The team behind the highly acclaimed FYN restaurant launches a casual, authentic ramen house in Cape Town.
Ramen lovers in Cape Town will soon be slurping handmade noodles and tipping back bowlfuls of the most authentic broth this side of Japan as Ramenhead, led by chefs Peter Tempelhoff and Ashley Moss — the duo behind award-winning Japanese-fusion restaurant FYN — makes its debut.
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It opens on 13 December and is just downstairs from FYN at Speakers Corner. Designer Tristan du Plessis’ Studio A has created a vibey, casual, and playful atmosphere. It has indoor and outdoor tables, bar seating, and an open ‘finishing’ kitchen where patrons can watch each bowl assembled.
Their noodle lab boasts white-coated production chefs who man the African continent’s only Yamamoto Noodle Machine The low-hydration noodle-making machine was purchased in Japan earlier this year when Tempelhoff and Moss did a 10-day ramen-tasting odyssey through Osaka and Tokyo. Their mission was to gather supplies and track down the best representative ramen styles and techniques (at times tasting up to 16 ramen a day).
‘Ramen is very technical in its creation … some ramen houses in Japan are super serious and don’t even allow talking while eating!’ exclaims Tempelhoff.
‘Ultimately, ramen should be fast, cheap, filling, restorative and fun, and we will bring all those components into play for a Cape Town audience.’
For Moss, the opening of Ramenhead is yet another chapter in a long-held fascination with Japanese culture that started in his childhood.
Moss is joined in the kitchen by Chef Julia du Toit, who leaves her position as head chef of Tempelhoff’s beyond restaurant at Buitenverwachting.
In addition to several different ramen offerings, including classic pork broth, pork-free chicken broth, and vegetarian broth, as well as seasonal variations and frequent specials, Ramenhead offers both traditional and gluten-free noodles. The menu also features Japanese snacks like fried chicken karaage and gyoza dumplings, and a curated selection of wines, beers, and cocktails. The street-food-inspired eatery is now open for lunch and dinner daily except Sundays and Mondays and will not take reservations.
The opening of Ramenhead comes mere months after Tempelhoff’s Japan-meets-South Africa fine dining establishment FYN was named Best Restaurant in Africa and number 37 in the world by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Also, if you happen to be travelling solo to the Mother City, check out the best things to do alone in Cape Town!
Pictures: Supplied
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