Matsudai Ramen in Cardiff

The reviews of the Ramen served at this restaurant speak for themselves, and based on those reviews I decided to come with a friend and try the place out. Unfortunately, we couldn't even get as far as ordering any food. When we entered the place the first thing that struck us was the excessive volume of the music, which was of a genre that seemed to cater for the second thing that struck me - the number of young people that seemed to be "hanging out" there. We were shown to our table at which we sat down at and found that it rocked quite noticeably (so much so that had a bowl of Ramen been place on it, it would have likely spilled over the side), and when we put our hands on it we found that it was actually sticky, indicating poor cleaning methods. The menus we were given seemed to have splash marks of a previous customers food - again, indicating poor attention to hygiene. When a young man, who appeared to be a friend of some of the youths hanging about in the place, came to take our orders we found that he smelled strongly of cigarettes. I found that so offensive that I asked him to go and put a mint in his mouth. As well as the sticky tables and dirty menus, somebody taking orders while smelling of cigarettes yet was another indication of poor hygiene methods and routines. All of this we found too much and decided to leave before ordering food. Matsudai Ramen may well do the best Ramen in the country, but if they are going to charge a premium price for it then they must provide a premium service. I sincerely hope that the management there read this review and do something about it, as I would dearly love to go back there and try out the food that so many people rave about.

Such good food well worth the hype

Was super excited but the ramen wasn't great. I ate one bite of the chicken and it was cold (as in fridge cold) and not enjoyable I asked to take away and after 10 mins they bring my bowl back say they have no containers. I was charged £17 for ramen I had one bite of.

Easiest 5 stars yet, took us by surprise how good this place was. Hit everything you could want from a Japanese will be going again, often!

Me and my husband visited Cardiff recently and dined here one evening. We had a wonderful dinner ; we ordered the karaage chicken starter and it was sooo tender and paired very well with the curry mayo. Both our ramen mains were delicious too! Bit on the expensive side but definitely justifiable!

This place is the best ramen I’ve ever had. Even tried many in Thailand and they did not compare. The food is always consistent regardless of which chef is working. The atmosphere is lovely, all the staff are brilliant but I have to say the guy from Texas is Fantastic! Very attentive and friendly and goes above and beyond to make your experience the best. (Sorry we did not catch his name). 10/10 food every single time, the taste doesn’t leave your mind untill your next visit! HIGHLY RECOMMEND xxxx

I’ve been following Matsudai since their early pop-up days, and then became an avid kit enjoyer until their restaurant opened. I unfortunately moved away in ‘22 and after 3 years finally found myself in the area! I came with high expectations and they were exceeded. I stand firmly by the statement that Matsudai is STILL some of the best ramen I’ve had outside of Japan. I had the Shoyu upgraded to Tokusei (deluxe) it was so flavorful and amazing just like I remembered. I only wish I still lived in the country to enjoy Matsudai more often..

We went to matsudai after hearing a lot but the wait after our order of just one ramen bowl was like 40 - 45 mins and when the bowl arived the noodles were still chewy and undercooked and the broth not spicy even though paying extra for it.

Amazing worth a visit so fresh and delicious 😋

Matsudai is definitely the best spot in Cardiff for ramen, and it’s absolutely worthy of all the praise it gets. I’ve been twice now, and the food has been nothing short of incredible. Their limited menu might seem a little daunting at first - especially as a vegetarian - but every dish is so well-balanced, clean, and expertly crafted that it’s clear they focus on quality over quantity. The yasai paitan is, without a doubt, the best vegetarian ramen I’ve ever had. The depth of flavour in the broth, the perfectly cooked noodles, and the thoughtful toppings make it a standout dish, proving that great ramen doesn’t need to rely on meat to be rich and satisfying. The staff are lovely, attentive without being overbearing, genuinely kind, and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, always happy to offer recommendations. The only downside is that service can sometimes be a little slow, but given their well-deserved popularity, it’s understandable. The food is 100% worth the wait. Matsudai is an absolute must-visit if you're in Cardiff.

