15 South Parade,
Leeds,
LS1 5QS
0113 245 1816
The ViewLeeds Review
Fast food in a cool setting, Tampopo offers an insight into some of the best dishes from around Asia.
The Venue
Tampopo is slick and modern with the emphasis on long wooden benches and an open kitchen so you can see and hear everything, turning up the atmosphere level a notch.
A little away from the nucleus of restaurants on Greek Street, it occupies a decent-sized space on South Parade. It’s well presented and has a small separate bar for those just wanting a drink.
The People
Tampopo looks exciting so it brings in a younger crowd. It’s also not astronomically priced, so alongside this and the pulling power of all the major Asian culinary delights under one roof, it certainly appeals to the adventurous travellers and lovers of Asian food. It can be a bit quiet due to its location but there's always a pleasant buzz about the place.
The staff are young, fresh faced, helpful and very polite. Their knowledge isn’t what you would call advanced but that’s not really an issue when the menu tells you all you need to know about the origins of the dishes. And regardless, the photography gets your mouth watering right from the off so you’re dying to get stuck into the dishes without any fuss.
The Food
Combining dishes from different countries is something that can go hideously wrong but with Asain food it works a treat. Initially the only trouble is choosing which mouthwatering cuisine you’re going to try first, and then which of the classic dishes.
There are bowls of pho from Vietnam (chicken pho is £7.50), Malaysian curries (beef rendang is £9.50) and Japanese udon noodles (yaki udon with seafood is £7.95). The small dishes ensure you get to taste as many different cuisines as you can as they are less expensive. The bulgogi (barbecued meat) from Korea (£5.25) is very tasty if a little tough, and the Malaysian satay skewers (£4.50) are beautifully rich and addictive.
All the dishes arrive at different intervals, which makes it great for big groups who are willing to share and have a little taste of everything. Some interesting sides such as kimichi (spicy pickled cabbage) from Korea (50p) and delicate steamed jasmine rice (£1.60) make the overall package incredibly inviting. However, in creating a menu with such a wide range, the dishes sometimes lack that punch and spiciness that you can only get in their country of origin.
Desserts are a bit more difficult to ‘big-up’ in Asian cuisine but Tampopo does give you enough appealing dishes to want to dive in. The Vietnamese fried bananas with nuts, caramel and ice cream (£4.50) are irresistibly sweet and simply yummy.
The Drink
Great selection of Asian beers from Singapore, Japan and Laos, Tiger Beer being the most recognisable at £3.60 for a bottle. There’s a small but decent list of wines to choose from by the glass (£3 to £4) or by the bottle (£11.95 to £14.50) and some interesting soft drinks such as Tzu, a sparkling health drink (Peach Tzu is £2.40). The hot drinks again are inventive, with a selection of Asian teas (jasmine tea is £1.30) and coffee from Vietnam, Hanoi-style (£1.80).
The Last Word
A cool place to relive those travelling experiences or to get a taster of Asian food and see what all the fuss is about. Tampopo’s concept ensures an enjoyable evening out but if you’re passionate about the real thing, you’ll have to hop on a plane.
Tampopo has been reviewed by 1 users