If you’re a ramen fan you’ve probably already heard of Tonkotsu, the nation-wide chain which began as a passion between two friends and quickly grew into one of (if not the!) country’s most successful ramen joint.
As the story goes, Emma and Ken became friends back in the early 2000s and bonded over their love of properly done ramen, disappointed that no one in London had got it quite right. This took them to opening their first pop up, selling tickets as fast as you can say ‘noodles!’ and eventually buying their own restaurant. When a research trip took them to Japan, a wise chef told them: “if you don’t make your own noodles, really you’re just a soup shop” and since then, they’ve insisted that everything be made by scratch in house, all over the UK.
In Cardiff, the space is relatively small and follows the same style as many of the other restaurants with minimalist furniture, simple colour palette and wooden flooring. There’s an outside seating area for sunnier days and good news - furry friends are welcome, too! As you might already expect, the menu is plentiful, spanning ramen, Katsu curry, rainbow salads, sides and a set lunch option.
Across ramen you could try the Geki Kara which means ‘fiery hot’ in Japanese and brings together pork broth, thin-cut noodles, scotch bonnet mash, roast pork belly, half an egg and kikurage, while the Kakugiri has a nourishing chicken broth base. If you haven’t yet tried the rainbow salads, they’re packed with crunchy vegetables, purple shiso, ponzu dressing and pick your protein across king prawns, chicken and tofu. And, the Katsu curry is a known must, with panko breadcrumbed chicken thigh with Japanese curry and steamed rice. But, that’s not where the selection stops.
At Tonkotsu Cardiff the sides are almost as satisfying as the main plates with crispy squid, homemade kimchi and chilli chicken or cauliflower wings. Top that off with a drinks menu including Japanese beers and crafted cocktails, and you’ve got the recipes for one hell of a night.