Been there once, tasty asian noodles, the soup is the essence...

Decent ramen but a on the expensive side. Also, watch you bills carefully. They made mistakes...

Unbelievably tasty ramen, such great flavours. Definitely the best we've had in the UK. Service was a bit slow and it was also quite cold in the restaurant, but the food was superb so it's worrh

While there has never been a question that Matsudai's ramen is some of the best I've ever had - and I'm part Japanese and am used to some exquisite homecooked ramen! Not only are their flavours immaculate and the kits easy to make, their customer service is stellar. I had an issue with my first order and Ki responded immediately, with sympathy and care and looking to make it right. They over-corrected the mistake with a few extra meals AND more ajitama (THE FLAVOUR. I AM CRY.). I am so impressed and grateful to have found their business, and will surely be a repeat customer!

Good presentation and excellent service, but the shoyu ramen broth was too salty (probably too much tare) and the noodles a little under-cooked.

What a great hidden gem, 20 mins walk from the centre this ramen place is as authentic as you get! Probably the best one if ever had!

Astonishingly good food. Very busy and with a menu l couldn't properly understand; but the food was still amazing.

Thank you very much for your warm welcoming, friendly atmosphere. The food is excellent, the staff are exceptional and I highly recommend this restaurant. The Family friendly, relaxing and warm environment makes the experience even better.

We’ve been here twice and it’s been amazing. I got myself the Sunset red and it was top-notch. The broth, the noodles, the tofu on it and the spice level were excellent. My friends loved it as well, the service is on point and like they recommend, the faster you eat the better. The price is great, the location is a bit tricky for anyone from the other part of the city but if you get a train to grangetown station it a 5 minute walk.

I ate tokusei shoyu with extra pork belly. let me just say, this is up there as some of the best foods I’ve eaten at a restaurant, immense value, beautiful flavour and I definitely recommend anyone who is a first-time taster of ramen to try this dish, you will not be disappointed

Lovely place, lovely food, great service. What more do you want? Busy place with a simple uncomplicated menu. Book ahead to avoid disappointment.

Lovely meal. The pork just falls apart. Staff friendly and accompanying. Recommended.

Everything is Heaven in a bowl! never had a bad experience. both dining in and with their deliveries.

Peronally, Matsudai did not live up to the hype that surrounds it, which is unfortunate. We ordered the Wontons and Mini Chashu Don to start, unfortunately the Chashu Don was underwhelming with bland rice. For main we ordered a Classic Tonkatsu and a Sunset Red Tonkatsu. Both were great, the depth of flavour to the Sunset Red was unbeatable, but given the price point the portion did seem quite stingy. Two small slices of pork belly and a good inch or so from the top of the bowl with the broth. It was very busy in the restaurant but there were ample staff who were friendly. However, the service was a little slow and the noise in the restaurant was incredibly loud and our server was very softly spoken which made it harder than it should've been. The only other thing I could add is that the restaurant was rather cold which detracted from the overall experience.

When you order food and its given to a different table so you have to wait an hour for yours, you begin to wonder about the management of orders! Food is delicious, though, but the apathetic service is beyond reasonable. Some key items missing like a chopsticks rest, from being an authentic experience, prob would just order food kits instead.

One of the best ramen I've ever tried. Katsu mushrooms are to die for.

It's a good place. Staff and service is excellent.

Visited here on recommendation that it’s the best ramen in Cardiff. Whilst I don’t doubt this, I think Cardiff has a long way to go for ramen. I accept being vegetarians / vegan can sometimes limit a menue choice but feel there wasn’t enough options, not even a simple vegetable gyoza. Pickle plate was too fishy with an overstated aftertaste, and the mushroom starter wasn’t going to be an option for me as I don’t like mushrooms! I went for the vampire slayer ramen; a heavily infused garlic tonkotsu. I think it tasted very good! But was suprised how quick it was eaten as it wasn’t that hot, despite the menu advising to not wait for food to cool down before beginning. Overall a disappointment for Cardiffs best, and perhaps suited better to a meat eater.

