ramen I had had before. It tasted meaty but still lacked the power and wholesome artery-destroying goodness of the stock of somewhere like Cocoro. However, in mitigation, the pork chashu was really tender and the egg was yolk-quiveringly perfect I was struggling to decide on the final star rating when I suddenly realised the acid test. When I leave Cocoro, the bowl is empty because I've slurped every last drop of the stock but at Tonkotsu, the stock remained in the bowl. So, despite Tonkotsu being £2 cheaper, Cocoro still holds the 'Yee Gan Best Tonkotsu Ramen in London' title read more

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I'm here for lunch. Ramen is good and the broth is delicious! I thought I am in the WWII era. There is a white peoples and Asians sections. On the back of the restaurant is all white peoples are seated on the back! But, Asians are sitting on the front. I had never felt so bad after a bowl of ramen. Is the Asians are less or doesn't get deserved to have better seating in the restaurant!! This is 21th century!! read more

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This was the first place I ate at on my visit to London and I can't say that I was too impressed. The ramen wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. I ordered the tonkotsu and found the flavor a bit bland for what is supposed to be 16-hour long marinated base. The portions on the starters were also quite small for the price, although they were very tasty. After all was said and done, the waitress didn't give us a check after clearing our table for probably about 15 or 20 minutes, while we sat there waiting, empty table and all. She walked past us multiple times without gauging that it was time for the check, until when I finally asked her she responded "oh, had you already asked?" which seemed to imply that it was our faults for not asking her in the first place. I thought maybe it was a U.K. thing but since going to other restaurants and being handed a check as normal after food is eaten, decided that the service just wasn't very good at Tonkotsu. read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Tonkotsu ramen - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

There's a trifecta of Japanese/ramen shops in this part of London--Kanada ya, Koya, and Tonkotsu. The decor is eclectic and yet the feel of the place is very warm. Don't be fooled by the lack of a queue outside. The place can seat plenty. We ordered the gyoza, pork and prawns, and both were good. And all us had the house special--the Tonkotsu. The broth was rich, creamy, and spiced perfectly. Served with pork, booked egg, and spiced bamboo shoots. But the winner was the noodles. They were thin, perfectly cooked, and held the broth well. Well worth the visit. read more

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Having lived on authentic tonkotsu ramen in Japan for 3 years, I was so happy when this place opened up. I've taken friends here and have been many times myself. Along with just one other place in soho this is authentic Japanese fodder, at least as authentic as you'll find in London; one spoon of the broth and I'm back in Oita. The waitress was so accommodating of my group, one friend didn't want the broth, so had some sides and then the ramen without the broth, no hassle at all! The gyoza were delicious and the Asahi on draft topped the experience. Make a night if it and pop to karaoke box around the corner after for a night of Japanese fun! read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Incredible, authentic tonkotsu ramen in London. - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

Great experience ! Very nice people, very good food very tasty (the gyoza were extra), nice and cosy place. And the prices more than ok! Basically I was totally full for 15£ I will definitely recommand to give it a try if are in the neighbourhood Oh, btw, the chilli chicken ramen, is spicy.. be aware eheh! read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Vegetarian gyoza - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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I live in the Bay Area and travel to Asia often and I can't believe my luck when I found out one of my favorite ramen dish is actually in London - the duck ramen salad! This is the dish that's making me sign up on yelp to write my first review. It's not typical ramen but the flavor is so nicely balanced and the texture refreshing... it's becoming my must have for every London trip. I've taken my kids here too and they slurp down the noodles in no time. I've been to two locations and loved both of them - cozy and friendly. What a gem. read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - duck ramen salad - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

