Tampopo Ramen & Hibachi

Located at 4929 West Market Street in Greensboro’s FantaCity International Shopping Center, Tampopo Ramen & Hibachi specializes in ramen but also offers hibachi dishes and Japanese appetizers. The restaurant is open from 11 to 9 every day except for Sunday.

Instant ramen may be a staple of college dorm sustenance, but it also gives the real thing a bad name. For those who have never had a chance to experience genuine ramen, Tampopo will deliciously illuminate all you have been missing.

Tampopo is a smallish space though patterned chair covers and wall art give the domain some personality. It seems to do a brisk lunch trade, which is great for its coffers but puts a strain on the constantly bustling servers, who are at least polite and helpful (a thick noodle suggestion proved to be a good call) when available.

The menu here offers the expected apps (gyoza, tempura, edamame) and hibachi plates (chicken, shrimp, steak, veggies, etc.), but the ramen offerings are really what set Tampopo apart. There are about half a dozen ramen offerings here, varying in broths (pork, chicken, or vegetable), flavor profiles (miso, soy, or spicy), and toppings. Additional toppings can be added for an upcharge, allowing for a highly customizable experience.

For our first visit, I went with a champon ramen (a Nagasaki specialty with seafood and a spicy broth) while my wife opted for the classic tonkatsu (pork broth) ramen. The dishes were a good value at $12 and $10, respectively, as they came in huge bowls that easily yielded two meals apiece.

Both bowls presented well with plenty of meat, vegetables, and noodles. The champon ramen was tasty but punishing: plan on drinking plenty of water if you want to take it on. The tonkatsu ramen, ordered spicy, still had a kick, but its flavors were more complex. Both dishes were hearty and filling.

Tampopo is not the only place in Greensboro that offers real ramen, but it certainly provides the most variety and the most intriguing examples thereof. Whether or not it becomes a favorite depends on your taste for the titular dish, but the next time you find yourself craving soup on a cold or rainy day, give it a try.

Krankies

Located at 211 East 3rd Street in downtown Winston-Salem, Krankies specializes in coffee but also offers breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, and burgers. There is a full bar, outdoor seating, and regularly rotating food and drink specials.

I put off visiting Krankies for years in part because it seemed to bear the marks of being a victim of its own success: a local favorite whose popularity invites expectations that it cannot hope to meet. When I finally did get around to giving Krankies a try, I expected to deem it overrated and go back to avoiding it. Fortunately, my skepticism proved to be misplaced.

Krankies is housed in a good-sized space that has both an industrial mien (overhead ducts and brick walls) and enough artwork to offer a contrast to it. Those who treat coffee shops as offices away from home may find Krankies distractingly boisterous, but for most other patrons, it’s not too loud.

My first visit was on a Saturday morning, which gave me a chance to try the brunch menu. From egg dishes (huevos rancheros and benedicts) to sweet breads (French toast) to biscuits to lunch sandwiches (a cheesy western burger and a BLT), nearly everything looked good. I ultimately settled on a chicken biscuit with gravy while my wife went with the weekend BLT on sourdough.

Though Krankies was moderately busy, our food came relatively quickly, and we were not let down. The chicken was generously sized, thickly battered, and tender, and while the biscuit wasn’t quite to Rise levels, it was still satisfyingly buttery. The BLT’s bacon was just crisp enough, and the avocado and egg gave the sandwich some nice textural variety. The coffee was a hit as well: my vanilla latte was smooth without any bitterness.

At first glance, Krankies’ prices may seem a bit high: $7 for the chicken biscuit and $8 for the BLT, neither of which came with a side. However, both sandwiches were quite filling, and the pricing is fair for the quality of the food. Service was also on-point, as our server, an affable future costume designer, provided helpful recommendations.

Before I checked it out firsthand, I expected Krankies to be a mediocre, hipster infested, and grossly overpriced. Instead, I found myself surprised by how much I liked it, and I would not hesitate to return.

NOTE: The narrow parking lot can be a pain, but there is plenty of additional parking in walking distance.

Master Tea Cafe and Bites

Located at 5103 West Market Street in Greensboro, Master Tea Café and Bites offers teas, coffees, and smoothies as well as Vietnamese sandwiches, meals, and snacks. The restaurant is open from 11 to 9 Sunday through Thursday and 11 to 11 on Friday and Saturday. Books and board games are available.

Situated beside a paint store in a plaza between FantaCity International Shopping Center and Ace Hardware, Master Tea is, like many of Greensboro’s hidden gems, easy to overlook. But if you are able to find a parking space in the smallish lot, you will be glad that you stopped by. Whether you have a bubble tea craving, are in search of an inexpensive meal, or just want a break from run-of-the-mill coffee shops, Master Tea has a lot to offer.

As the name implies, beverages are the main attraction here, and Master Tea has plenty to choose from. You can opt for milk teas (with boba), fruit teas, hot teas, matchas, coffees, or smoothies. The food side of the menu is more limited but not without appeal. There are seven different types of banh mi sandwiches as well as a few entrees (vermicelli bowls and pho) and snacks that range from the expected (egg rolls and spring rolls) to the surprising (crispy quail and kimchi fries).

For our first visit, my wife and I went with a taro milk tea and lemongrass banh mi and a Thai tea and a bulgogi banh mi, respectively. The teas were perhaps the best milk teas in town: smooth and refreshing without any graininess or unpleasantly artificial flavors. The sandwiches were good but not great. The sauces delivered the expected flavors and the meats were none too tough, but both banh mi were a bit small and may rankle sticklers for authenticity.

Our food and drinks arrived relatively quickly, and our server was helpful and patient while we ordered. The pricing proved quite budget-friendly though not the outright steal that Banh Mi Saigon Bakery is. Sandwiches were $5 a piece while the teas were $3.75 for a regular (16 ounce) and $5.25 for a large (24 ounce).

While Saigon Bakery may off both lower prices and more sandwiches to choose from Master Tea has a distinct advantage in the décor department. From a well-scribbled chalkboard wall to repurposed doors and shutters as ornaments to blue and yellow hues, Master Tea offers a bright and clean environment that is fun and relaxing without being ostentatious. The establishment is also deceptively spacious.

Good service, tasty food, and affordable prices make Master Tea a worthwhile lunch/tea/snack option for all but the most steadfast purists. I cannot speak to the quality of the pho, snacks, or smoothies, but what I did taste has given me reason enough to come back.

8/10