TabeTomo — Restaurant in New York

This is a pretty good tonkotsu ramen spot. The three most important things about it are long wait times, kind of high prices, and really calorically dense portions. No one could finish their order.

It took about an hour to get seated. We put our names down and were told forty minutes. Unlike so many walk-in-only spots, people mostly seem to come back for their tables; they don't just put their names down and run away.

Once we were seated, we noticed that a bowl of ramen with a single slice of chashu is 14 dollars, whereas a bowl with multiple slices and one of those seasoned soft-boiled eggs is 18 dollars. There are really only three dishes here: tonkotsu ramen, tonkotsu tsukemen, and a vegetarian ramen that we didn't try. The differences are in how many toppings you want. And of course there are the standard appetizers (karaage, gyoza, etc), but you didn't come here for that.

While the portions look normal in size, they are in fact massive. Tabetomo uses very thick noodles, which take up a lot of stomach real estate, but the main culprit is an insanely rich, unctuous, gelatin-rich soup. Most ramen has a lot of fat emulsified into the broth–that's normal–but here you had some layers on top, too. And if you sit to take a break from eating for a bit, you'll see a skin form on top of the ramen (though it's more noticeable with the tsukemen) from all that gelatin in the soup. With the tsukemen, I ended up taking home a second order of noodles (three dollars, whereas most places will sell you this for one or two dollars) and well over half my leftover soup and a piece of chashu. It'll easily be a second meal.

The flavor of the soup is good, not great. Tabetomo advertises a 60 hour extraction for making its soup, and from the absurdly porky flavor, I believe them. But I'm not sure that's a good thing, as a spoon of soup really does taste like liquified pork roast. Even if you get the ramen, this isn't really a soup you're going to eat by the spoonful. On the other hand, thdt may not be a bad thing, because it leaves you to focus on the noodles.

If you can deal with the wait and the price, this is a pretty good ramen spot. Just be prepared...

I have been a loyal customer of this restaurant for nearly five years, always looking forward to visiting whenever I’m in NYC. I’ve frequently recommended it to friends and family, praising the authentic flavors, warm ambiance, and hospitality that made it a standout spot in the city.

However, my most recent visit left me deeply disappointed. I invited friends from Guatemala, eager to share this beloved place with them. I understand and respect that the restaurant has rules, such as waiting for the full party to arrive before being seated. That was no issue for us. However, when my husband joined us slightly later (while we were still actively eating and ordering), he was not allowed to order ramen. This rule, which is not displayed anywhere, felt arbitrary and unnecessarily strict, especially since we were still enjoying our meal and planned to continue ordering.

When my husband asked for clarification, the response from the staff—particularly the person I believe to be the owner—was not what I expected. He directed his explanation to me in a manner that felt condescending and dismissive, as if my husband’s concerns weren’t worth addressing directly. It was a saddening and belittling interaction, far from the welcoming atmosphere I’ve always associated with this place.

As someone who has supported and celebrated this restaurant for years, I truly hope this experience was an exception rather than a new norm. Hospitality and respect are as integral to a dining experience as the food itself. I want to see this restaurant continue to thrive, but I also believe that such policies and interactions, if left unchecked, could erode the trust and loyalty of long-time patrons like myself.

I’m leaving this review not to discourage others from visiting, but in the hope that the management will reflect on this and work to ensure future guests feel welcomed, valued, and respected—just as I always did...

Let me start off by saying I have literally tried every single tsukemen/ramen restaurant in lower Manhattan ....and Philadelphia ...and Los Angeles. Some girls spend money on clothes, I spend it on Bowls of Noodles! And elastic pants for comfortable noodle eating. Tsukemen is not as easy to find as Ramen so it's not such a feat to try everything. Tsujita (the one with the hr-long wait time) in L.A. used to be my favorite tsukemen place, even after all the chef changes but when I visited last year the quality was significantly different so I inquired if the chef had changed. I was devastated that my #1 tsukemen was no more! Thankfully, I found out from his colleague that the chef moved to NY and started his own place instead of moving back to Japan like so many of his predecessors. I've been anxiously awaiting their opening to see if he brought his skills with him. Chef Tomo does not disappoint. Taste, quality, value.

I don't care what anyone else thinks, I have tried every single freakin' tsukemen out there and this guy brings it! Any better and you might as well be in Japan.

If your taste preference isn't for thick, clean but intense broth then this may not be the best for you but as a deep-flavored tsukemen lover, this is where you will go and always come back to just like remembering your first love. If you can't tell the difference between instant noodles and a good bowl of ramen/tsukemen, then you'll probably be satisfied at a lower price point. As for my bougie taste buds, TabeTomo has a place on my very limited recommendation list. Also, it doesn't hurt that the chef is very hard-working and I want his efforts to be recognized.

My photos suck but the food is good. Eat here.

Tip: add smashed garlic, order negi, and...