AT the OG Ramenhead I never had the brothless ramen. Why? For what is ramen without broth to slurp? Having had the cold hiyashi chuka with Tokyo-style noodles (each ramen has a different noodle, all made on-site), chicken chashu, spring onion, ajitamago if you’re lucky, tomato, and cucumber, I can tell you what it is. Absolutely delicious. It’s been a couple of weeks and I’m still thinking about it. It’s going to be a knockout summer dish.
I’m also still dreaming about Ryan Reyes’s sushi. You’ll know it from Sushiya at Time Out Market; now Ryan has his own counter at Ramenhead, as part of the extended offering not only here but extended from the market too. “The focus here is on oshizushi, the pressed sushi of Osaka. The fish and rice are layered and pressed in a box before being cut. The rice is Koshihikari from Ishikawa Prefecture, grown by fourth-generation farmers and cooked in Cape mountain spring water, and the fish is sustainably sourced from the Western Cape’s small-scale fishers.” So. No ordinary sushi here. I’ve found that once you’ve tasted the best, it’s a revelation that’s impossible to come back from.
If you can’t make up your mind what to try, have the 18-piece sushi omakase plate with oshizushi, futomaki, selection of sashimi, tataki, octopus wakame salad, and fresh daikon. A note: that octopus wakame salad is chef’s kiss.
There’s also a main character omakase, a menu decided for you, which we tackled on my second visit. Here it includes sushi, Agemono (vegetable and prawn tempura, chicken karaage), small ramen of your choice, and Dezāto (miso ice cream and white chocolate furikake, Konbini strawberry sando like you get in Japanese convenience stores). I have an ongoing situation regarding the sprinkles on the sando, which I have every time because I love it that much, so please ask for them and also why it’s pictured thus on their social media if not on the actual dessert. There are hills upon which I will die.
All this is in fact a massively substantial meal. Until you get greedy little piggies like me, who also want Tonkatsu — crumbed fried pork loin, karashi mayonnaise, and fresh cabbage salad with ponzu. For the yumminess I have zero regrets, but for ordering and trying to eat too much, well, I was a bit sorry about that part. We learn from our mistakes and return better prepared.
If you have not yet placed Ramenhead Izakaya on your mental map, it’s where ëlgr used to be, and if you’re old enough to remember, Ocean Basket, but that was really long ago. They’ve knocked around a few things so there’s a courtyard sake bar where beverage director Jennifer Hugé, the group’s sommelier and mixologist, has curated a list of 24 premium sakes available by the bottle (so many pretty bottles), with a selection also served by the glass and in tasting flights of three or six. The styles range from honjozo to junmai daiginjo and include sparkling and aged sakes. Alongside the sake are Japanese-inspired cocktails, including highballs and sours. There is also a list of non-alcoholic options, Japanese and local beer on tap, and a short selection of local boutique wines.
To make the best possible ramen, the first Yamato machine on the continent was imported to make the noodles, and it resides in its own special room towards the back of the restaurant. The machine mixes the dough at precise hydrations and cuts different styles, each matched to a different broth. The noodles are then portioned by hand, a step called tamatori, and matured for at least 48 hours before they are cooked. Some are aged for up to a week. The broths themselves are equally complex: the tonkotsu simmers for 18 hours to develop its deep umami flavour and creamy texture.
“I’m incredibly excited to bring the spirit of the Japanese izakaya to Ramenhead,” says culinary director Ashley Moss. “In line with traditional Japanese cooking, we are keeping the food simple, focused and honest, while building layers of depth and flavour through authentic techniques and quality ingredients.”
“Ramen is still the starting point for us, and it always will be,” says chef, founder and co-owner Peter Tempelhoff. “What Kloof Street gives us is the space to do more with the rest of the menu, and introduce a new offering alongside it.”
Executive chef Julia du Toit leads the kitchen, with head chef Liam Smith.
“Christoph Karl of Guideline did the fit-out with Tempelhoff, building out from Tristan du Plessis’ concept for the original Ramenhead, and Rotem Shachar of MR. Design consulted on select elements. A lantern brought in from Japan hangs above the entrance and is lit when the restaurant is open. Inside, the ramen bowls that hung above the Parliament Street kitchen – seven at first and now 10, as local makers kept offering their own – now welcome guests as a design feature. To the right, the iconic neon Ramenhead sign hangs above tables looking onto Kloof Street.
“A passage lined with timber blackened by shou sugi ban, the Japanese method of charring wood to preserve it, features the first seating area and runs past three alcoves: one for sake, one where the noodles mature and one for Ramenhead merchandise. The original counter and stools, refinished, divide the space.
“Down a short flight of stairs, shoji-like panels run along the left against black walls and ceiling, and the open kitchen passes on the right are clad in carved dark timber. Four Formakami pendants light the main dining room. Here, a pillar is plastered in pages of Naruto, the ramen-obsessed manga character, stained with soy sauce and sealed so they look as though they have been there for years.
“The courtyard holds the sake and cocktail bar, the wood-burning oven and covered seating, and is painted in the colours of miso: white behind the bar and along the back wall, brown along the side and red beside the oven. A small nod to the classic Japanese ingredient.”
Although not a direct inspiration for the decor, I’m reliably told it’s reminiscent of My Neighbor Totoro by Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli, which features interiors that feel a lot like the new Ramenhead.
The bathroom is also a must-visit and not just for the obvious reasons.
My first time was a quiet lunch hour; the second on a random Tuesday night and it was packed, so best you get on over to the website, where you can view the full new menu and book your table. This place is going to rock.
PHOTO CREDIT: Bruce Tuck
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