Cafe Tomo

I come here when I need a noodle soup fix (usually when I’m feeling a little… er…fuzzy around the edges). I’ve had the chicken stew, ramen, udon and the vermicelli noodles (more phở style). I’ve had the cold noodles, the hot noodles and everything in between.
It’s nothing fancy, nor are the dishes spectacular, but the broth is good and I’ve never disliked anything here.
BTW, it’s cash only.

Pretty decent Bento box. The chicken breast is all white meat and seems healthier than a lot of other Japanese places.
Cash only.

I like this place — simple food, tasty and rarely a line, I know… crowded seems like a good indication of the quality of a place but not in this case. Nice, friendly staff, good quick food, usually a place to sit to eat so I“m not relegated to eating at my desk. I would recommend the place to other people but selfishly, don’t want the lines to get long!
I have had the cold noodle salad (dee-​lish), the hot chicken noodle soup… both very good. I’m not jumping up and down or anything but it was good. Sometimes good is good enough.
If you’re looking for a good, quick, satisfying whole-​in-​the-​wall place for lunch, you ca’nt go wrong with Café Tomo.
OH and don’t forget to bring your cash… plastic not accepted.

This review is only for the chicken porridge, which is excellent. It is some of the best I have had. They dress it up nice and it sure is tasty.
The ramen bowls are so so and the bento boxes are also mediocre.
I ONLY come here for the porridge.

Ok Japanese lunch — fast and affordable
What’s to like?
1. Teriyaki Lunch — nice portion and pretty good. nothing spectacular but does the trick.
2. Quick — no line and food was prepared very quickly.
3. Very friendly
4. Basic but clean restaurant
5. Nice packaging for take-​out order
What’s not too like?
1. Dumpling was very basic.
2. Chicken a tad tough.
3. I would prefer salad over sprouts. Could probably of requested this.
4. Very basic — nothing really makes it stand out. It is not a «go to» place.
Overall:
If you work in the neighborhood around 1^st and Market and you need a quick lunch, Café Tomo will cover it. The food is good but not great. The portions are relatively large. It is quick. and it is affordable.

Decent prices. Brown rice sushi??? That’s different in a healthy type of way. Petite place & pretty cute.

My go to for an (Asian) soupy noodle fix!
I work around the corner and have yet to find another soupy noodle take out place that offers more variety. The price vs. portion is good — my ‘go to’ is soba, shoyu broth w/​tofu + vegetables.

The Spinach gomae-​ae and the saifun (clear noodle) cold salad was excellent! I will definitely be back for these two things. The California roll was pretty good. I am not big on cold edamame though. My companions liked their bento dinners, although the beef looked a little too shredded. This is a good place for dieters who like to watch TV.

I’ve been working in these parts for quite some time. In fact, me, Fred and Barney used to shovel gravel in the nearby quarry until our dinosaurs got hit by meteors, but I never knew this place existed in all these eons. I didn’t even know there was a little mall next to that scary Jack-​in-​the-​Box, but there it is, the most non-​descript little Japanese luncheonette you ever saw outside of a Tokyo suburb.
Literally, it’s a cubby hole of a place in an invisible mall on First near Howard. It’s like you’re in Milpitas ’cause there’s a nail salon, a Martha & Brothers coffee place… pretty much everything a suburban soccer mom would need to survive in the urban jungle. Café Tomo fits right in as this is not a cutting-​edge culinary find but a mall court eatery where you get chicken teriyaki or a bowl of udon noodles. Order anything with chicken, and it’s $ 6.95.
I’ve been twice now since it’s convenient more than good. I give props to them for using real slices of chicken in their teriyaki but the sauce is the typical goopy sweetness (see photo). The udon is marginally better though surprisingly low on noodles (see photo). Satisfying for a fast lunch break, and I do like the fact that I’ve never waited in line due to its hidden space. Gotta go. Mr. Slate is yelling for me through his dodo bird. Yabba-​dabba-​do.
FOOD — 3 stars… standard Japanese dishes, filling though unexceptional
AMBIANCE — 2.5 stars… where’s the Chess King?
SERVICE — 2.5 stars… they yell when it’s ready
TOTAL — 3 stars… I guess I’m a mallrat

I’m a fan. Why? It’s actually hard to say. The first time I came here was with a friend who said their noodle soup was addicting, but then tried to play it down so I «wouldn’t expect too much». I thought it was tasty, but nothing so special as to be addicting.
Except then, a few days later, when faced with the daily «what to eat for lunch» question, my mind went back to the comfort food of Tomo’s and I ate there again. Again, nothing so spectacular that I can pinpoint what makes it good, but after a year of going about once a week, it’s clear there is something good and wholesome about their food that appeals to me. Something tasty and comforting. Admittedly, part of the appeal is knowing it’s healthier than some other choices. I particularlly like their Tuesday and Thursday special. Some kind of chicken soup with thin noodles. Try it. You may find it addicting…

My coworker took me here one day when it was freezing and she wanted soup. I am game to try new places to eat in the area because I get tired of the same old stuff. So far I have tried the Chicken Gyoza soup and the Chicken Udon soup — both were delicious!
I like that this place offers brown rice substitution and is advertised as healthy and lite because it truly is healthier and lighter than other soup places. it’s also not too salty which i prefer, as i like to salt my own soup. the portions are big and fill me up. i’d like to try the sushi sometime but i’m currently obsessed with the soup menu and plan to try the other noodles and rice options.
a tip, this place is in a little shopping center and isn’t easy to spot from the street.