Oh Tonkotsu! You could be so good (apart from the Tonkotsu!) It took me a while to try this place (I was excited by the good reviews and worried by the bad reviews) I mean Andrew even gave them one star! I reserve 1 star reviews for truly crappy companies like BT, Virgin and tesco extra...how could a ramen shop possibly be that bad!? Well...it wasn't that bad, in fact, most of it was truly excellent: - 5* - The karaage chicken was gooood. You could taste all the lovely marinated flavours and it was succulent on the inside and uber crunchy on the outside. - 5* - The gyoza are handmade, so don't expect them to look pretty, but the taste was fantastic. They also provide all the right condiments If you're not sure what to do: add some vinegar, soy and spicy oil into the dipping space... then dunk before you eat. You'll look like a pro. - 4* - The Tokyo ramen was really good, almost as good as Ittenbari. The pork belly meat was lovely, the egg was squidgy (although a bit chilled) the broth was good, but better with some spice from the chilli oil. But... - 2* - Unfortunately the Tonkotsu itself was a bit disappointing. The broth has a good creamy texture, but just didn't taste of much, and the meat was chewy and fatty (but not in a melt-in-your-mouth-joy fatty way ...just tough and unpleasant) So, I liked it, but I wouldn't come back for the actual tonkotsu soup. p.s. I heard a few people ordering karaage and pronouncing it "ca-rage" with a soft g (Eeep!) Please try to say "ka-ra-a-geh" otherwise I am pretty sure somewhere-or-other Japanese chicken fairies will be dying of language-massacre-despair. read more

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Good place with good staff. The ramen is quite good. It's weird that they charge for mayo with the chicken but it was good anyway. I'd say this is second best just after Ippudo on the ranking. read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Tonkotsu ramen - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Tonkotsu had the friendliest service out of all the Soho ramen shops I visited, which somewhat makes up for the ramen itself not being top-notch. I got the Tokyo ramen, with pork and chicken stock, classic noodles, bamboo shoots, marinated and braised pork belly, and a seasoned egg. The ingredients were on point, but the execution failed. The noodles weren't al dente enough, the meat base was overwhelmed by soy sauce, and the pork belly was dried out. Too bad, because as I said, the service is great. If you sit at the bar, you get really friendly, attentive service not just from your server, but from the cooks. read more

My partner and I ended up here from strolling around the SoHo area with all the amazing lights and shops. We were unsure how the queue all works so we went straight in to put our name down then proceeded to wait outside. There was a large party infront of us that was smoking so we have decided to wait infront of the restaurant instead to avoid the smoking. However still waiting... The host ended up sitting a party that came WAY later than us... I cannot begin to even wrap my head around this logic. I can confirm that the HOST and the COUPLE that walked in later were NOT friends. The host & manager is a racist. HE deliberately gave his own kind of people (he was also Caucasian) a table first and made US (asian) another additional 10 mins. This is unacceptable in any way/ form. This is also NOT how you bridge culture. We wanted some comfort food but was instead fed with this situation. I tried to bring this up to a manager but it turns out the manager was also the host. In the end was NOT able to bring this issue to anyone that night. Only GOD will know how many parties he has done this too. Imagine those that do not speak any English and was not aware this was happening. I feel terrible for the new customers that are about to walk in and have their tables given away to their own Caucasian people. At this day and age, we need to avoid places like this. PLEASE BE AWARE! And SPREAD AWARENESS. Unacceptable. I also advise people of color like me to please report anything they see to the police. I filled a police report so they have this on record. I encourage you all to speak up under these circumstances and keep fighting. read more

