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The cherry-blossom petals falling like candy-coloured snow in Ueno Park. Sipping a frighteningly expensive martini in the Park Hyatt’s New York Bar (the one made famous by Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson in ‘Lost in Translation’). Early mornings at the Tsukiji Market. Global fashion on Takeshita-dori in Harajuku. My first trip to Tokyo made quite the impression.
But if there’s one thing seared into my memory, it’s the noise and bustle of Andy’s Shin Hinomoto. One of Tokyo's most famous izakayas, tucked under the railway arches of Yūrakuchō Station, it’s where I found myself on my last night in town, nursing a bottle of Asahi Super Dry and marvelling at the plate of whole salt-grilled squid that had landed in front of me.
Those Tokyo memories came rushing back this week as I took a table at Ramenhead Izakaya on Kloof Street and the waitress slid a bowl of whole ‘chokka’ onto the table with a smile. It’s one of many good reasons to visit Ramenhead’s new home.
The backstory
Ramenhead first opened on Parliament Street in 2022, when chef Peter Tempelhoff and his FYN team set out to up Cape Town’s Japanese ramen game. They imported Africa's first Yamato noodle-making machine, allowing them to produce fresh noodles with precisely controlled hydration and texture, tailored to the different broths.
Four years later, the move to Kloof Street – taking over the space once home to ëlgr – marks an ambitious new chapter. Tempelhoff and culinary director Ashley Moss have expanded the offering beyond ramen to embrace the convivial culture of the Japanese izakaya.
Wait, a what?
An izakaya. It’s a bit of a bar. A bit of a restaurant. Basically, a place where the drinks and the food share the stage. It’s a bit like a Spanish tapas bar, where the drinks are accompanied by small plates for sharing.
The result is a new space that retains its noodle-bar roots while offering a much broader exploration of Japanese cuisine.
What's the vibe?
Ramenhead has grown up. While loyal locals will recognise parts of the old space, the much larger new venue is a moody mix of charred timber, Japanese design touches and intimate dining spaces. A lantern imported from Japan announces the entrance, while the original Ramenhead neon sign and its collection of ceramic bowls have made the move from Parliament Street. Wander deeper into the restaurant, past the open kitchen and noodle-making machine, and a courtyard bar offers an inviting spot to settle in over sake and cocktails. Expect this corner to be absolutely jammed in the summertime!
What's on the menu?
The bowls of broth that made Ramenhead's reputation are still very much present, but the real excitement lies in the expanded menu of izakaya plates, wood-fired dishes and sushi.
Executive chef Julia du Toit leads the kitchen, while sushi chef Ryan Reyes oversees a new offering that includes oshizushi, the pressed sushi of Osaka. I loved the tuna, served in six neat pieces with grated daikon, spring onion and shichimi spice. It's a more understated style of sushi than the elaborately dressed rolls that have become ubiquitous in Cape Town, so don’t expect lashings of sweet chilli or (the horror) biltong dust. Here, the fish and rice take centre stage.
If you don’t fancy sushi, whet your palate with the Namibian crab salad: delicate briny flavours, cool cucumber and creamy avocado, lifted by lime and the bright acidity of ponzu. Simple, understated, delicious.
But the dish that stole the show is the whole XL chokka, cooked over a wood fire and finished with white miso butter, garlic, lime and chives. Char and smoke play nicely with the rich umami of the miso butter. More refined than the seared squid whacked down in front of me at Andy’s, but no less delicious.
Another Yakimono (wood-fired dish) worth ordering is the Wagyu sirloin (marbling score 8-9 for the steak geeks), a luxurious take on izakaya cooking. Prepared in the hoba miso yaki style with truffle yakiniku and crispy onion, it lets the beef’s richness shine. One caveat: as part of a series of dishes, it’s rich and umami-packed, so it’s best to share this one.
Of course, it wouldn't be Ramenhead without ramen, so leave space for a bowl. The restaurant continues to use its specialist Yamato noodle-making machine – on full display towards the rear – with noodles matured for at least 48 hours before cooking. The signature tonkotsu, with its deeply flavoured pork broth, remains outstanding.
For dessert, skip the predictable and try the Okinawa dango. These sweet Japanese doughnuts, served with matcha sugar and a dark chocolate-lime sauce, are a playful finish to a menu that is a distinct step up from the Ramenhead we’ve come to know and love.
And if you just can’t decide? The four-course omakase experience that takes diners on a chef-led journey through chilled fish and sushi, fried dishes, ramen and dessert.
What about the drinks?
The FYN Group’s dynamic beverage director Jennifer Hugé has assembled a collection of 24 premium sakes, from approachable styles to complex junmai daiginjo (the highest and most prestigious grade of Japanese sake) expressions. Sake novices can explore the range through tasting flights of three or six pours.
Japanese-inspired cocktails, highballs and sours round out the selection, alongside local and Japanese beers and a concise list of boutique South African wines.
The verdict
Ramenhead's move to Kloof Street is more than a change of address. The expanded kitchen and broader menu have turned one of the best ramen restaurants in Cape Town into a more nuanced Japanese dining destination, where ramen is only part of the appeal.
It may not have the clatter of trains overhead or the boisterous chaos of a Tokyo backstreet izakaya, but in its new space and expanded menu, Ramenhead Izakaya has captured something of Tokyo's spirit.
And yes, I'd go back for the squid alone.