Cape Town is known for its culinary gems, and Ramenhead is the latest addition to the city’s food scene. The brainchild of renowned chef Peter Tempelhoff, this authentic Japanese street food bar offers a casual dining experience where you can slurp, sip, and socialize to your heart’s content.
The restaurant on Speakers Corner in Church Square was designed by Tristan du Plessis of Studio A, who created a perfect Zen backdrop with blackened oak and handcrafted ramen bowls. The bar offers craft beers, wines, spirits, exotic cocktails, and sake served in traditional square wooden masu cups. The atmosphere is dark and moody inside but flows onto the square terrace tables and sofas under fairy lights strung from the trees.
The five primary bowls of ramen on the menu have chicken, pork, mushrooms, and vegetables, or wagyu beef (as well as a weekly special) in broth. The flavors are profoundly delicious and complex, taking hours to make with additional ingredients such as dashi powder, ginger, nori, bean sprouts, star anise oil, menma (fermented bamboo shoots), leek oil, and Negi (a variety of spring onion). Authentic seasonings such as shio tare (lemon-salt), shoyu tare (soy), and miso tare are used. Add extra yummy bits, such as ajitamago (marinated soft-boiled egg).
Other dishes include moreish karaage (crumbed fried chicken), gyoza (either mushroom or springbok) with a dipping sauce, kale, and prawn salad, and rice bowls of tuna tartare or pork chashu (braised belly). Nibbles to go with pre-dinner drinks include edamame, wagyu biltong, traditional Japanese tsukemono pickles, and a rare (rice crackers). The sweet dezato consists of two choices: purin (set egg custard) with fruit and ginger syrup or the week’s ice cream. Alternatively, a Dom Pedro made with Japanese whisky is also highly recommended.
The service at Ramenhead is top-notch, and the kitchen is open, so patrons can see the ramen-making process in action. There is no booking, and it’s a no-cash venue. It’s a fantastic experience with an authentic taste of Japanese cuisine, and the attention to detail is impressive. Ramenhead sets the benchmark for Ramen in Cape Town.
Meta: Discover Ramenhead, Cape Town’s latest culinary gem. This authentic Japanese street food bar by renowned chef Peter Tempelhoff offers a casual dining experience where you can slurp, sip, and socialize to your heart’s content.
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