Having read about Tonkotsu in the press, but cross-checking it with Yelp reviews, Tonkotsu didn't make my list of places that I must try while walking around Soho. That being said, as my fiance and I were in search of food after hitting up Milroy's for whiskey, and a pint at Dog & Duck, we found ourselves wandering around the area looking for something that would hit the spot on a chilly (but pleasant) October night. Randomly, I came across Tonkotsu and immediately said, "WAIT! I've read about this place! Let's try it!". Having come from San Francisco, born and raised in LA, and with someone who spends a fair amount of time in New York, both of us were ready and eager to see what Tonkotsu brought to the table from a ramen perspective. I confess that my last ramen experience in the UK was Wagamama, and I really only have one word that sums of that experience: waste of time. So, when Tonkotsu rolled out a bowl of beautiful pork stock and thin noodles topped with slices of pork belly, half an egg, menma, bean sprouts and spring onions, I was thoroughly impressed! The stock was more flavourful that I was expecting, and not overly salty or rich like I've had at other places. The noodles were al dente, which is also a change from what I'm used to, but not in a bad way. The bowls came out incredibly fast, so service here was on point. On the other hand, a few things that were a little disappointing: the egg and the pork. The egg was not exactly soft-boiled, I'd describe it more like 90% on its way to being hard-boiled. And, the inside of it was cold. I definitely prefer the creamy egg with a soft-warm middle. And then the pork. Unfortunately I think most people here have had the same general experience with the pork where it's slightly overcooked (which I would gather gives it the "soft" texture) but lacked a lot of flavor and was sort of just chewy. A girl next to me ordered the Tokyo ramen, which also looked delicious, but it seemed fitting to order the namesake dish this time around. Overall, not a bad place to randomly come across, I know that Tonkotsu definitely exceeded my expectations when it came down to a bowl of soup in London. read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Tonkotsu ramen - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

My first time having real ramen and it was so very good! I was adventurous and had the smoked haddock Ramon with fish roe and it was very tasty. My friend had the classic ramen and they were very satisfied! The noodles are very light and you won't feel weighed down after your meal just satisfied. read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - My delicious ramen! With smoked haddock - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

Ramen isn't bad, but it's not great either. Comparing the ramen here to other's I have tried in London doesn't put this restaurant on top, but it doesn't put it on the bottom either.. It's maybe the 4th best in London.. The broth just doesn't have that really yummy taste which you associate with tonkotsu ramen. I did eat here a couple of times, but just because the restaurant is conveniently located in Soho and the ramen does satisfy a ramen crazing. I did have the salted caramel ice-cream sandwich for dessert which was very yummy! The gyoza are good too (better than gyoza's at Gyoza Bar in Covent Garden!). The interior of this restaurant is nice too. Paid £48 for 2 starters, 2 ramens, 2 soft drinks and dessert. I would recommend to come here if you're interested in the ramen that London has to offer. read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Tonkotsu Ramen - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

The ambiance seemed fairly authentic and maybe it was the authentic feeling that set my expectations very high. The menu explained that the home-made ramen noodles were cooked exactly 32 seconds and to tell them if you wanted something different. They also said, that any shop that didn't make their own noodles was just a soup shop. I ordered pork fried gyoza and their tonkotsu ramen - what should be their key basic order. The gyoza was fine. It was what you might expect in an average ramen place in Japan. Slightly small and on the light side. The tonkotsu ramen wasn't too big, which was fine for me. However, the soup was really thick. Tonkotsu stock is made from pork bones and lard so it is traditionally fairly thick, but this was unusually so in my opinion. It was also very un-salty --- this isn't a bad thing, but tasted kind of "off" for my palette. There was soy sauce but no extra salt on the table so I couldn't "fix" it. My slightly outdated impression of the UK was that everything was salty but maybe that's an old impression and London has swung the other way and become sodium-conscious, but the soup was very salt-free from a Japanese ramen baseline. The noodles with skinny and cooked just right. No complaints there. The roast pork was fine - fairly standard. They had a Tokyo style chicken ramen with clear broth which I might try next time. I'll try again sometime and try another ramen. I won't be ordering their signature tonkotsu ramen again, though. The staff were friendly and there were lots of interesting things on the menu such as hiyashi (cold) ramen and interesting cocktails that I'd like to try. read more

Where to start? This wasn't the worst Ramen I've ever had. The noodles and broth were ok. It was the toppings that ruined it. Mainly the BUG my friend found in his. Yes, there was a fly in his bowl of ramen. I'm sure this happens in the nicest of restaurants, but when it's you, it's not okay. The flavor of the egg just wasn't that great, and the pork was a little tough. This might be because they don't slice the pork here. Most ramen I have had the pork is sliced thin. Here it comes in big chunks. So why two stars and not one? The service was great. You could tell he was truly embarrassed and sorry about the bug. He comped both of our meals, and kept apologizing. Was it enough to make me go back? Not a chance, but not because of the fly. I'm sure that wasn't supposed to be there. It was the toppings that were there on purpose that truly disappointed me. read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

