TabeTomo owners have new venture planned for St. Mark's Place

The owners of TabeTomo at 131 Avenue A have plans for a new restaurant at 120 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

CB3 granted administrative approval for a beer-wine license for the space, a yet-to-be-named venture that will offer sushi and other Japanese cuisine. According to the questionnaire on file at the CB3 website, the restaurant will be open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight ... offering an "immersive dinner menu." 

As we understand, TabeTomo, which opened in December 2018 and is billed as NYC's first tsukemen-focused restaurant, will remain in operation. (They also run TomoTomo on West 52nd Street.) 

No. 120 previously housed the retail outlet for Squish Marshmallows. Owner Katherine Sprung's lease was up here after five years, and she now focuses on custom and catering orders.

Thanks to Steven for the photo!

Checking in on TabeTome

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

Traditional Japanese ramen and tsukemen restaurant TabeTomo has set up a to-go station here at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark’s Place and Ninth Street that has proven to be a popular spot.

Here, you'll find omusubi (filled rice triangles wrapped in seaweed), donburi rice bowls, croquettes, hot sake and cold beer in addition to its signature ramen and tsukemen.





Manager Roka Kishimoto, owner Tomotsugu Kubo and chef Julio Roche welcome me when I show up to pick up my order — from a safe distance and allow me to watch and photograph as they prep other meals to go.







There is a well-stocked customer cleaning/sanitizing station, and customers can also call in and order ahead of time and grab their order through the open accordion doors. Several people on bicycles did just that while I was there.



Best-selling items include the salmon omusubi for $2.50 and the brewed-for-60-hour pork-broth-based ramen for $13 (a vegan version is also available).







It’s cash only and current hours are noon to 9 p.m. daily. You can follow TabeTomo on Instagram here.

TabeTomo debuts on Avenue A

That new ramen shop that we told you about last August is now in soft-open mode at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

Eater had a preview yesterday of TabeTomo:

Starting today, NYC will finally have a ramen shop where tsukemen is the star. Chef Tomotsugu Kubo’s new restaurant TabeTomo, opening today, will go all in on the dipping ramen in a petite space...

Kubo has credentials that make this opening promising. The chef previously worked at the Tokyo location of Tsujita and helped open the LA location of the ramen sensation, where the restaurant that has one of the longest waits in the city. Like TabeTomo, Tsujita specializes in tsukemen, a style where room temperature noodles are dipped into an ultra-hot, ultra-rich broth.

But Kubo’s NYC restaurant will be more upscale than Tsujita, he says. It has 24 seats and a 16-seat wood bar. Warm, low light provided by hanging lanterns, a brick accent wall, and wood throughout give the restaurant a romantic vibe.

And more opening buzzzzzz via The New York Times:

In New York, Mr. Kubo says he will take up to 60 hours to simmer his broth to deep perfection. The noodles are thicker than garden-variety ramen, the better to sop up the soup, and additions like eggs, pork belly, spinach and dried seaweed can dress up the meal. Regular ramen bowls are also served. Donburi rice bowls topped with sashimi or fried chicken, among other options, are also on the lineup, along with appetizers like crisp chicken skin, braised pork belly, edamame and pickles. The focus of the room is a large counter with seating on three sides.

TabeTomo is offering a limited menu until its GRAND opening next Monday.

This is the second L.A. ramen transplant to venture into the East Village this year. Tatsu Ramen, with two locations in Los Angeles, opened its first NYC outpost in July at 167 First Ave.

Baci e Vendetta closed at 131 Avenue A in March after nearly 16 months in service. Nic Ratner, a partner in Baci e Vendetta, said that business for the Italian cafe wasn't sustainable with only a beer-and-wine license.

This space was the 10 Degrees Bistro until the fall of 2015 ... and the Flea Market Cafe before that.

H/T Steven!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Veteran of hit L.A. ramen shop behind new noodle venture at 131 Avenue A