I’m giving a generous 3/5 because I’ve had some great noodle dishes here in the past. But tonight was one of the most disappointing takeout experiences I’ve had since moving to Schenectady. I went off the beaten path and ordered from the Rice heading of the menu where they list a variety of Teppanyaki dishes. “Yum,” I thought “Teppanyaki rice!” The dinner portions are a little pricy at $19, but I figured, hey, it’s Tanpopo. I’m in good hands, right? Lol Brought my meal home and was puzzled to find that my “Teppanyaki Shrimp” dish from the Rice menu used steamed rice, NOT rice cooked on grill like you’d expect ordering the teppanyaki shrimp from the rice menu. Weird. But all forgivable if it’s $19 worth of deliciousness, right? Lolol Limp broccoli and zucchini with tough, overbooked shrimp. A decent number of shrimp but at $19 I would have been happier to eat half as many if they were twice as good. The shrimp/veg appeared to have grill marks. Okay. So THAT was the Teppanyaki element alone? I called them up to asked whether this was normal—that they serve steamed rice with the Teppanyaki meals. Yes, they assured me, this is correct. So to clarify—-this is not Teppanyaki rice with shrimp. This is Rice: Teppanyaki Shrimp. The menu doesn’t suggest that the grilled shrimp it comes with is steamed white rice—that’s just a fun thing for you to discover as the customer. Meanwhile the “Rice” menu heading and price suggest this is going to be some special rice. But no. This is the Dwight Schrute of rice dishes. It’s passing itself off as the assistant manager and expecting we’ll be happy when the assistant TO the manager shows up. Which (at $19 a pop with rubber shrimp) I assure you is not the case. If you’re a customer at Tanpopo—stick to ordering the noodles. You’ll be happy with them.
Nice place to chill. There are beer, sake and good ramen. This was the first time I tried Curry ramen. It is delicious but spicy, not recommend if you can't eat spicy food. ?But if you're fan of spicy for or want something hot during cold days, it is a good choice? ?I ordered: pork belly bun and Shrimp curry ramen (options of chicken, shrimp...)
Ordered the recommended special for the day which was the "Spicy Lemongrass Beef" The broth flavor was rich and not too salty. The vibe of the ramen felt like you were in a small street car. Tamara was my server and she did an excellent job.893 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207
I had the pork belly bun and the tanpopo spicy ramen. The pork belly bun was very crispy and flavorful. I also always enjoy the bun because of its chewy texture and slight sweetness. The tanpopo spicy broth packs a flavor punch and the noodles were very nicely cooked. The broth was a tad too salty for my tastes. Overall I enjoyed the experience.
Absolutely delicious and pretty authentic Ramen!The old diner atmosphere adds to the dining experience and the servers are super nice every time we went there.Very high quality broth and ingredients, you can taste the hearty comforting Japanese flavors that make you feel good.Highly recommended!
This place was just from the moment we sat down until we left. We sat at the bar and the 2 women waiting on everyone were very friendly and efficient. The pork belly buns were fantastic and the ramen was filling, flavorful, and a tad spicy- excellent. So many restaurants are lacking in service and quality, but this restaurant is damn near perfect!
before and after pics , omg tanpopo sooo good , the ingredients , the broth , the noodles , the eggs , the spicy , the ice cold beer , BOOM !! ? 5 stars !
An excellent Ramen spot in downtown Albany nestled within an old diner. Great food and great beverages! Highly recommended.
Delicious flavorfull Ramen. We got the Curry, Spicy Miso and the seafood ramen. All were very tasty and the portion sizes were great for the price. Will definitely be going back
Amazing service, great ramen, delicious sake :P