Japanese Ramen Restaurant is Taking the Cardiff Food Scene by Storm

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Development Bank of Wales , 20th December 2022

James Chant’s traditional Japanese Ramen restaurant is taking the Cardiff food scene by storm after his assemble-at-home DIY ramen kits gained critical acclaim from culinary heroes including Jay Rayner, Tom Parker Bowles, Melissa Thompson and Pippa Middlehurst.

Based in the former NatWest bank on Clare Road in Grangetown, Matsudai Ramen opened its doors in August 2022. The 1700 sq ft building has been kitted out with a £50,000 micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales.

Donna Strohmeyer, DBW; James Chant, Matsudai

Matsudai Ramen first started life in September 2019; initially as a pop-up and creative outlet for founder James Chant, who at that point had never set foot in a professional kitchen. As Wales’ first and only purveyors of proper, no-corners-cut ramen, Matsudai was immediately incredibly popular, with events selling out in just minutes – but needed to adapt quickly when the pandemic arrived in 2020.

Not to be discouraged, the cult ramen crew began producing ramen kits, and at the start of 2021 launched a national delivery service. Since then Matsudai has delivered over 20,000 kits throughout the UK. The team have been featured in articles in the Observer, the Guardian, the Daily Mail, the Independent and BBC Good Food with James also being invited to appear in a video with cult YouTuber Uncle Roger. This has now been viewed over six million times.

When lockdown restrictions started lifting in summer 2021 Matsudai headed out ‘on tour', with sell-out pop-ups across the UK, including a stint in London, where Matsudai took over the kitchen of the British Film Institute in Soho for a month. Then, in August 2022 with the help of the Development Bank, James opened Wales' first ramen restaurant in Grangetown, Cardiff.

With 70 covers and now employing 24 staff, Director James Chant says Matsudai Ramen at The Bank has been packed out since opening:

“The DIY kits are still an important part of our offering but we’ve been blown away by how well the restaurant is doing.

“The Grangetown community has been so welcoming and we’re just very grateful to the Development Bank for helping to fund our passion for great ramen. In less than three years, we’ve grown from a pop-up restaurant to a renowned business with exciting potential for future growth.”

Investment Executive Donna Strohmeyer of the Development Bank of Wales said:

“The flexibility of our micro loans makes them ideal for growing businesses like Matsudai who want to take the next step on their journey.

“James has built a loyal following in a short period of time with Matsudai becoming the go-to for traditional Japanese Ramen. The delivery business is thriving with restaurant quality ramen kits and now the restaurant is a welcome addition to Grangetown as a flourishing multicultural food destination.”

Micro loans between £1,000 and £50,000 are available from the Development Bank of Wales with repayment terms ranging from one to ten years. Small businesses, sole traders and social enterprises based in Wales, or willing to move here can apply for the funding that includes a fast-track service.

Mae bwyty Ramen Japaneaidd traddodiadol James Chant yn mynd â’ch bryd ar fwyd Caerdydd i’r lefel nesaf wrth i’w becynnau ramen ‘DIY’ rhowch y pryd at ei gilydd eich hunan gartref dderbyn canmoliaeth feirniadol gan arwyr coginio gan gynnwys Jay Rayner, Tom Parker Bowles, Melissa Thompson a Pippa Middlehurst.

Wedi'i leoli yn hen fanc NatWest ar Clare Road yn Grangetown, agorodd Matsudai Ramen ei ddrysau ym mis Awst 2022. Mae'r adeilad 1700 troedfedd sgwâr wedi'i ddodrefnu’n briodol wedi iddynt gael micro fenthyciad o £50,000 gan Fanc Datblygu Cymru.

