Matsudai Ramen are Wales' first and only purveyors of proper, no-corners-cut ramen. Matsudai Ramen started life in September 2019; initially as a pop-up and creative outlet for founder James Chant, who at that point had never set foot in a professional kitchen, having worked in the music industry all his life. Matsudai was immediately incredibly popular, with events selling out in just minutes. Then, in March 2020, the global pandemic reared its ugly head and shut it down, just as things were getting interesting. Not to be discouraged, the cult ramen crew began producing ramen kits, and at the start of 2021 launched a national delivery service. Since then Matsudai has delivered tens of thousands of kits to every corner of the UK, receiving praise from such culinary heroes as Jay Rayner, Tim Anderson, Tom Parker Bowles, Melissa Thompson, Pippa Middlehurst and appearing in articles in the Observer, the Guardian, the Mail, the Independent, BBC Good Food and many many more media outlets. James was even invited to appear in a video with cult YouTuber Uncle Roger, which has now been viewed over 6 million times. When lockdown restrictions started lifting in summer 2021 Matsudai headed out 'on tour', with sell-out pop-ups across the UK, including a stint in London, where Matsudai took over the kitchen of the British Film Institute in Soho for a month. Then, in July 2022, they opened Wales' first, and the UK's most celebrated ramen shop - a flagship restaurant in Grangetown, Cardiff.