Melo Villareal
Hong Kong — Japan’s renowned ramen noodle champion Hayashi Takao and leading specialist in Japan’s national culinary artform, Matsumura Takahiro, are launching their new international flagship brand, RAMEN CUBISM, at a chic basement venue in Wellington Street, Central on 8 January 2019.
RAMEN CUBISM is their first overseas venture, collaborating with Hong Kong’s Bird Kingdom Group, renowned for putting Lai Chi Kok’s D2 Place on the dining map.
The brand new ramen destination introduces Chef Hayashi’s signature ramen creations to Hong Kong, following the success of his flagship restaurant ‘Original Ramen Style Hayashi’ at Tsukamoto Station in Osaka, opened in 2015, which regularly attracts long queues of some 100 supporters.
Famed for his soup bases, Chef Hayashi firmly believes his culinary creations should be handcrafted, using highest quality aigamo ‘rice’ duck, a hybrid of wild and domestic duck with a uniquely lavish flavour; the prized Danbo chicken, organically reared from pesticide-free farms for a fragrant and rich flavour; and kagome khumbu, a nutritional, edible kelp harvested exclusively for him by a local khumbu artisan.
Equally renowned as a ramen master and recipe developer, Chef Matsumura has established eight noodle brands in Osaka, with playful names including Human Beings Everybody Noodles, ranked among Osaka’s favourite restaurants on Tripadvisor, The Old Man’s Best Swing, The Most Deserted Ramen-Bar In The World, The Soul of Japan, Takahiro Ramen, Namonaki Ramen and the newly opened The Most Hopeful Ramen Bar in the World.
In celebration of its opening, RAMEN CUBISM features Chef Hayashi’s new ramen creations exclusively available in Hong Kong – including The Earth Bird – Clear Broth (HK$88), The Sky Bird – White Soup (HK$88) simmered with chicken, The Earth Bird – Clear Spicy Broth (HK$88), and The Sky Bird – White Spicy Soup (HK$88), limited to 200 servings a day during opening.
Celebrated for his miso seasoning and hand-crafted, medium-thick noodles, Chef Hayashi’s handcrafted ramen are made in three variations from top quality 100% Japanese wheat, chicken stock, and egg.
His popular crispy, golden Matsu Hayashi Dumpling (HK$35) with a signature chili sauce dip are also presented with a Hong Kong twist at RAMEN CUBISM.
Chef Matsumura’s famed The Sea Soy Soup (HK$88) from Osaka is also available in Hong Kong with a Ramen Cubism touch, highlighting soup base made with Japanese favorite soy sauce and bonito (skipjack), complemented by a thick slice of tasty, top quality, slow-cooked pork.
Hand-picked craft beer is also a signature of Chef Hayashi’s ramen dining style, with selected brews from COEDO, including Shikkoku Black Lager (HK$48), Shiro (HK$48) and Ruri (HK$48).
“Bird Kingdom Group is honored and excited to partner with two of Japan’s most renowned and revered ramen master chefs, RAMEN CUBISM promises to be a magnet for lovers of this beloved specialty. We look forward to building a new generation of followers in Hong Kong and worldwide for this traditional high quality and flavourful comfort food,” said Bird Kingdom Group CEO Eric Ting.
Named after the early 20th-century art movement pioneered by Pablo Picasso, RAMEN CUBISM’s Wellington Street venue is immediately recognizable by a graffiti mural on the street wall by Russian artist Sergei Rozhnow. Merging vivid images of historic ramen masters and the two celebrity chefs with Japanese anime characters, the vibrant mural is inspired by parallels between the influential creativity of cubism art and minimalist simplicity of Japanese culture.
The cozy interior of RAMEN CUBISM features a predominant wood finish, invoking the sense of natural, fresh, and authentic ingredients sourced from environmentally-friendly places. The authentic feel of this place is also amplified by the Japanese pottery specially commissioned for the chefs’ signature noodles.
RAMEN CUBISM Hong Kong marks the first collaboration between Chef Hayashi and Bird Kingdom Group; slated for international expansion with branches across the region – including their hometown of Osaka, Macau (in Q2, 2019) and mainland China.
It is located at the basement of Yuen Yick Building, No. 27-29 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong.
Opens from Sunday to Thursday, 11:00 am to 11:00 pm and Friday to Saturday, 11:00 am to 12:00 midnight; payment are accepted by cash, Octopus, Alipay, and WeChat Pay.
For inquiries, please call (852) 2399-0811 or email [email protected] For more information, please visit their Facebook Page and Instagram account.
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