Liverpool cheap eats: I went to Tokyo and created my own huge ramen bowl for a tenner

Determined to better support and champion our independent businesses, I’m on a mission to find high-quality, budget-friendly options for eating out in Liverpool. As well as trying out new restaurants, I will also be recommending some of my favourite affordable places in the city, starting with a true Berry Street gem.

Situated between Chinatown and Bold Street, Tokyo is a busy Asian restaurant and takeaway which offers everything from crispy seaweed and spring rolls to huge steaming ramen bowls. Often my choice for a catch-up over lunch with a friend, it’s cheap and cheerful but definitely not lacking in taste.

The restaurant is fairly small and it can get pretty busy so you may have to wait for a table at the weekend but, on a weekday, it’s likely you’ll be seated promptly. The menu is extensive and includes a mix of Japanese and Chinese dishes but I always stick to the same two mains - the One Bowl or sweet and sour tofu. My favourite thing about Tokyo is that most things are customisable, so you can choose from a variety of noodles and rice to have alongside your delicious sweet and sour, or opt for the One Bowl or One Plate to basically design your whole dish.

With the One Plate, you choose your sauce - from around ten flavours - your carb and then your topping, which could be char sui, seafood, tofu, vegetables, mixed meats and more. Starting at £7.30, the portions are huge and definitely worth the money. The One Bowl is a similar concept where you choose your noodles, broth and topping to create your own personalised ramen, and I always opt for the vegetable tofu one with ramen noodles and miso broth. The portion is genuinely the biggest bowl of ramen I’ve had at any restaurant - and I eat a lot of ramen - and is always packed with a selection of veg. Starting at £7.30 again, I don’t think you’ll find a meal as hearty at many other places.

Even though I definitely don’t need anything else alongside the main, I always add a portion of vegetable spring rolls, which are priced at around £4 for four and are perfectly crispy and filled with vegetables and noodles. I usually share these with a friend, so when you add on a couple of Diet Cokes and the 10% service charge, we usually pay around £13 each in total, which is extremely reasonable.

So, if you’re after large portions of delicious Asian food prepared to order, Tokyo is a must-visit. The One Bowl and One Plate options are great for making sure you get your meal exactly how you like it. It can get busy as it is walk-in only but it’s well worth the wait and there’s even a dessert cafe upstairs if you’re after a sweet treat. What more could you want?

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