When I last ate here over a year ago, I was a little disappointed. This place didn't live up to the overwhelming hype. Matsudai Ramen is blatant gentrification, but it's right across the street from where I live, so I thought I'd better give it another shot. We ordered the mushroom and chicken karaage. Only the mushroom arrived. Chicken didn't arrive, so I reminded the waiter about it. The Mushrooms were great, but I still prefer the chicken. Classic tonkotsu felt like it was skimping a wee bit, there's a good inch and a half to the rim of the bowl. It was delicious, but not mind blowing. The broth was once again underwhelming. The Tofu was hot on the outside and cold on the inside, suggesting it had been cooked at too high a heat. 330ML of cider is £5.50, a bit much. The bill came and we were charged for 2 Chicken Karaage and instead of one. So the order was taken, but it was forgotten, and when I asked for it, another was charged. An easy fix, but the 2 small plates on the table (1 for chicken, 1 for mushroom) should have been an obvious indication. However, the staff were quite friendly and courteous. Nothing beats actual Japanese service, which you can get from the Japanese run udon restaurant around the corner.

Absolutely brilliant once again. We love the food here and this time we tried a sparkling sake (thanks for the recommendation Fin!) Joey our server was friendly and helpful and Molly made us feel really welcome when we turned up a bit early. Great place and we'll be back soon.

Best ramen I had so far! Thank you, now I won't be able to enjoy ramen elsewhere...

I decided to try Matsudai after some pretty heavy recommendations from various sources, print media and social media. So expectations were high to begin with. Location is good and easy to get to. There is parking available as long as you know where to look. Sorry not giving any tips there as everyone has a favourite parking spot and mine is secret. Remember it is a ramen joint so I am only reviewing based on other similar establishments. The service was quick and attentive and the staff was lovely. My main gripes are twofold. They don't have soft drinks in bottles or cans and only available 'on tap' and the taste is greatly compromised. I have always found the mix to be either, too flat, too sweet or badly proportioned. The other gripe I have is that the meat portion of the ramen is pretty miserly. The pork belly consisted of two really thin slices and it really didn't do anything to satiate me. I was expecting more meat for £16 - 18 per dish. The broth and overall taste of the ramen and their consistency was very good but the lack of protein put a dampener on the whole thing. Chicken karaage was OK - as expected I guess, but once again I think we live in price-inflated times so slightly costlier than what I expected. Overall, given this was supposed to be a Wagamama killer experience etc, it didn't live up to my expectations. However, the atmosphere is different and more intimate that Wags and it is definitely better tasting than many other independents, albeit thin on the meat. Food - 4/5 Soft drinks - Meh... Staff - Great Kitchen - 👍🏾👍🏾 Serve Time - V. Quick Location - Convenient / Easy parking

Do not buy the subscription service! I bought this as a gift and only 1 out of the 3 months arrived (following a delay!). This is a scam

A blonde tall waitress served us food, she dropped a piece of fried chicken onto the floor, she didn’t even offer to serve us with a new plate and she didn’t pick up the chicken from the floor. So unprofessional and rude! Also the quality of the food weren’t as good as before and especially the snacks they were over-seasoned.

It's popular and acclaimed for a reason. Fantastic food, nice service. If you're a ramen fan you need to go.

This place is amazing, The Sake, ramen 🍜 was to die for. It's so filling and great value for money. I will come back.

I'm embarrassed it's taken me so long to visit this high quality restaurant. All the dishes were full of flavour, we left happy and content.

delicious ramen, friendly staff but the best thing was the friend mushrooms - i would go and get just a few plates of those and be very, very happy

Amazing food and atmosphere, the staff were very welcoming and friendly, would recommend

Starters were lovely but the main wasn't pleasant. It wasn't made clear to us when ordering that the broth was creamy, as we don't like creamy food. I thought it would be more of a clear broth. The bowls and drinking stein mugs were chipped. I explained at the end that we were dissatisfied with our food and they did offer another meal which we didn't want as we were put off with the previous dish, no discount was offered until I asked in which they took £20 off the bill.