Traveling during the winter, if you're cold this may just hit the spot. Granted it's the combination of cold weather and eating soup that makes it a lot better than it really is. If Ichiran and Ippudo is what you're expecting, look no further here's the generic off brand. Lukewarm, bad execution on the egg and chashu pork, with a bland imitation broth, I should've know better the moment I noticed there was not one single Japanese cook or server in here. read more

I came to Tonkotsu with a few friends for dinner to try some ramen in London. I ordered the original ramen and my friend and I shared pork gyoza. Everything was really good! The ramen was just really really rich, so I couldn't finish half of it. The gyoza was so easy to eat, I popped them in my mouth so fast! I only gave Tonkotsu 3 stars because the broth was so rich I couldn't finish it, but the flavor of the broth was great. If you can handle really fatty broth this is the place for you! read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - Gyoza and Tonkotsu ramen - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

I love Tonkotsu, as I know origial Tonkotsu rame in Kyushu, but this place is so convenient when you are hungry between shopping. Ramen is tasty & very quick service, but I just can't help wishing they can add an option for Beni Shoga (red pickled ginger) - without it, Tonkotsu Ramen is not complete. read more

Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen - perfect quick snack / lunch between shopping. With a glass of wine, of cause. - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

Wow! I woke up this morning thinking about something firm, tasty and delish! craving and wanting more! Yes folks, Tonkotsu noodles (Tokyo spicy to be precise) faaarking great!! This is a low key, casual Japanese eatery specialising in delish bowls of noodles served up in a pork broth (simmered for 18hrs to be specific) filled with flavoursome and tender shredded pork topped off with half a semi soft boiled egg & lovely tasty veg. They also serve Tonkotsu ramen (pork bones make an appearance here as part of the broth,think creamy, rich moments) which is also faaarkin delish! Sides of loveliness, including edamame, tofu, deep fried chicken to name but a few, are there to add to this lovely experience of food heaven (if you like noodle dishes that is, if you don't normally, give this place a try, bet it will leave you wanting access to this particular food heaven too). Sake is also star of this eatery, as are the lovely wait staff. Yeah, faaarkin tasty as faark! Love love love!! read more

Tonkotsu is definitely the real deal when it comes to ramen. They're doing 50% off until Sunday off all food, so get down there! We were lucky enough to get a table today after a short queue. The menu is very short - a selection of appetizers such as gyozas, edamame, and then two choices of ramen. You can choose from 'tonkotsu' or 'miso' broths. The ramen is really really good, and the broth is so flavourful. You can definitely taste the richness of the broth, and the egg is a bright shade of orange and with just enough gooey-ness. The pork is not too fatty + you get two slices of moist delicious pork. The noodles are definitely on the chewier sides as opposed to soft, which is how I like them cooked. Service was definitely slow - we had to ask for the bill twice, and the appetizers basically arrived at the same time as our ramen. I can't really deduct any points for that because they're haven't officially opened yet. This is definitely my new go-to spot for ramen. Highly recommended! read more

