Kanada-Ya is considered one of the best ramen shops in London, launching its first London site on St Giles High Street in 2014. The second branch opened, south of Piccadilly Circus, on Panton Street, in 2015, followed by ther latest site in Islington in 2018.
Specialising in authentic Tonkotsu ramen, all noodles are made on site with a special machine, imported from Japan, that uses 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), kikurage, finely sliced spring onion, chashu pork belly and a sheet of nori.
The company — founded by former professional cyclist Kazuhiro Kanada in 2009 — is run by Tony Lam and Aaron Burgess-Smith in the UK. Kanada-Ya’s original restaurant is in the city of Yukuhashi in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.