What a real lovely Ramen restaurant in Grangetown. Excellent food, so very tasty and freshly cooked. Staff were very efficient and attentive. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

This is the most authentic ramen I have since coming back from Japan, late last year. The first slurp of broth gave me flashbacks to the back streets of Osaka, trying to find that perfect ramen. It filled my heart with joy and my belly with spicy tingling feeling. Would 100% recommend

Lovely food! Very quick professional service

I have visited a number of times both on my own and with friend and family and have always had brilliant food and brilliant service. This night in particular they sat me at the bar where the bartender Fin served me and gave me some great drink recommendations. There’s a good reason this is one of my cardiff favourites!

The most authentic ramen I’ve had since spending time in Japan

So vibey! A real must for any ramen fan. Tonkotsu ramen - spectacular, 10/10. Mushroom Karaage also 10/10, class snack. Pickles were also great, especially the mushrooms. Will be back for sure. Photos aren’t the greatest due to it being evening but you get the picture, literally.

We had been advised to you walk in through the phone and when we arrived they said we needed a reservation. Terrible organisation and rude service

Amazing food and vibe. Food they serving is created with passion and you can literally feel it in the air 😍

Best Ramen place in Wales, real thick broth with flavour and not like others that taste like instant noodles. Also the staff is really friendly and nice !

Love love love the food and staff at Matsudai! Always a smile on their face and ready to accommodate any requests! Absolutely delicious grub! Digging in to a nice delicious bowl of ramen is like getting a big hug! Love it! Also, the chicken karaage with curry mayo - very addictive! Portion sizes are ginormous and definitely a lot of bang for the buck!

Food was good, nice atmosphere slow drinks service let it down this time. Otherwise another enjoyable Ramen

Very homely restaurant, very polite staff and incredible food, highly recommend

One of the best ramen I have tried in the UK!

Best noodles I’ve ever eaten. Great place.

This ramen shop is run by locals and uses noodles that are different from traditional ones. Pork Belly, ideal for cooking, is alluring.

I don't know what an original ramen dish should taste like but I really liked the food at Matsudai. Also, I haven't played any of the games that were blaring from the speakers. Wonderful.

Always a good experience at Matsudai, the ramen is delicious, and I highly recommend the karaage mushroom side too. Service is always good, and the food always delicious.

I’ve lived in Cardiff for 10+ years, and can honestly say that this is one of the best restaurants I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. Always so, so good. Impeccable service from our host, Kamala, and her colleagues this evening. Thank you all so much. Will be back soon!

Amazing food, amazing staff (thanks fin 😉). One of the best places to eat in Cardiff hands down.

Ramen is acceptable and worth 1 star. The boiled egg and the pork is good worth 3 star. On average is 2 star. Service is fair. Atmosphere is fair.

Food was delicious, good service, very much enjoyed.

Matsudai Ramen first sprung to fame during lockdown when the owner, moving from delivering pop-ups across the UK began to deliver Raman Kits to people's homes. The restaurant went from strength to strength, especially when it was catapulted into national fame with Jay Rayner's review in the Observer in February 2023. I tell you what, Rayner was not wrong, the food here really does provide what he calls: "Bowls of deep care and thoughtfulness". We ordered four starters to share Tsukemono or pickle plate, Mini Chashu Don, Lemon Karaage Mushroom and Lemon Taffy Wontons. They were all exceptional, but we especially loved the Japanese wontons wrapping Welsh ingredients, lamb, leek and Caerphilly cheese. Excellent. For mains I had a Tokusei Shoyu and my partner had Triple-Yuzu Shio, both where rich in flavour and delicious. Be sure, we'll be back for such wonderful culinary delights.