I've looked forward to the time I could try out Tonkotsu. When the minds behind this were still looking for a space and ran Tsuru Ramen pop-up to test out recipes, I was a frequent customer going to no less than 3 of their pop-up sessions. Each time, I loved the ramen that was served up, devoured as many servings of gyoza and kara-age as I could, and revelled in the sweetness of the Umeshu and the dry crisp flavour of the cold sake. My main gripe was that it was bloody hard to get tickets for the very limited seating pop-up sessions so the idea of a permanent location serving such wonderful noodle offerings was A+ in my book. Unfortunately, like so many pop-ups/food trucks turned brick and mortar, something has been lost. I don't know if I should attribute this to the need to be more cost-effective, the difficulties in catering to larger numbers of people continuously, or a transition from owner-driven to employee-prepared. Whatever it is, the end result is a poor shadow of the glory of the Tsuru pop-ups and it seems that they've taken all the great research and feedback they must have got during the pop-up time (and I know that a number of Yelpers and myself had a long chat with one of the owners during the pop-up meal) and thrown it out the window. Even in its relatively short life as a brick and mortar, Tonkotsu has modified its menu with the most notable change being the replacement of the Tokyo Spicy broth (which alone was a reason to go) with a generic shoyu (soy-based) broth. First, this is a no-reservation place to be prepared to wait. We were crowded into the narrow entrance/exit portion which meant you get pressed into everyone like sardines (think the Northern line at peak times) and even more so when someone tries to get out. The only benefit is that you get to watch the guys make the Ramen but the chefs studiously ignore everyone. Come on, guys, if you are going to have an open plan kitchen in the window and next to the line of hungry customers, get some entertainment going which would make us all a lot happier about waiting. Finally, after about 20 minutes, the two of us were lead to an upstairs table. Now they've crammed the covers in (which I don't mind too much) but it does mean there is no space for jackets, bags, and anything else you may be carrying (in my case, cycle helmet and some shopping). The menu is fairly limited with a handful of starters and sides and three types of Ramen: Tonkotsu (pork broth), Tokyo (soy-based broth), and a mushroom and miso broth. The gyoza looked a bit gummy (we got a close view of the table next to us who ordered it) so we opted for the kara-age and tempura prawns. Both were decent with a good crunchy coating and very little oiliness. Both could also have done with a bit more seasoning or perhaps a bit more sauce to dip in but overall an adequate start to the meal. Ramen-wise, we ordered a Tonkotsu and a Tokyo. I asked what happened to the Tokyo Spicy and was informed that I could just add chilli oil to the Tokyo to make it spicy. Now, first off, that's completely different from a broth that has been designed to be spicy and second, the chilli oil had about as much heat as a snowball. The Tonkotsu was extremely disappointing and lacked in flavour. Now I don't mean it wasn't as meaty as I wanted it to be, but rather that it wasn't meaty at all and tasted of water that may have seen some pork in passing. The pieces of meat were limp and greasy (not in a good way!) that made you feel as if they had been boiled down for the stock and then thrown back in. Which would be acceptable had there been any taste to the broth. The Tokyo was better although the meat was still disappointing. The egg was tasty and well seasoned but there were few veggies and the noodles could have done with a little more cooking time. I'd wager the broth wasn't hot enough before being poured over the noodles which caused this problem. A bit unacceptable when this is quite literally your stock in trade. The best part of the meal was the end, and I mean that only partially due to dessert. We got a selection of mochi to share: chocolate, salted caramel, and yuzu (a lemony fruit). The chocolate was good but a bit generic, the salted caramel tasty although could use a bit more salt for my personal tastes, and the yuzu incredible. Yuzu has a delicate lemon flavour that both teases and refreshes. In a mochi (a ball of ice cream covered in a thin sweet and soft dough), the balance between sweetness and tartness is perfect. Drinks were average with two of the four cocktails involving umeshu, a plum wine. Which is fine, as long as you have umeshu...which of course they didn't. How do you run out of something that central to your cocktail menu at 7pm on a Friday? And if you do, run down the street to Chinatown or Japan Centre and buy it! So a drinks fail as our first two choices were not available and we ended up with some tea. Bah! read more

Two floors of a vibrant steamy Japanese noodle bar with a buzzing atmosphere. A feel of street food and full of rich aromas. Prawn Katsu and pork Gyoza starters followed by the eponymous house special, a rich pork broth (prepared for 16 hours with herb infused Lardo) laced with braised pork belly. All consumed in front of a busy open kitchen. Reasonably priced with affordable house wine (and saki!), a great way to start or end an evening. read more

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Hmm, so there's been some disappointment with the Tonkotsu broth, eh? I went with the spicy style one, and I really liked it! Flavourful pulled pork, spicy, but not too spicy broth with nice depth, well-cooked ramen noodles, and a semi-hard boiled egg = really tasty and something I'd certainly return for when the craving hits. We also had the prawn gyoza and I thought those had great flavour as well-- no real need for dipping sauce, even. Real spice-lovers will probably be disappointed with the lack of spiciness, given the name, but I think even people who don't particularly like spicy will like this broth. So what have we learned, class? Listen to your yelpers. Get the spicy broth. read more

This has become one of my go-to places in London. You won't regret coming here! Great atmosphere, friendly service and authentic ramen.

