Tokoton Ramen, Bartholomew Street, London SE1, is a super cute Japanese Ramen and Sake Bar. It’s not far from Elephant and Castle or Borough Station. We’ve eaten lunch there twice already, and everything is authentic and delicious. They have a small menu catering to vegans and meat-eaters. If you’re looking for Ramen near Borough Station, the best Japanese restaurants in SE1 or places for lunch near Elephant and Castle, you’ll love Tokoton.
“Satisfy your craving for Japanese food with Ramen, Donburi, Karaage and Gyozas. Tokoton is an independent restaurant that goes above and beyond to make you feel welcome. They will customise the food if you’re a picky eater like me!” Homegirl London
Tokoton Ramen and Sake Bar Menu
According to the website, Tokoton means ‘thoroughly’ in Japanese; it pertains to the authentic cooking style. On the menu, you’ll find all the Japanese favourites, including Ramen (noodle soup), Donburi (rice dishes), Karaage (deep-fried) and gyoza (dumplings), along with Sake (rice wine) and Japanese Beer.
I’ll begin by taking you through the Ramen options. Meat eaters can order the Classic Ramen with chicken and pork broth Shoyu Ramen. It comes with Cha Siu pork, veg, nori seaweed and half ajitama egg (soft boiled marinated in soy sauce and mirin mixture). They have a similar version with the same ingredients but in a Classic Miso broth.
Vegans can enjoy three options. I tried the Creamy Miso Ramen, usually served with Char Sui Tofu, vegetables, and nori seaweed. I’m not too fond of tofu and I’m allergic to beansprouts. I told the server my predicament, and he said they would customise my Ramen. It was creamy and full of flavour; I enjoyed every mouthful and slurp. Spicy Creamy Miso Ramen is a similar version with a kick to it. Otherwise, you can try the Kuromayu Black Ramen, a creamy miso broth ramen with Japanese roasted garlic oil.
Donburi rice bowls include Cha Siu Pork, Chicken Karrage, Dengaku Miso (aubergines and tofu with a sweet dengaku miso sauce) and Cauliflower Karaage. We shared the latter, and the cauliflower was perfectly deep-fried. Who knew that cauliflower could taste so amazing!
If you’re avoiding rice, you can order the Chicken Karaage, Cauliflower Karaage or the Age Nasu (deep-fried aubergines with sweet Dengaku miso sauce) as a side instead. We selected the aubergine, which tasted delightful and creamy thanks to the miso glaze.
We also tried the Kara Uma Cabbage, a simple cabbage dish cooked in Tokonton’s chilli sauce recipe. It was fabulous, and the chilli oil was spot on, not overly spicy.
You may like to choose the gyozas as a starter. They have the Classic Pork Gyoza or a Vegan option with a tasty chickpea and tofu filling. My partner said these were the best gyozas he’s ever tasted, which is high praise. As I’ve mentioned, I’m not a lover of tofu, and even I thought they were excellent. Check out the specials board, which usually has some starter options such as Vegetable Balls.
To give you an idea of prices, Ramen is £12-13, Donburi is £8-9 and Sides are £5-6.5. Drinks include a selection of Sake, Asahi and Kirin Beer and Soft Drinks such as Cold Green Tea.
Tokoton Bartholomew Street London SE1 Information
To find out more, visit the Tokoton Website. The address is 25 Bartholomew Street, London SE1 4AL. Elephant and Castle and Borough are the closest stations. The current opening times are Tuesday to Thursday from 12 noon until 9 pm and Friday to Saturday from 12 noon until 10 pm. If you live in the area and work from home, this Japanese restaurant is a lovely place to visit during your lunch break. In the evening, you can dine there with your partner or a couple of friends. They also do takeaways if you are too lazy to walk there!
While you are in the area, you might want to check out these posts:
Ten Things To Do In Elephant And Castle
Ten Things To Do In Bermondsey
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London. I only write about restaurants where I had a good experience. I recommend you further research as restaurant standards fluctuate, as do opinions. Please check if the restaurant is still in business and the opening times before you go. If you discover this restaurant has closed, contact me to remove it from my blog.
