This July, Yamagoya, the pop-up above Shuang Shuang, will be celebrating summer in the capital with the launch of Hiyashi Chuka, a refreshing cold ramen, while the revered raindrop cake will be making a splash, flavoured with pink salted cherry blossom.
A classic Japanese dish for the summer months, the refreshing cold Mangalitsa Chashu and truffle ramen will be made from the secret family recipe handed down through generations by Yamagoya founder Masatoshi Ogata. Cooked in cold water so the handmade noodles retain their bite and bounce, it is served with smoked Mangalitsa pork belly, marinated Burford Brown egg, truffle sauce and garnished with summer vegetables.
Finishing things on a sweet note, the raindrop cake, which debuted in London for the first time at Yamagoya earlier this year, will be back on the menu with a twist, infused with pink salted cherry blossom before it sets. Made in the shape of a water droplet, the completely clear dessert is a challenge to the senses, melting into liquid form once in the mouth.
Co-founder Fah Sundravorakul said, “When we launched the raindrop cake in May, we were hitting the sweet spot, but it’s a dish that can work with anything. We’ve been experimenting lots in the Yamagoya kitchen and adding cherry blossom gives it a spot of colour as well as a burst of saltiness – it’s certainly a dish that knows no bounds. Can’t wait to see what people think of it!”
Inspired by the cult Japanese dish, mizu shingen mochi and made in the shape of a water droplet, Yamagoya’s recipe has been carefully developed to produce a crystal clear cake, made from special agar powder which can only be found in Japan to give clarity and served with a sticky sweet molasses syrup (Kuromitsu) and kinako; roasted soybean flour for dipping.
For those who like to keep things hot, a new Smoked Mangalitsa Chashu and Pigs Ear Ramen, stir fried with leeks and topped with a marinated Burford Brown Egg will also be a new addition to the menu.
Yamagoya favourites will of course feature including the signature Yamagoya - pork bone broth, pork chashu, marinated Burford brown egg, wood ear mushroom, bamboo shoot, nori seaweed and spring onion; the Yuzukara - a green tonkotsu broth with sliced chashu pork, topped with a salty, spicy paste made from yuzu zest, and the Tobanjan - a fiery broth known to locals as ‘the fire food’, finished with chilli pepper.
Founded in 1969 by Masatoshi Ogata, Yamagoya originated from humble beginnings in Fukuoka, Japan. Masatoshi spent 3 years tirelessly perfecting recipes on his customers before settling on the delicately balanced flavour of his kaeshi marinade, the marination of his chashu and the taste and texture of his noodle, these recipes have been a long kept family secret for three generations.
Located on the first floor of 64 Shaftsbury Avenue above the Chinese hot pot restaurant Shuang Shuang on Shaftesbury Avenue in Chinatown, Yamagoya opened its doors on 5 December. Diners are led upstairs through traditional red noren curtains into Yamagoya, which replicates the interior of Ogata’s original ramen shop.