As a ramen junkie from NYC, I've been exploring the ramen scene in London and have been very impressed. I am a fan of tonkotsu ramen so I had to check out Tonkotsu! If they are confident enough to name the restaurant after their signature then it must be good! I stopped in for a late lunch (no queues) and ordered the tonkotsu ramen, pork gyoza, and an Aspall Cider (goes great with pork). I sat outside and got a great view of the busy Soho streets as I ate! The gyoza came out quickly, and they were hot, fresh, and crispy. The skins were a bit thicker than I like them, but that's not really a huge gripe. I wish I could have mix and matched the various flavors so I could try all the dumplings, but I understand why they couldn't do that. They were great with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili oil. The tonkotsu ramen had a shio tare, and I detected a lot of ginger in the broth as well. It was relatively rich and was pretty good. The noodles were cooked well (though I usually like them to be a bit harder), and it was topped with bean sprouts, scallions, bamboo, chashu, and half of a soft-boiled marinated egg. Solid bowl of ramen. I liked that when you order kaedama (extra noodles), they bring it to you in a bowl with some more broth. You don't usually see that, and it's pretty generous. The staff was very friendly and I chatted for a while about ramen in general and learned more about the industry scene here. Strong spot for ramen in London for sure! read more

Given my experience of eating ramen before going to this restaurant was limited to Wagamama (urgh) and maybe one or two other restaurants, I didn't really have a high watermark to compare it to. I didn't really have many expectations thus. The menu is sparse, but seemed to be adequate and it's always refreshing to see a briefer menu. Something about it says "we're so confident in these few dishes we offer". My gf and I both went for the regular ramen, after starters of Gyoza, which was very nice. Next, we were both brought out a very generous portion of ramen, complete with a floating hard boiled (yet runny yoaked) egg. The broth was excellent, as if somebody had been able to distill the pure essence of pork into a liquid. It was almost too 'porky' tasting. Very very rich, but great. The pork belly and noodles floating in the broth were above criticism. They serve a nice range of craft beers and the pricing was what you'd expect for a hip new restaurant in the heart of Soho. Service wasn't amazing, even though our server was friendly, they seemed very hard to get hold of and somewhat forgetful. Shortly after trying this place we went to Ittenbari on Brewer St. which I preferred. I would go back to Tonkotsu, but perhaps only if we couldn't get in to Ittenbari I think. read more

I photographed a pre-wedding engagement session in London a couple weeks ago. My clients were staying nearby at Soho Hotel. We passed by here walking through the streets and I noticed ramen! I love ramen and I can usually spot it in any city I go to. My friend and I decided to try it one night. I was a little hesitant because there was absolutely no one inside but across the street at the Vietnamese place was packed. I guess its kind of like NY, once its old, its played out and not trendy anymore. The homemade Tonktosu broth was nothing to write home about. It was very bland. The gyoza was probably the only memorable thing on the menu that we had. The dining area was beautiful and modern. The restrooms downstairs was a scary steep way down and very dirty inside. Staff was bleh. crave-o-meter 3 out of 10 read more

It's fun and the food is warming, hearty and very tasty. I'm no judge of how authentic it is, all I know is that I had a great time, the bill was very reasonable and the service speedy. I really enjoyed the eponymous Tonkotsu Ramen and happily took pictures of my neighbour's delicious looking Gyozo. The only downside was that the coffee machine wasn't working so I was forced to drink Sake;) read more