Bought 2 x home kits (Classic and Sunset Red) very very easy and quick to prepare at home, absolutely delicious. Highly recommend adding the extra egg to your home delivery order as they’re super tasty! We were really impressed with these “make-at-home” kits and would 100% try the restaurant itself if we’re ever in Cardiff. [I also highly commend their use of biodegradable and recyclable packaging throughout the home kits 👏]

Absolutely excellent Japanese food. Bouncy noodles, a rich and savoury broth, so much flavour. And really friendly service!

I mean…. Wow. Been to Tokyo and ate at almost all Micheline star restaurants. I simply cannot believe how good this is. I’m sure a Micheline star is on the way for Matsudai. From the quality of the ingredients to the careful meticulous preparation of each item on the menu. To give you an idea, imagine a slow cooked thick chicken/pork broth, warming your soul with each and every warm slurp. Then you have the bamboo shoots and garnishes that elevate it cutting through the umami of the soup giving it a fresh kick. I could not help but hoover my bowel and lick the remainder leaving nothing behind. I love this place, it thoroughly deserves the hype! 5/5.

HONEST REVIEW: waiter rejected us at door saying it is fully booked. Later a customer advised us to look online for a booking. Booked it and was served by the same waiter and made sit in a shared bench. After more than half the restaurant was empty. Then he decided to fill our bench with 8 more people. Food we delicious

best ramen place i’ve been to. great service, delicious food and lovely atmosphere.

Amazing food, music a little too loud for me where struggled with conversation (the little there was as we were focused on our ramen bowls)

Bit disappointed with whats happened. When this place first opened, the ramen was beyond good. Now they have swapped out the hand made noodles for dried versions. They only really offer 1 type of ramen nowadays and no longer offer the spicy type.

Came here after hearing good reviews, it was local so we thought we’d try it out Atmosphere was horrendous, we had a really strange duo next to us talking about explicit nsfw topics. Acoustics are terrible, everything is very loud and over-stimulating, meaning you have to shout to hear the other person. Making it “dog-friendly” made the experience even worse, particularly on a rainy day… Service was amateur at best, we were served by kids who were obviously inexperienced. One brought the karaage chicken over, dropped a piece on the edge of the table and served it to us saying “Enjoy”. We didn’t know whether to laugh or say something, in the end didn’t have the heart to tell them off as they were very young Food was ok, but the portions weren’t big enough to justify the price. the ramen was described as “lightly spiced” but turned out to be very spicy, poor use of language

First time and wow, amazing food! Definitely recommend.

Food at Matsudai was so great, really reasonably priced, good portions and super delicious. Had a bottle of Sake which you don’t often come by so was a treat. The place is NOISY, be prepared to shout across the table or get your head down to enjoy the food and save conversation for later. Service was very friendly and attentive to start with but trailed off towards the end of the night.

You wont find a better Ramen in all of Wales. I guarantee it.

It's a nice place to have lunch.

Always an extremely tasty and filling visit when we stop by Matsudai. The staff are friendly, the food is outstanding, and the atmosphere is great. A wonderful small menu spot for a date, a meal with friends, or a celebration. Be ready to share a table and make some new friends as you tuck in for some wonderful flavours.

Excellent food. Broth was light but still have a lot of flavour and taste. Egg was perfect along with both the chicken and pork belly. If your in Cardiff this is definitely a place worth visiting

They have become seriously good - even orders that have been sent out incorrectly are immediately corrected with humour and grace. I am officially a fanboy!!

Had a lovely meal here with dumplings to start then I had my ramen. It's quite tasty and a nice place to eat.I will be coming here again, I highly recommend you take you and you're friends here!

Veggie ramen was nice, however I found the soy protein to be a bit lazy and not really flavourful. I feel like fried mushrooms or tofu shavings would work much better. We were offered tofu as an addition to our meal, the way question was constructed however did not indicate it is an extra, but more like a choice of protein instead of meat, which at £16 a bowl already felt excessive to be adding anything else. Mushroom starter was amazing, not sure I would pay £8.50 for it again though. At the end we opted in for a dessert, yuzu creme brulee, which was unfortunately a bit underwhelming and not very yuzu. Still delicious though, I feel like my expectation was just different. Overall it was worth it and there is no service charge added to the bill, which makes the prices less offensive if you factor this in.