Today it is raining cats and dogs… check that… it’s raining lions and bears… freaking crazy.
I stand at my office building’s portico, trying to figure a near by place that would have good food for such a very wet and dark day. Then it came to me like a snap Café Tomo only half a block away. I run to the corner, amazingly darting gushing rain from above. I jump 3 foot the puddle in the gutter, dash across the street… jump the next 3 foot puddle and run up half a block to Café Tomo.
«Veggie and Tofu with Udon please» (amazed that there is no line at all). Order came up in 2 min and I dash out the door, run half a block, jump a 3 foot puddle, run across the street, jump the next 3 foot puddle and get back to my office bone dry… yeah right I was soaked, it was raining that hard.
So ok that had nothing to do with the food a Tomo. Tomo is very good and nourishing, fresh, light tasting and not salty. I think it might be some of the best Udon noodle soup in town.

I was in a bind for breakfast and decided to go back, solely for the ham & egg soup. They get one extra star from my last review because the idea is innovative for the area. They don’t get anymore because it’s poorly executed.
Ham & Egg Ramen: The noodles are clearly from a package, something you could make at home from Top Ramen. The broth may or may not be from a packet, but it is just mediocre and overly salty at best. The ham is thin and overcooked. If they have Vietnamese ham in house, why not use it here? The egg was also overcooked, fried on a griddle. No runny center, just pasty on the inside.

More like 2.5…
I was craving noodle soup today and my gf suggested going here. It’s close to work and they seem to have a healthy menu.
I went for the seafood ramen. when I got my ramen I had a case of WTH…
The ramen in the soup is not fresh ramen. it is the ramen you find in the Cup O’Noodles.the pre-​fried noodles… nothing healthy about that! Full of presevatives.
My gf seemed to like her lemongrass chicken so perhaps I just ordered the wrong thing. not sure if I’ll go back…

(See pic)
Great fantastic sunny blue sky cloudless day, I am happy with the food and drink– Seafood combo teriyaki in one hand, iced Vietnamese coffee in another. Life is good, really good and a blessing to live and work in downtown SF!
While it takes about 8 to 10 mins to wait for the brewing of coffee, the teriyaki took no time. These Chinese are becoming more efficient these days! The seafood contained shrimps, halved fish balls (ummm unusual), fake crab meat, scallops, squids. Also comes with a side salad and Miso soup.
Some might say 13 dollars lunch was a bit steep but I do think it’s in good portion.

If you can’t tell by many of my recent reviews — I’ve been on a huge health kick as of late.
When lunch time hits at work — I find myself wracking my brain for healthy options nearby — being careful not to over exhaust them as well.
Café Tomo is one such place that continues to impress me with their diversity of healthy and quality food options.
I find myself even enjoying the walk over here — especially on sunny days. I’ve become a huge fan of their tofu and veggie ramen, as well as their big containers of freshly sliced mango — which are always superbly ripe.
Just be sure to bring cash — since they’re cash only and get creative with their menu — since they definitely bring the options.
Trust.

I just have a soft spot for them. They started maybe three, four years ago when I used to work in the neighborhood. Now I’m back in the same neighborhood, and they’re just thriving. Love to see small businesses prosper… organically. Stimulus package schtimulus package! This is one place that doesn’t need to beg for bailout money.
Good stuff!

This place is pretty unimpressive. The menu isn’t bad — there are definitely plenty of options, but everything is just okay. I’ve tried a few dishes from here and nothing really stood out. This really is the kind of place you go to when you have no other options.
Your best options/​deals are the bento boxes — you get a lot of food for $ 9.00 (meat/​chicken/​fish with rice, pot stickers, sushi roll, vegetables and miso soup). Considering all the other options, you can find a better place for lunch.

Got a ramen soup to go and ¹⁄₃ of the big cup was noodles and the rest was soup and tofu. I liked the tofu. The chicken ramen broth was really sweet. I think too sweet for my taste. I’m a real sweet tooth so that says something.
I will probably give them another chance in the next couple months.
$ 6.24 for a bowl of chicken ramen soup to go.

Walked by many times. I always assumed it sucked. It’s next to Jack in the Box, which really sucks. On the other hand, it’s also next to Martha & Bros., which does not suck at all. I guess Tomo leans more towards Martha and not Jack.
My first visit was all about delicious cold soba noodles. I’ll be back soon to check out bento and Viet. sandwiches. Hope they’re good. Pan-​Asian works for me.
I like the seating, just stylish enough to be nicer than the super-​tight sardine tins that the many mini-​lunch spots typically shoehorn you into.
Best of all, the counter lady was nice to me. Was it random chance? Did I win the customer lottery? Or is it because I knew what I wanted to order? Or because I wasn’t being a dick? Was it my fashion choice for the day? Who knows? Maybe she gets more ornery if you aren’t there close enough to noon. So there’s another reason to go back, just to see if my good luck holds!