Pompoko

They don’t accept card. They don’t have alcohol and you have to buy it yourself and they charge you £1. The food is mediocre with rice made the Chinese style. Not the right place if you want real Japanese food.

Such an amazing little place. Little is the optimum word because everyone is squeezed in, but the food and service is incredible! If you want quick, authentic Asian food that’s incredible value then this is your place. I had a lovely sesame chicken rice pot and teriyaki prawns, so so good. Be warned it does get busy so best to get there early. We had soft drinks but it looked like it was bring-​your-​own-​booze.

I miss Pompoko so much. Great option to go when you do not feel like cooking. Cheap and fast service. Tofu don, I miss you!

I am very surprised with this little gem of a find. My sister and I had lunch here and I did not hesitate as I’ve already heard of it’s glowing reputation.
Cheap and chirpy indeed. I like the bit where you order at the till and pay. No waiting for the bill so when you finish, you just leave. The portions are good, and it’s cheap. I had a pork curry and it was delicious, to my surprise. Kept asking my sister if it’s gonna blow my head off. I’m always cautious with food. It’s a small place and it can get cramped on peak times. I heard they are very popular with the Brighton English students.
To be honest, I like the atmosphere. It’s fast-​paced, the décor brings you a bit of culture and a melting pot of people around you. It kinda wants me to go to Tokyo but that’s just me. I do hope the locals are as warm and polite as the staff though. I also admire how efficient they are-​the food came in no time. I’ll definitely be back to try something new from the menu as it really made me that curious.

favourite japanese restaurant, chicken nambandon with king prawns and sticky ribs is a must have if your going to brighton you must visit this place even if your not hungry just go in there to marvel at its greatness. japanese food how it should be. long live Pompoko

This place is really ok. Worth a visit but not as amazing as everyone makes out. Not super cheap either considering the portion sizes.

Cant remember the dish name, but surely its my best choice this year i Brighton. Small, decent lokaly looking bar, low prices and devilishly delicious chilli on the top.

Their food is reasonably priced, and tastes pretty great. However, a huge problem is the lack of space inside the restaurant. There’s one long table, and then a smattering of small tables right by the door (which will hit you in the back whenever someone opens it if you’re sitting at the table on the left side). There’s more seating available upstairs, but not enough to make it so that there’s what one might call a «reasonable amount of room» to house everyone who wants to eat there at one time. It’s not the best atmosphere because of this, and you sort of just want to take your admittedly delicious food and get out of there. Also, make sure that you have cash on-​hand, as that’s the only accepted form of payment in Pompoko.

It’s absolutely precious! The food is good and cheap with big portions. Probably the only bad thing is that the place is too small so often you might have to take away and eat at the park, which is fun though. Oh, it’s also really fast so if you’re hungry you won’t have to wait too long.

This place is constantly busy — need I say more?
The girls are really friendly and attentive, the food is amazing but be warned — cash only!
The gyoza are fantastic, the chicken dishes are all amazing and it does takeaway.
I really like the fact there is a quiet area upstairs that you can sit which gets you away from the hussle and bussle of the downstairs area. Getting an outdoor seat is a mean feat as it is always full, but if you do, cherish the moment!

Certainly a must visit for a Japanese food lover! As always, I struggle to find places that can provide quality food without emptying my pockets. For a UK pricing standard, Pompoko ends up being really cheap. And not only that. but fast. In other words, after being 5 minutes there you will most probably get your dish.
For people that are looking for a fancy restaurant, this is not your place. However, if you want to experience a mini Japanese fast food restaurant, I would strongly recommend this. The menu is mostly characterised by Don dishes and some side dishes as Gyoza Dumplings and Yakitori. There are more but these two are the most representative. The price won’t be higher the £5 per dish. For side dishes it’s mainly 2.95.
Note that, as most people have advised, this place is small, so usually you may have to queue on peak hours or cross your fingers to be lucky enough to get a sit. The other option is to decide on a take away.
After this advice you are ready to go Pompoko and get nice taste Japanese food for a good price ;)

I wasn’t too impressed with this restaurant. I got the edamame which was good, but my main dish was disappointing. I got a bowl with chicken in it that was supposed to be crispy. However, it was overcooked and chewy The worst for me, however was the fact that the chicken was all dark meat with a few spots of white meat. If I went again, I may get the tofu but I don’t think I will ever return.

Pompoko is great! Cheap and big portions, they could easily raise their prices and it would still be fantastic value. Chicken yakitori is delicious, as are their dumplings and the sesame chicken. Me and my girlfriend ordered a main and a starter each, and a drink, and it only came to £20.
Bear in mind it does get busy and you may have to queue, but it has a fairly quick turn around as the food comes out very quickly. Also remember to withdraw cash beforehand as they don’t take card! Lost track of how many times I’ve had to run out and withdraw cash.

I’ve maybe been here 50+ times now.
Pompoko is really great for those who want a quick and tasty meal. It’s cool because, you order at the counter, grab a free chair or share with someone random, eat your food, then leave. It’s not a dining experience, but to be honest, its quick street food right in the middle of town.
The majority of what they do is meat, fish or tofu over a rice, with a wide selection of different sauces and glazes. I try and get a different thing each time and I highly recommend getting the Gyoza to go with whatever you choose.
It’s a pretty damn good price too!

