Tomo Ramen — Restaurant in Portland

Puts Afuri to shame!! I’ve lived in Portland for 27 years and have been on the hunt for the best ramen in the city for a hot minute now. Tomo is semi new, and damn is it good. You order on a touch pad up front, and food was ready in under 5 min. We ordered the karage and tonkotsu ramen. The broth was absolutely perfect, the pork melted in your mouth. The noodles were just the right of chewy! They use quail eggs instead of chicken eggs and it was a cool touch, although you don’t get that gooey yolk/broth situation. The karage was great too: crispy and flavorful. Everything was huge portion sizes!!

The atmosphere is really nice. It’s got lots of communal seating, so it’s a great place to grab lunch or dinner on your own or with a buddy. Wouldn’t recommend for big groups, but I suppose if you were all able to nab the big table in the middle it could work.

If you’re considering trying it, please do! It’s a little pricy for a weekly lunch but totally worth it to meet a friend or if you’ve had a long week. I’ve never really understood the Afuri ramen hype, but Tomo puts them to shame. Can’t wait to try their other dishes!

(Literally the food was so good we forgot to take a pic until we were...

Tomo Ramen did not have Bulogi Bibimbap. Our hostess told us that item might be at the restaurant next door. There was no green tea the day we visited. There was a sign on the kiosk where you order. I paid for the tea and our server, the hostess, brought tea from next door.

I do not like the kiosk ordering. It makes the experience informal in a way that is not as inviting. If it were not for the quality of the food, I would be unlikely to return.

The only things that would make Tomo Ramen better is if they offered coconut water for a beverage and if they would offer the ginger at least if not also the other spices that they put on the side for takeout orders. The portion size is about the same at the restaurant as it is when you get takeout.

Tomo Ramen is so good that if you say it too fast into your voice to text it will say "Tell Mom" I'm happy my mom and I went there. This time I got extra pork belly and extra "nori" - dried seaweed in my make it spicy, Gyu-Ramen. I will tell you that Tomo Ramen does not have a Facebook like page. I've looked.

I have leftovers and I'm about to go on a walk, get my prayers in for the day, and come back and...

FYI: this place just opened in the last couple months so ignore some of the old reviews for the Korean place that are still on here as of 1/20/23.

ANYWAY, TOMO RAMEN is imo now one of the best ramen places in Portland. Tried the nest chicken ramen and wish I took a photo, so gorgeous, but I had to dive right in. The broth was delectable, including gourmet toppings and a generous portion of falling-off-the-bone chicken thigh (as well as some thinly sliced and deliciously seasoned jerky like chicken?) I don’t know how to describe it, just order it and trust me. Also enjoyed the jalapeño poppers. Prices are on the slightly higher side ($19 for my ramen), but the portions are generous and you will leave satiated. The leftovers heat up just fine too.

The ambiance is a must mention as well: black and red vibes, vintage posters, low lighting, cozy seating, great spoons. Absolutely fantastic spot for a first date (or a date for long-term couples who like to eavesdrop iykyk). Essentially, if you’re still reading this review then you should already be at TOMO waiting for your order cause like…it’s going to be the right call.

Update 1/23/23- they...