At the charming Japanese restaurant, Matsudai Ramen in Cardiff, the team loves to make sure that people learn about, and enjoy, good, authentic ramen. The menu is big, and although it may look a bit daunting to those who haven't dined with this kind of cuisine before, the team is super friendly and will help you make a choice for your delicious meal. There are also gluten free and halal menu options, so be sure to ask your server if you want to see those. Similar to other Asian communal restaurants, dishes are served as soon as they're ready, so things can arrive all at once or in quick succession.
Being quite a new restaurant, Matsudai Ramen operates a pre-paid reservation system, which they say is to 'allow us to anticipate who is coming in and to give guests an all-encompassing experience at the best price possible, without worrying about no-shows.' The menu features delightful small plates and sumptuous ramen bowls. Indulge in the crispy perfection of karaage chicken, crafted from triple fried marinated chicken thighs, accompanied by Japanese curry mayo, sunset powder, and a zesty touch of lemon. The cucumber sunomono salad offers a refreshing balance with its sweet, savoury, and spicy sesame dressing.
The tonkotsu ramen takes centre stage, showcasing a rich bowl with creamy pork bone broth, shio tare, thin hakata noodles, braised pork belly chashu, kikurage mushrooms, pickled ginger, and spring onion. Meanwhile, the house shoyu entices with a rich blend of chicken and seafood dashi double soup and shoyu tare. Level up your ramen experience by adding sous vide chicken breast, roasted seaweed, a seasoned ajitama egg, or organic tofu chashu.