Just bad. I’d heard rave reviews, but this just didn’t live up to the hype.
I got a crispy pork rice bowl, but the pork was so over-​fried and chewy that it barely resembled meat. My friend got noodles and the sauce was drenched over it in a salty mess. The meat on his dish was described, by him, as «old and chewy.» The dumplings fell apart easily with the filling falling out in large clumps. I lived in Asia for over two years, this is not a fault of mine based on chopsticks.
Overall, it just seemed pre-​made and refried. Disappointing.

This place!!! It deserves 10 stars to be honest.
If you like wagamamas then this place is very similar… However, it’s cheaper and tastier!!!
It’s such good value for money and so so so tasty. I can’t fault it, they always serve the food quickly and I’m never disappointed with a dish I try. They’ve got a big selection of Japanese food, some more generic dishes like katsu curry and others which are not for the faint hearted like octopus testicials ! Although, that’s not really that bad in the grand scheme of things!!!
Anyway, the seating arrangements aren’t always great, you end up being on top of each other if you sit inside and downstairs. Beware of sharing a table on the odd occasion and don’t sit too close to the door on a cold day, people are in and out and lining up from open to close!
It does however have room upstairs but it’s limited. But on a hot day, you can sit outside in the sun! However, I enjoy taking it away, and sitting in the pavilion gardens with a beer, oh and ALSO!!! You can bring your own alcohol there, you just have to pay an extra £1!
IF YOU HAVENT BEEN BEFORE… Go you fool!

this place is an absolute Gem.
I discovered pompoko after discussing what I wanted to eat from Wagamama’s at a bustop. A Lady overheard me and implored me to check out Pompoko — so I did! I’m SOOO Glad I did!
It’s a very small restaurant that offers tasty, authentic Japanese food. You could get a starter, main and a drink for less than a tenner! The portions are generous and there’s lots to choose from. Helpfully, they have photos of the meals on their menu on the walls.
It’s always, always busy, and often in summer, the queue to eat inside goes all the way down the street! My particular fave is the Chicken Katsu curry — equally as nice — if not better than the Wagamama version and half the price at around five pounds.
They do not sell alcohol, but you are more than welcome to bring your own!
You really cannot go wrong with Pompoko. The food is tasty, the portions are generous, and they also offer a takeaway service, which is great if you don’t want to wait in the queue to be seated.
One of my fave little places to eat in Brighton.

Pompoko is a must-​go for anyone who steps onto Brighton soil. It’s cheap, it’s really good Japanese food and you can bring your own booze.
Whilst I highly recommend that you eat inside the quaintly decorated restaurant with a glass (or bottle) of wine that you can buy from Tesco’s around the corner, if you’re in a rush, or just need your sofa, you can get take out.
The portion sizes are great, particularly as most of their meals are only a fiver.
Don’t be put off by the big queues outside, the service is really quick, they’re just always high in demand. There are also tables upstairs.
Note for lactose intolerants: You have absolutely nothing to worry about here, it’s harder to find dishes with milk in than without.

C’est vraiment un endroit super… Un petit japonais comme on peut en trouver à Paris vers Opéra.
On y mange des raviolis, les fameux Gyoza, des soupes, des nouilles, et des plats avec du riz et plein de truc dedans !
Les raviolis et la soupe aux crevettes étaient vraiment très bons ! Le plats de ma voisine (poulet et riz) que j’ai pu goûter, était sympa aussi !
En tout cas, allez y sans hésiter ! C’est simple, rapide, le personnel est sympa, et en plus c’est vraiment pas cher !!!

My girl friends and I were missing Asian food (I was missing rice in general) and we came across this place before heading to the pub crawl we had planned for the night. The place was super small so it’s more of people getting take out than people actually sitting in the restaurant. You order at the cashier and wait for your food to come out.
I ordered the fried rice and it was okay. It was a bit too salty to my liking but it was just enough to satisfy my cravings. The service was pretty quick and the portion was just right. I don’t eat much and I was able to finish the entire plate with no problem. It is hard to find good Asian food in the UK when you have been spoiled all your life with authentic Asian food from California.

This is by far one of my favourite places to eat in Brighton! The food is unbelievable and most dishes come in under £5, making it a real bargain.
Pompoko has a lovely feel to it — it’s very authentic and simple. The décor is basic, but comfortable, and the presentation of the place is nothing extravagant but the food — oh the food!
There’s not much on this menu that I wouldn’t fancy and everything I’ve tried thus far has been genuinely delicious. The service is so quick and friendly and the portions are huge, which is shocking considering the prices.
You can BYOB here, which makes for an even cheaper evening if you fancy some wine with your meal, and they do a fast and efficient take-​away service as well.
Try the Tori Chilli Don and the Gyoza Dumplings if you’d like to be transported to food heaven.
Warning: my only criticism of this place is that, because it’s so darn good, it can get very busy at peak times, so there can often be a wait. All I can say is, it’s worth it. I’m not even going to deduct a star for this!!!
Also — bring cash!