Dechreuodd Matsudai Ramen ei fywyd am y tro cyntaf ym mis Medi 2019; ar y dechrau fel siop greadigol ‘pop yp’ dros dro ar gyfer y sylfaenydd James Chant, nad oedd ar y pryd erioed wedi gosod troed mewn cegin broffesiynol. Fel y cwmni cyntaf a’r unig gludwr yng Nghymru o ramen go iawn, heb unrhyw fath o dorri corneli gyda’r cynnyrch, roedd Matsudai yn hynod o boblogaidd ar unwaith, gyda digwyddiadau’n gwerthu allan mewn ychydig funudau – ond roedd angen iddo addasu’n gyflym pan gyrhaeddodd y pandemig yn 2020.

Nid oedd y gair digalonni yn rhan o’i eirfa, ac fe ddechreuodd y criw cwlt ramen gynhyrchu citiau ramen, ac ar ddechrau 2021 lansiodd wasanaeth dosbarthu cenedlaethol. Ers hynny mae Matsudai wedi dosbarthu dros 20,000 o becynnau ledled y DU. Mae'r tîm wedi cael sylw mewn erthyglau yn yr Observer, y Guardian, y Daily Mail, yr Independent a BBC Good Food gyda James hefyd yn cael ei wahodd i ymddangos mewn fideo gyda’r YouTuber cwlt Uncle Roger. Mae’r fideo wedi cael ei gweld dros chwe miliwn o weithiau erbyn hyn.

Pan ddechreuodd cyfyngiadau’r cyfnod clo gael eu llacio yn haf 2021 aeth Matsudai allan 'ar daith', gyda’r pop yps yn gwerthu allan ledled y DU, gan gynnwys cyfnod yn Llundain, lle cymerodd Matsudai awenau cegin Sefydliad Ffilm Prydain yn Soho am fis. Yna, ym mis Awst 2022 gyda chymorth y Banc Datblygu, agorodd James fwyty ramen cyntaf Cymru yn Grangetown, Caerdydd.

Gyda 70 o leoedd i bobl fwyta ac yntau erbyn hyn yn cyflogi 24 o staff, mae’r Cyfarwyddwr James Chant yn dweud bod Matsudai Ramen at the Bank wedi bod dan ei sang fyth ers iddo agor:

“Mae’r citiau DIY yn dal i fod yn rhan bwysig o’n harlwy ond rydym wedi cael ein synnu gyda pa mor dda mae’r bwyty yn llwyddo.

“Mae cymuned Grangetown wedi bod mor groesawgar ac rydym yn ddiolchgar iawn i’r Banc Datblygu am helpu i ariannu ein hangerdd am ramen gwych. Mewn llai na thair blynedd, rydym wedi tyfu o fod yn fwyty dros dro i fod yn fusnes enwog gyda photensial cyffrous ar gyfer twf yn y dyfodol.”

Dywedodd y Swyddog Buddsoddi, Donna Strohmeyer o Fanc Datblygu Cymru:

“Mae hyblygrwydd ein micro fenthyciadau yn eu gwneud yn ddelfrydol ar gyfer busnesau sy’n tyfu fel Matsudai sydd eisiau cymryd y cam nesaf ar eu taith.

“Mae James wedi adeiladu carfan o ddilynwyr ffyddlon mewn cyfnod byr o amser gyda Matsudai yn dod yn ‘y lle i fynd’ i gael Ramen Japaneaidd traddodiadol. Mae’r busnes dosbarthu yn ffynnu gyda chitiau ramen o safon bwyty ac erbyn hyn mae’r bwyty yn ychwanegiad i’w groesawu i Grangetown fel cyrchfan bwyd amlddiwylliannol llewyrchus.”

Mae micro fenthyciadau rhwng £1,000 a £50,000 ar gael gan Fanc Datblygu Cymru gyda thelerau ad-dalu yn amrywio o un i ddeng mlynedd. Gall busnesau bach, masnachwyr unigol a mentrau cymdeithasol sydd wedi’u lleoli yng Nghymru, neu sy’n barod i symud yma wneud cais am y cyllid sy’n cynnwys gwasanaeth llwybr cyflym.