Ramo Ramen

"The world of competitive ramen cooking is one that, sadly, we’re not yet familiar with. You may be though, in which case it’s worth noting that Ramo’s oxtail kare kare is a former championship winner. What we can say is that a bowl from the Filipino spot in Kentish Town can make anyone feel invincible. The creamy, peanut-based broth is thick and luscious and, combined with soft oxtail and a fudgy orange egg, makes for something brown in colour but golden in flavour. Beyond the medal winner, the lamb tantanmen is a warming and cumin-laced creation that’s a real winter pick-me-up." - Rianne Shlebak, Jake Oliver, Heidi Lauth Beasley, Daisy Meager

"Another part of the Filipino mini-empire in the area is Ramo, a comfortable Filipino-influenced ramen spot, best known for its oxtail kare kare ramen—a championship winner as the menu notes. The peanut-based broth, inspired by Filipino street food, is thick and luscious, and combined with soft oxtail, a fudgy orange egg, shiitake mushrooms, and some chewy wheat noodles, will give you a warm, contented feeling. There’s a seafood option, a vegan mushroom and walnut ramen, plus other brothy noodles alongside karaage and other small plates." - Richard Ehrlich 3, Oliver Feldman, Jake Oliver

"Ramen’s mixture of styles and customisation make it a good crowd-pleaser; Ramo Ramen’s being halal renders it even more inclusive; and the Kentish Town restaurant is well set for more spontaneous group dinners and bigger parties longer in the planning." - James Hansen

"Order: Oxtail Kare Kare The world of competitive ramen cooking is one that, sadly, we’re not yet familiar with. You may be though, in which case it’s worth noting that Ramo’s oxtail kare kare is a former championship winner. All we can say is that a bowl of this peanut-based goodness from the Filipino-influenced spot in Kentish Town can make anyone feel invincible. The creamy peanut-based broth is thick and luscious and, combined with soft oxtail and a fudgy orange egg, makes for something brown in colour but golden in flavour." - jake oliver, heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak

"Omar Shah’s Filipino-Japanese ramen bar is an illustration of what can happen when chefs shake off the straitjacket of “authenticity” and channel their culinary upbringings and inspirations into something singular. Reconstituting the building blocks of Filipino cuisine as ramen bowls, oxtail kare kare combines a peanut beef broth with pulled oxtail and makes tonkotsu look boring in the process; a traditional soup, chicken sopas, shines when reimagined as a series of ramen toppings. Fun, articulate, stunning cookery — it’s another hit for Shah’s Kentish Town empire, which now has a new site in Soho sporting a lobster and crab bowl of pure decadence." - MiMi Aye