Tonkotsu Shoreditch — Restaurant in London

This is an honest review of my overall experience as someone who suffers from a nut allergy. The Shoreditch branch was conveniently close to both old street station and Liverpool Street station. Upon arrival, the restaurant was buzzing around 7pm and was very nice to walk into. As one of the first guests, I asked the gentlemen by the bar about my groups booking and he kindly pointed me to my friend who had just arrived earlier. Most of the ordering is done through the tables QR code which is very easy to use and extremely efficient at providing details on all the dishes available. Payment is quick and makes the experience even more enjoyable. The online app does explain to guests with any allergens to inform a member of staff before ordering. I had caught the same gentlemen from the bar and explained to him the message with my allergy. He then informed me not to worry as he could guarantee that other than one dessert, the entire kitchen is nut free. For legal reasons, he could not guarantee 100% but free, but his polite and reassuring response made me feel as a customer very comfortable and safe with ordering. Drinks and food arrived promptly and the portions were very generous for the Ramen. I opted for the Tokyo and would highly recommend it, the broth is delicious and the noodles with the pork belly were very flavourful. Because i had such an enjoyable experience I will be definitely coming back with my teams from up the road. I really appreciate an establishment that goes the extra mile for taking care with allergens, as it’s really hard to find nut free menu’s. I would highly recommend this for anyone who suffers from a nut allergy and definitely speak to the team there if you have any other allergies or intolerances. I would just like to point out for anyone reading that it does go to show that if a restaurant does all it can to cater for everyone, including those with allergies, it can turn a one off into a permanent returning customer brining more business back to the establishment. Thank you Tonkotsu team and chefs, I can’t wait to come back and try some more of your...

Mercedes the name of the assistant manager at this Shoreditch branch is a bully and the most unprofessional employee and service staff I have ever come across.

She tried to intimidate my table, created a billing problem and made us feel terribly unwelcome all because she thought that we were friends with one of her previous colleagues whom she didn’t like and she even made negative comments about the employee.

I am a business owner in the local area where my business partners, my team, my clients, my suppliers, my business neighbours and my friends all patronise this branch because I highly recommend it and I have taken them there to eat many times.

I have also been going to other branches ever since it opened a few years ago and have sent many people to try it.

As a business owner, I try to support the local businesses by giving them my custom wherever I can.

However, none of us will be returning to Tonkotsu ever again after I informed them of the awful treatment I experienced last night from Mercedes which left me humiliated, embarrassed and upset.

I cannot support a business where an employee is allowed to treat their customers in such a bad way and get away with it.

If she is treating customers this way, how is she treating her colleagues and others?

Tonkotsu says in their foundation:

“At Tonkotsu we care about people. Our customers, our staff and those in the world around us. We try hard to embody the Japanese spirit of compassion and care, omoiyari, embracing and celebrating differences and helping those in need.”

Mercedes did not display any of this behaviour in this statement above.

I do not wish to go somewhere where a company’s mission, values and ethics are displayed by an employee the horrible way Mercedes does which is by her own personal agenda.

I can’t believe that she is an assistant manager where she completely lacks any sort of people interaction and customer services skills.

What a disappointing and distasteful visit to...

I ate here as part of a large group (work lunch). I am writing this review to say do not eat here if you are gluten free, and don't book this restaurant if a member of your group is gluten free, as they do not want to serve gluten free people and only have one very plain option.

My experience was as follows: Two of us in a large group are gluten free. I asked the waiter if they have a gluten free option and they said they can swap noodles out for rice noodles but that they are not a gluten free restaurant. I asked does that mean the dish is gluten free when the rice noodles are replaced and they said no, other ingredients in the dishes still have gluten. As a gluten free person that is a ridiculous suggestion. Neither of us are celiac so cross contamination risk is fine but not a dish with gluten ingredients knowingly added. I felt during this interaction the waiter was acting like we were the issue for coming to the restaurant and was not welcoming to us. They got the manager over and the same conversation repeated. In the end they said they could make a gluten free option, which was a plain chicken ramen with konjac noodles. Even the chilli oil on the table has gluten in it. I understand that not every establishment can cater for gluten free but I have never experienced that level of awkwardness over ordering a gluten free dish before. This restaurant will lose out on guests because anyone with a gluten free person in their party shouldn't be eating here. My feedback would be to train staff better to make every guest feel welcome and piece together a couple more gluten free meals. I would also add there was a gluten free beer on the menu, labelled as such, which adds to the confusion. It was the only gluten free label on the entire menu. I hope I can return in the future but in this instance I had a...