Great ramen and good service. This was our second visit, would definitely come back again when visiting Cardiff.

My favourite restaurant in Cardiff. Delicious food, no exceptions! Would highly recommend

This was my second visit as we were so impressed the first time and the food didn’t disappoint. Super dishes with great flavours. We had the karaage chicken, taffy wontons and mini chashu don to start, all stunning. We then had tantanmen for main which was very nice if you like a bit of spice. If I’m honest, we most probably should’ve done two starters not three but it was still stunning. Definitely worth another visit. Ps the starters were so good I forgot to take a picture until halfway through so apologies

Thank you for the meal! Very tasty ramen, best in Wales! It's insanely delicious. I think it's the best in Wales. The tableware was simple and nice. If I could have you change one thing, it would be to add gyozas! Thank you🤲. P.S. Sueyo is written backwards on your tshirts and menus . It’s not Sueyo, it’s Sueyo 🙂

We enjoyed our meal out here, the two noodle dishes we got were very tasty. The fried mushrooms were excellent! The service was very good, and we liked the open style kitchen. The space looked great, but the seating wasn't very comfortable. Would recommend, and look forward to trying more of the menu 😊

Food is really really good but the service ruins it. The waiters ignored us for ages throughout the night and when we tried to order dessert they just came over and asked if we wanted the bill. I gave up and just said yes. When presented with the bill they assumed that we would tip. I'm just disappointed as I liked the food but not the experience.

The chicken Karaage is 10/10. It is really delicious. Ordered classic ramen, the meat is good but the soup and the egg are too salty. The services were alright, most staffs are friendly.

Absolutely perfect ramen, the vegan tantanmen was amazing. So much flavour!

Delicious, quick, and lovely staff

Great food and a well decorated restaurant

One of my favourite Cardiff locations, highly recommend if you're a fan of Asian cuisine!

Tasty, satisfying big bowls of ramen in busy, friendly family atmosphere.

Wonderful bowl of Tantanmen, I opted to add pork belly which very tasty as well. Great broth and spice balance, noodles cooked perfectly, finished every last drop.

I’ve never been big on ramen, but this place completely turned my opinion around. All of the food is so so good. The service is nice and everyone is polite and accommodating. The menu changes so you can go and have a different favourite item every handful of months. The only downside (although it’s not much of one) is that sometimes it can feel like you’re a bit packed in. The tables are either shared or very close to one another.

Me and some friends visited this place for the first time and were very impressed. The service was really good and it's a lovely restaurant. The food was delicious with decent portions. I'll definitely be recommending others to come here and try their great selection of freshly cooked food

Fantastic find in Grangetown. Fantastic food and service. Would highly recommend and will be returning.

Food was delicious, service was great. I would suggest to not have sharing tables as it was quite awkward sitting so close to strangers. Otherwise great.

Delicious vegan ramen and lovely staff

I visited this restaurant last night and had a very disappointing experience. According to Google, the restaurant is open until 11 p.m. I called at 7.30ish but no luck, drove all the way from Bridgend and arrived at 9ish and saw opening signs, lights on, staff present, and even people eating. However, no one greeted or served me when I entered. When I approached a table, a staff member told me that the kitchen was closed and I had to leave. This was very frustrating and unprofessional. The restaurant should update their hours or put a close sign, and staff training is recommended.

The ramen was good, but this was not an enjoyable experience overall. A large dog does not belong in a busy restaurant at 8pm on a Saturday night. It made for an uncomfortable experience. The acoustics are dreadful, making it a very noisy space. Service was attentive to start, then staff seemed uninterested. The food is served when it’s ready, so dishes come out at random to the party

Absolutely stunning food, best noodle dish I have ever eaten! And the Japanese belly pork starter was divine 😋😋😋