MATSUDAI RAMEN, WALES’ FIRST RAMEN-ONLY RESTAURANT
Taking over the kitchen of Blue Honey Local in Roath, Matsudai will be open weekly until early April, from Wednesday to Saturday, and is the prime chance to try everything from miso bowls to tonkotsu to flavoured broths, all made using handmade noodles and toppings. Founder James Chant is a self-proclaimed ramen expert who began his journey by testing recipes on his wife and now is leading a successful pop-up movement. And what’s his tip for the best way to eat ramen? Fast!
Blue Honey Local, Roath, Cardiff, until Sat 4 Apr.
Info: www.matsudai.co.uk
THOMAS BY TOM SIMMONS OPENS IN PONTCANNA
Chef Tom Simmons, who reached the quarter finals of Masterchef: The Professionals back in 2011, has opened his first restaurant in Wales, taking over the Cameo Club in Pontcanna. Thomas By Tom Simmons serves classy British-French cuisine and occupies a foodie district of the Welsh capital, with Tommy Heaney’s restaurant only a short walk away. While the takeover followed the club’s announcement last year that it was set to close after 20 years, Simmons, from Pembrokeshire, hopes to preserve the former members’ club’s “legendary status” and offer a dining experience akin to his eponymous restaurant in London’s Tower Bridge.