Tanpopo

Convenient location, and great service. Tried their spicy pork rice bowl, generous portion, and the flavor is good (but not great). The rice is on the hard side.

If I could eat here everyday, I would. Have been coming here for at least 25 years (I think it's been that long!) and their chicken teriyaki has been my absolute favorite dish! It's different from the normal chicken teriyaki in that it's more of a stir-fry. The sauce, chicken and veggies are so delicious together that I savor every bite. The family that owns Tanpopo are very sweet and it's been so great to have them part of the local scene for this many years.

"TAN-POE-POE hahaha what a silly name!" I scoffed as I gazed up at the neon pastel purple neon sign, clutching my bags from LaMont's and Blockbuster Music. "This place has always been exactly the same, and it's always busy..." My companion retorted, "Anyways, how much money do you have left?" I thought about it...a scant 7 bucks and change, that would have gotten me a measly hotdog at The Frankfurter, no sides, but I was starving. "Try something new for once." He beckoned. The white fluorescent-backlit menu advertised Chicken Yakisoba for $5.39, well under my budget so I placed my order. Moments later, I was presented with a tray and a plate piled high with steaming noodles, carrots, cabbage, and mung beans, crowned with a sloppy helping of golden brown chicken bits. I grabbed a table, a fork, and dug in... The next five minutes transformed me. Bite after bite of of piping hot noodles and veggies, lightly moistened with oils and playfully salty-sweet seasonings dances gleefully around in my mouth. The perfectly caramelized glaze on my chicken morsels was crafted not just with expert technique, but a generous dash of pure love. As I chased down every last scrap of noodle off my plate, I came to the revelation that this orgy of flavor was almost over, but I was too intoxicated by serotonin to care. I grinned from ear-to-ear, fully satisfied and glowing. It's been about two decades since that fateful day at Crossroads Mall, and Susan (or her twin sister Catalina, I think?), the grill master, has dutifully and consistently dished up plate after plate of perfection and a smile to go with it. The only indications that Tanpopo is not actually beautifully trapped in time, is the prices have crept up quite a bit... But still a terrific value and just as delicious as the first time I tried it. It seems like so much has changed at Crossroads, but Tanpopo is the steady rock that carries on, and hopefully always will.