Kanada-Ya, widely considered to be one of the best ramen restaurants in London, are bringing their signature dishes to Manchester’s Mackie Mayor for a two-day special event. They are teaming up with New Wave Ramen this August as part of a ramen takeover series which invites chefs and venues at the forefront of the UK ramen scene for a NWR kitchen takeover.
Kanada-Ya has perfected their unique cooking technique to create authentic Tonkotsu ramen. The extremely time-consuming process results in a rich clarity of taste and a delicious, creamy appearance that sets Kanada-Ya’s ramen apart from its competitors and has taken London by storm. Kanada-Ya has branches on St Giles High Street, Panton Street and Upper Street. Recently, Kanada-Ya also launched delivery kitchens in Battersea and Greenwich.
The brand was founded by Kanada Kazuhiro in Yukuhashi, Japan, back in 2009. All noodles are made using a very specific brand of flour, enriched with the right protein content and alkaline salts to produce a bouncy, firm noodle capable of standing up to the rich broth. Customers are also able to request how firm they like their noodles, which will then be cooked accordingly.
Kanada-Ya’s signature ramen consists of noodles, tonkotsu broth, secret sauce (imported from the original restaurant, and hand-made by Mr. Kanada), wood ear mushroom (kikurage), finely sliced spring onion, chashu pork belly and a sheet of nori. Kanada-Ya will be offering their signature Tonkotsu and Chicken Paitan ramen, both served with toppings such as beni shoga, nori, sesame seeds and takana. Patrons can add Kanada-Ya’s popular Hanjuku Egg for £2.
“New Wave Ramen has given us an incredible opportunity to share the ramen that we’ve been making for the past seven years in London with Manchester,” says Aaron Burgess-Smith of Kanada-Ya. “Our broth is incredibly rich and overflowing with umami and I’m excited for Mancunians to finally experience it too.”
New Wave Ramen is a collaboration between Matt Walsh (fresh from a eye opening experience in Japan), and Phil Cook, a ramen chef turned noodle manufacturer with a love of noodles bordering on obsession. During lockdown, when other restaurants were closed (and there was nobody to make noodles for) the guys turned to ramen kits, drawing on experience spent working closely with some of the best ramen chefs in the country as suppliers.
Within the chaos of the last year, New Wave thrived by sharing their ramen with new customers and when Matt (who also owns Tender Cow and Mummas Fried Chicken) heard of an opening Mackie Mayor, NWR was born.
“We would now like to bring the very best ramen to Manchester for our customers to experience,” says Matt, “and to also offer a platform for some of the up and coming ramen chefs yet to open permanent venues.”
Philip Cook of NWR adds: “Me and the team at Mackie Mayor are delighted to bring Kanada-Ya to Manchester. Their bowls are amongst those that first ignited my own passion for ramen, and an exciting U.K. ramen scene has grown alongside their own expansion over the last seven years. They have to be considered the originators, and our customers in Manchester are in for a real treat.”
This one-off event will run over two days (11th and 12th August) and ramen fans can reserve their bowls before the event online for £10. The dishes will also be available for walk-ins on the day, but will be subject to availability, so book early to avoid disappointment.
Kanada-Ya X New Wave Ramen, Mackie Mayor, 1 Eagle Street, Manchester M4 5BU