Tonkotsu Birmingham Grand Central is part of the Tonkotsu group, a UK ramen chain with locations across London and beyond, including Soho, Haggerston, Mare Street, Brighton, Bristol and now Birmingham. The brand is known for offering a consistent, casual take on Japanese ramen, with a focus on fresh preparation and reliable flavours rather than fine dining.
Tonkotsu was founded by friends Ken and Emma, who met in 2002 through a shared interest in travel and food, particularly Japanese cuisine. After several trips to Japan, they became increasingly frustrated by the lack of good ramen available in London. In 2011, they began experimenting with a Saturday night pop-up, cooking different regional styles of ramen each week. What started with 30 guests quickly grew to 120 within ten weeks, with tickets selling out almost immediately. The popularity of those early pop-ups led to the opening of the first permanent restaurant, Tonkotsu Soho, in 2012.
A turning point for the business came after a visit to Japan, when a ramen chef advised them that if they wanted to make good ramen, they should make their own noodles - it's a nugget of advice which has shaped one of the brand's mottos: 'If you don't make your own noodles, you're just a soup shop'. Today, Tonkotsu produces fresh noodles daily across the group. At Tonkotsu East in Haggerston, guests can even watch noodles being made in the dedicated noodle room. Broths, katsu curries, gyoza and sides are also prepared from scratch, with high-quality ingredients including Dingley Dell pork and Clarence Court eggs used throughout the menu.
The menu is structured to be clear and accessible. Core ramen options include the Tonkotsu - the original and best seller - featuring thin-cut noodles in pork broth with roast pork belly, bamboo shoots, beansprouts, half an egg and burnt garlic oil. The Kakugiri offers a lighter chicken broth with chunks of pork belly, while alternatives such as sweet chilli king prawns or chicken teriyaki provide non-ramen options. Alongside these are katsu curries, set lunches, desserts and a drinks list designed for informal dining.
The Birmingham Grand Central branch is particularly convenient, located within the city’s main transport hub. Its central position makes it an easy choice for lunch meetings, pre-travel meals or casual dinners when time is limited but something warm and reliable is needed.