Cardiff Ramen Restaurant, Matsudai Ramen, has announced its Autumn schedule of pop-up events and ramen kit collabs.
Originally starting as a pop-up in 2019, Matsudai Ramen is the brainchild of James Chant – a self-confessed ‘ramen geek’ who launched the project without any prior professional kitchen experience. Since 2021, James and his team have shipped tens of thousands of home ramen kits across the UK and earned acclaim from top food writers including Tim Anderson, Tom Parker Bowles, and Jay Rayner; in 2022, they opened Wales’ first dedicated ramen shop in Cardiff.
Matsudai thrives on bringing exciting chefs and producers to its Cardiff ramen shop, and to ramen geeks across the country via home-delivered ramen kits. This summer has seen collaborations with Bristolian Korean canteen Bokman, Anglesey sea salt company Halen Môn, and fermentation expert and creator, Kenji Morimoto.
Autumn will see a series of innovative partnerships, beginning on 21 August with Matsudai x Fuku Ramen in Cardiff, featuring an à la carte menu. September sees a partnership with Kanada Ya, one of the UK’s most respected ramen brands, with events in Cardiff on 7 September and London on 14 September, alongside the launch of a limited-edition Yuzu & Seafood Tonkotsu Ramen Kit available nationwide from 5 September to 18 October.
The season concludes with Matsudai x Bab Haus on 12 October in Cardiff, a one-off supper club showcasing Bab Haus’ signature birria, also available as part of a Birria Ramen Kit for nationwide delivery between 19 September and 18 October.
“Matsudai has always been about experimenting and responding in the moment – it’s how we were born,” says Chant.
“We’re really excited to try new things and refine what we do. These tweaks are about making every bowl as good as it can possibly be.”
With a smaller, dedicated team, Matsudai aims to cement itself as a destination ramen shop and an exceptional neighbourhood restaurant.
