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| Photo by www.whatjoannaate.com |
If you want to open a successful restaurant, it really helps to be on trend, and new Soho ramen joint Bone Daddies is exactly that. There’s no denying Ramen in vogue at the moment as Londoners catch on that it’s filling, healthy and damn tasty, and noodle broth joints such as Ittenbari and Tonkotsu have received rave reviews.
Bone Daddies offers eight different types of ramen (one without broth) and from our experience, they have the dish perfected. We kicked our meal off with two appetiser dishes, the salmon sashimi and fried chicken. Five pieces of salmon on skewers marinaded in soy and sesame is a deliciously light starter, while if you’re particularly hungry, the generous portion of crispy fried chicken could almost be a meal in itself.
We followed up with the tonkotsu ramen – slices of pork with noodles and veg in a pork bone broth, and the tantanmen ramen which contained minced pork, Bok Choy and chilli in chicken bone broth. Given that all the broth is made using bone stock, this might not be the best place to visit if you are vegetarian. When we visited there was no specific vegetarian option, but this just means seats are more readily available for carnivores like us. Both ramen dishes were the perfect antidote to a cold, damp November evening, filling, warming and tasty.
Equally as good as the food are the drinks. This is the first venue in the UK to serve the new Asahi Super Creamy Head, a malty pint that slips down very well, we’d go back just to enjoy the beer again! Without a dessert option on the menu, we also chose a sweet drink to conclude our meal. The homemade pineapple sake is an absolute treat and tasted just like fruit juice, but more than one each would be deadly. The overall experience here is fabulous, no surprise to learn that head chef Ross Shonhan was previously head chef at Zuma.
The only flaw is the no rezzie policy, while the food is certainly worth queuing for, standing in the cold, damp winter air in England is never fun. And we did notice diners are packed in close together, so you may get to know your neighbour quite well. But this is pretty standard of ramen bars in Japan – when in Rome!
These are minor issues however as the food is excellent, the service is quick and friendly and the prices are unlikely to break the bank. Even the music is worthy of note with a soundtrack of retro rock n roll and rockabilly, helping generate a lively, fun atmosphere. Jamming whist eating Ramen is banging!
31 Peter Street, W1F