Welcome to Tampopo: A Vibrant Hub of Asian Fusion in Manchester

Service is great. I got right in after being told no by a snooty Italian place across the square. Appetizers and mains are solid good food. Place is busy which is a good sign. If you like unpretentious, Asian fusion food and happen to be in Manchester, this is your spot.

Tampopo typifies one of my favourite types of restaurant: the local chain which embarrasses the big boys. A Manchester establishment, Tampopo makes Wagamama and most of the other imitators look like a bunch of amateurs and never gives you a bad meal. With several locations around Manchester City Centre and dishes full of flavour (as well as a varied menu) there is simply no reason not to head here whenever you want a stir fry, soup noodle, or the like. Prices are reasonable, particularly the lunch deal which is frankly generous. My only issue is the starters which are a bit pricey, an issue in all restaurants of this type unfortunately.

This is one of my two favourite places to go for noodles since it is Manchester's own original Asian fast food place and Wagamama's decided to westernise their dishes! Our recent visit was no disappointment (except it gets 4 stars because the place is looking a bit tired and less shiny). The service was quick and friendly as usual. The menu has been recently updated to include more "small plates" and fewer main dishes so that one could now get Asian tapas, so to speak. We went for a sharing platter for two. This was freshly prepared and came with all the different dips. The BBQ chicken was more like garlic chicken though. For mains we got Nasi Goreng with Chicken and Vietnamese Pho with Chicken - both came promptly after our starters and piping hot and full of flavour. We were really full but the dessert menu was tempting! Not your usual desert spread, there were Asian twists on new classics, including freshly deep fried churros with cinnamon sugar and dipping chocolate! Mmm! We took this to share and finished it off with fresh mint tea. When we paid, we even got a voucher for a free "small plate" on our next visit! Cash back!

After a heavy Friday night on the drink it was time to start thinking about where we could eat that would be quick and easy. We were sat next door to Tampopo so it was the obvious choice. We were seated straight away and considering it was half 9 it was relatively busy! We were served by a devil (halloween themed) and considering the outfit the server was lovely. We ordered a bottle of fizz and a coke, the soft drink did get lost on route however was soon rectified. I opted for the duck dumplings to start and pitting them against Wagamamas own I was left slightly disappointed. The dumplings had a sticky texture and weren't quite full to the brim with duck and didn't have much of a taste alone but needed a good dip in the soy sauce to add flavour. For my main I opted for the chicken katsu curry (I was hungry!) It arrived promptly and was a super tasty combo of sticky rice, deep fried chicken with a mild curry sauce. I would say it was on par with Wagamamas version even served with the same side salad topped with ginger. I wouldn't come here for a special occasion but its perfect for a quick and reasonable dinner!

Delicious! Prawn crackers and chilli/salted edamame beans with a Asahi beer while we were perused the menu, then chicken satay skewers and duck red Thai curry followed. Really can't fault this experience, the food was spot on with amazing flavour (although I wasn't so keen on the lychee in the curry) and the service was super quick and friendly. Great meal! Word of advice - make sure your seat has a little cushion in place or ask for one!

Reading one of my fellow Yelper's reviews of a bistro in Redondo Beach earlier reminded me it's been at least a couple of weeks since I ate my favourite dish at Tampopo. It's called Gaeng Keow Wan and it tastes mouth-wateringly good.Like Joan S's dish however, the flavour is so strong that it demands you stay home the next day and gargle mouthwash for hours! If you can cope with the anti-social aspect, Gaeng Keow Wan is a deliciously spicy green coconut curry that's made with prawns, sauteed onions, thai aubergines, asian basil and lime leaf. If you're after something equally delicious but less powerful, there's a variety of fresh east asian salads, sitr-fries, noodle and rice dishes, pad thais and soup dishes like pho beef, chicken tom kha and chicken laska. There's also great starters / small dishes like prawn and chicken skewers, yakitori, tempura, gyozas and coconut prawns. The bustling atmosphere, friendly staff and great food make Tampopo a good place for a first or second date. Just don't pick the Gaeng Keow Wan!

I love the range and variety of Asian dishes at Tampopo: you'll find a Thai Tom Kha next to Korean Chap Chai and Phillipino Chicken Adobo on the menu, and like Wagamama's everything between £6-8 for a main. The food it very well presented, well, seasoned, and unlike Wagamama's, never bland. The style is much like the other Asian canteens where you sit at long tables, so this isn't somewhere you'd want to be if you wanted privacy. The staff are very quick and efficient and their policy here is to get the dishes out within 10 minutes so it's also a great place to come for a quick lunch.