Maginhawa Group shutters its original Ramo Ramen restaurant in Kentish Town

Announcing the closure via an Instagram video, co-owner and chef Omar Shah said that the north London neighbourhood had one of the lowest average spends in the capital. 

“If you’re looking to make money hospitality ain’t it. It’s getting harder and harder to survive,” he said. “Let’s just shut shop. I don’t need the extra headache. It’s taken it’s toll and now it’s time to wrap up.”

The restaurant launched in 2018 on Kentish Town Road offering a fusion of Japanese ramen and Filipino cuisine. 

Following its success, a second Ramo Ramen in Soho opened in 2023 and continues to trade. 

Shah and his partner Florence Mae Maglanoc continue to operate a number of brands​​, the majority of which offer Filipino cuisine, including ice cream parlour Mamasons, bakery Panadera and modern Filipino restaurant Donia. 

The group also operates Bintang, which opened in 1987 and is one of London’s first pan-Asian restaurants. 

Maginhawa Group started out in and around Kentish Town and continues to operate a number of its brands within the area. 

A second Panadera​​ is due to open shortly on Marylebone's Picton Place.