Ramen Cubed
The Best Square Meal in Willits
by Holly Madrigal
A steaming bowl of Tonkatsu ramen is culinary art—a visual arrangement of toasted nori sheets, nestled roasted kale, slivers of green onion, bonito flakes, and succulent pork belly atop mounds of noodles crowned with a perfectly marinated jewel of an egg. The aroma surrounds the diner in a cloud of savory depth. The broth is rich and thick, coating each noodle. “Ramen is the most comforting food of all the comfort foods,” says Taylor Pedersen of Ramen Cubed. “I became a devotee when I lived in Japan when I was younger.”
Taylor was an army brat and lived for a time in Sagamihara, a suburb outside of Tokyo. “We kids only had enough money to ride the trains around the city, and each station had an Ichiran Ramen noodle bar where you could get the most amazing ramen in about thirty seconds after you bought your meal.” This inspired Taylor to open Ramen Cubed in Willits in 2022. The name comes from the shape of the building, and Taylor leaned into the proportions of the space. The dining area is approximately 16 feet squared, with high ceilings and a cozy feel. The site was the home of the original Ardella’s Diner in Willits, next door to the Noyo Movie Theater. Graphic color cubes adorn the walls, and children’s wooden blocks with QR codes linked to the menu rest on each dark wood table. A live-edge redwood bar frames the space, which lets the lucky patrons who sit there peer into the kitchen and watch the action.
“I arrived at a time in my life when I wanted to do exactly what I wanted to do, exactly how I wanted to do it,” says Taylor. He feels ramen is the perfect canvas. He has chosen to keep the menu simple.Tonkatsu Ramen with a pork-based broth is both traditional and groundbreaking. Each perfectly cooked egg is topped with a dollop of ground-up black sesame, fresh ginger, blackened garlic, and a touch of honey. The flavor is addictive. A vegan ramen incorporates roasted vegetables and black garlic oil. The chicken ramen is a white miso-based broth with slow-cooked pulled chicken, marinated egg, roasted kale, and green onion.
“By serving ramen, I can prepare most of it ahead of time, like the broth and some of the toppings cooked to my standards, and then I can put it all together quickly for our customers. It’s not only a beautiful dish, but it’s extremely versatile,” says Taylor. “This also allows me to keep the staff small, which is great because finding employees is extremely hard these days.” The restaurant also offers of slow-roasted pork belly, John Ford Ranch beef, seared ahi, and more, offered as both a full meal or as small plates.
Willits is having a bit of a food moment in Mendocino County, with new options like Hatake Farm Kitchen making excellent sushi from their ghost kitchen behind Shanachie Pub, to Main Street Vinyl’s brick oven pizza, to Northspur Brewing Company serving up fresh quality beers brewed on-site. These have taken up residence next to tried-and-true local favorites like the hot sub-sandwiches of Loose Caboose Café, Busters Burgers, and El Mexicano. Ramen
Cubed joined the mix without much fanfare.
“I tried to do a silent opening,” says
Taylor, who wanted to perfect his systems before fully announcing the restaurant.
Having recently moved on from the Ukiah Brewing Company, which he acquired in 2017, he was adapting from working with a 113-seat restaurant to a 16-seat space. There were details to iron out. “But we have been really busy since we first opened,” he laughs. There seems to be a hunger for affordable quick meals prepared by a trained chef. Taylor studied at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan and has worked at many different restaurants throughout California. This intimate space is allowing him to craft the food he wants to serve.
Taylor works with Vino Vendetta, a hospitality consultant company. Owners Alessandra and Andrew ensure that Ramen Cubed reflects Taylor’s vision, allowing him to focus on being the chef while they handle social media and outreach. The pair has worked throughout “Sonomacino” (Alessandra’s term) both in the culinary field and with other small businesses like T-Up Mini Golf, opening soon in Ukiah.
Vino Vendetta is committed to taking their experience of culinary professionalism, earned from many years working in the city, to help restaurants like Ramen Cubed reach their level of excellence. Andrew went to culinary school, and Alessandra was a sommelier in her previous roles, and both wanted to support the food culture of the area but know how challenging it is to run a restaurant. They worked with Taylor to help design the space and think through the details of opening a new food venture. And the strategy seems to be working. Word is out that Cube is a great place to pick up a delicious meal. Vegetarian friends have commented on the
joy of finding a ramen broth with depth and complexity, and gluten-free noodles are now available.
“Do you like spicy?” asks Taylor from the kitchen, providing a small dish of his signature “spice bomb” with birdseye chilies, Hunan chilies, and chili negro ground up with a hint of honey. It adds a complex kick of heat to the ramen or other dishes. It is clear that Ramen Cubed will continue to develop and grow. Taylor is already branching out beyond his tiny spot, and you can now purchase the components of good ramen to take home. With delicious toppings and an endlessly versatile palette to work with, this chef will continue to serve up elevated comfort food rooted in his distinctive out-of-the-box culinary creativity.
Ramen Cubed
35 E. Commercial St., Willits
(707)-234-6264 | RamenCubed.com
Open daily 11am - 8pm
Holly Madrigal is a Mendocino County maven who loves to share the delights of our region. She’s fortunate to enjoy her meaningful work as the director of the Leadership Mendocino program and takes great joy in publishing this magazine.
