There are only two ways to eat ramen, in my opinion.
The first is to eat the most authentic ramen you can wherever you are. I’m talking a broth that has been on a rolling boil for days. I’m talking springy ramen noodles swimming in that broth accompanied by tender slices of chashu pork and a marinated soft boiled egg with a velveteen yolk. I’m talking sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with other diners in a tiny restaurant dedicated to making this exact type of ramen, because that’s how you know they’re really, really good at it.
The other way to eat ramen is to go in completely the opposite direction, which is to be so irreverent it borders on disrespect. Ramen aficianados, look away now. I adore an instant ramen. Better yet, I love zhushing up an instant ramen with the addition of whatever vegetables you like (I find frozen mixed vegetables or peas work best) and an egg. Even better, slap a slice of the yellowest, most processed burger cheese you can find on that bad boy.
My husband, upon hearing me suggest he put a slice of cheese on his instant noodles for the first time, threatened to leave the house. Hear me out, please. Putting a slice of burger cheese on top of a hot bowl of instant noodles – it doesn’t even have to be ramen – is an act of genius. It’s also really common. Korean cheese ramen is a widespread comfort food, and in some parts of Japan such as Hokkaido, butter and cheese shio ramen is a popular dish.
I’ve now come across a third way to eat ramen, one that sits quite comfortably in the middle of this spectrum. It comes in the form of Supa Ya, a cult favourite ramen restaurant that first opened in Dalston and has now spread into a new branch in Peckham. Supa Ya began life as a supperclub by ex-Nopi chef Luke Findlay. He then opened a pop-up, before deciding on its first permanent location in Dalston in 2021. Now, Supa Ya has also taken over the old Taco Queen site (RIP) on Rye Lane, where it continues to dish out bowls of hot noodles.
Findlay describes his menu as “traditionally inauthentic”. It sounds a bit wacky, as do most fusion foods (which it is, in essence), but in an intriguing, delicious way. His signature bowls include a roast chicken and corn ramen, with sesame miso, roast garlic oil, buttered chilli corn and roast chicken slices; Cumberland sausage tantanmen with chicken soup, house chilli paste and spicy sausage; and a fried cabbage and cheese ramen featuring a confit tomato broth, crispy garlic and a mountain of parmesan.
The Peckham restaurant has a new addition to the menu – a cheeseburger mazesoba, which of course I had to try during my visit. In fact, you’d be silly not to order it providing you’re not vegetarian, vegan or deathly allergic to dairy. It’s a dry noodle dish and comes smothered in burger sauce and American cheese, with chunks of smashed beef patty and chewy noodles made with aged beef fat. The whole dish borders on being far too rich for its own good, but chunks of zingy pickles help cut through all that fatty flavour. I was very tickled by how much it tasted like a McDonald’s double cheeseburger, but better. It is utterly delicious, although I’m certainly glad there was no calorie count on the menu.
We also had the fried cabbage and cheese ramen for my vegetarian – now cheese-convinced – husband. The tomato broth was rich and deeply savoury, with even more umami flavour added by the parmesan. There is so much parmesan in this bowl that I worried it might be too much, but it was perfectly balanced.
I might have stopped at the noodles as they are substantial but for the purposes of a comprehensive review, we also tried the starters – and boy I’m glad we did. The blooming onion came highly recommended and is something to behold. Each crunchy layer is covered with lashings of Kewpie mayonnaise, miso mustard and pear hot sauce. We also ordered the whipped tofu with tomatoes and …naan bread, which at first seems like an odd addition but turns out to be the perfect mopping-up tool.
After taking a 10-minute break, we are persuaded into dessert. In lieu of the noodle ice cream with miso caramel, which called to us but was sadly unavailable, the waiter recommended the salted caramel and Sichuan pepper truffles, and they were the perfect way to end the meal. Fudgy and moreish, these bittersweet morsels were surprisingly easy to eat on a full stomach. But I’ll certainly be back for that noodle ice cream.
Supa Ya is a super fun, casual evening out. While it’s sad that Taco Queen is gone, having shut its doors in September after seven wonderful years, it feels fitting that it’s been replaced by an equally laid-back restaurant. I like how it straddles that space between strictly authentic and breaking all the rules, and does so without taking itself too seriously or being disrespectful to the cuisine.
Supa Ya Ramen, 191 Rye Lane, London, ENG SE15 4TP | 020 7358 0735 | Book on Resy
