The Ramen kings expand
Cafe chat Sharon Stephenson
It’s been said there are almost as many regional variations of ramen in Japan as there are styles of kimono. If, for example, you’re from Sapporo, you may have grown up with miso ramen topped with pork. If you come from Hokkaido, you’ll be used to sweetcorn floating atop your broth.
If, however, you’re from Wellington, your first taste of the slurpy noodles may well have been at The Ramen Shop. That’s because when chefs Asher Boote and Tsubasa Takahashi started their Japanese street-food style eatery in Newtown in 2013, it was the only dedicated ramen joint in the capital.
‘‘I came back from overseas wanting to eat ramen but there was nowhere to do that,’’ says Boote.
‘‘It was good timing because the restaurant Tsubasa and I were working at had just closed because of the earthquakes and I’d always wanted to own my own restaurant before I was 30, so we started doing a series of pop-ups at craft beer bars.’’
They were rewarded with queues around the block and a cult following among foodies dedicated to their Japanese comfort food.
Fast forward five years and Boote, 33, and Takahashi, 35, have been busy.
Three years ago they opened The Hillside Kitchen & Cellar, which is about to switch to a plant-based menu next month, and last year added the iconic Tinakori Bistro to their growing portfolio. At the end of July, they opened a second branch of The Ramen Shop in Victoria St.
‘‘People had been asking us for ages to open in the city and we finally found a former restaurant space, which we renovated to make it more like the classic Japanese counter seating where you can see what’s going on in the kitchen and diners have the opportunity to interact with the staff.’’
Although fans of the Newtown outlet definitely won’t be disappointed, Boote has tweaked the menu a little. ‘‘We’re not a franchise, so there’s no chicken waffles at the city cafe and our broths are chicken-based, rather than pork-based as they are in Newtown.’’
The chicken emphasis is evident in the cafe’s mural – whereas in Newtown it’s a pink pig, here it’s a samurai chicken, both painted by artist Jordan Debney.
But the fresh steamed buns and hot, steamy bowls of ramen remain the same, with everything from the noodles to kimchi made on the premises (vegetarian options, such as the delicious Shoyu Shiitake, are also available).
Other favourites have also made it across town, including pickled shiitake mushrooms and the 24-hour pork belly.
Serving up affordable bowls of Japanese street food is something of a change for Boote, who spent eight years working his way around Michelinstarred restaurants, from The Dorchester in London to Bloom in the Park in Sweden’s Malmo.
Counting down to Beervana
Hop heads unite – your favourite time of the year is here. On Friday and Saturday, the annual celebration of new and exclusive brews and local gourmet eats rolls into Wellington.
This year, more than 50 brewers, including guest craft brewers from Japan, will bring the magic to Westpac Stadium. With hundreds available, there’s something for everyone.