Santouka

Reviews 7

GE

Gene N

This place gets busy. We got here before they opened and there was already a line. Even after 1 hour after they opened (since we were eating) a line was still present. It moves though. The service is good and they have a good system to keep people moving. This place is inside the Japanese supermarket, Mitsuwa. This isnt a sit down with waiter service, so its very casual. Also I guess for you cheapskates out there who love to avoid tipping--here you go! This place isnt bad. I mean its always packed for a reason. It certainly is good, BUT there are many others that are better. Of course those cost more. Just for taste alone, Santouka is right at 3 to 4 stars compared to other ramen places. I mean big bonus points for being casual and quick, and good value. Tried the extra pork miso, and wife the "spicy". The "spicy" is NOT spicy. Its like a "HINT" of spice. It LOOKS spicy being red, but it is really more of just an "ESSENCE" of spicy. The non-spicy version just may be too salty for some. I was able to bear it, but I know compared to other ramen places--people may consider this a bit on the saltier end. Still good though. The "Spicy" version if anything, makes it less salty tasting. Usually small or regular is filling enough. Despite having giving it 4 stars, this really is a good place to go, if you want good ramen, quick service, and overall good value.

---

MI

Mitty Chang

[Santouka is inside Mitsuwa Marketplace. Once you enter the main doors, just go left and its the first restaurant stall youll see. CASH ONLY! Dont forget to bring cash!!] Honestly, I love the ramen here. I think it might be a little bit hyped up since the lines get pretty long, but their team here has gotten incredibly efficient at getting food out pretty quickly. Even at peak times, you only wait about 15 minutes in line, and then another 20 minutes for your ramen order to come out. Ramen itself is considered "fast food" in Japan as the broth and all of the ingredients are pre-made before your order and just assembled once you place your order. What Santouka has got right though is the flavor of the broth and their ingredients. Personally, I wish they would add some minced pork, some seaweed, and a soft-boiled egg to their ramen options but its hard to complain. I personally order the #7 here, regular size. Definitely flavorful and worth every dollar. Ive noticed their prices have gone up over the past year. $12-$14 for a bowl of ramen now. Still reasonable for the bay area. The biggest plus of this location is that Mitsuwa is an awesome Japanese marketplace to go shopping at, but also because Matcha Love is in the same food court area. Love that place. Get some ice cream while you wait.

---

JO

Johnny Wu

Excellent ramen that is the closest in style to the famous ramen shops of Hokkaido. I went a week ago with family and there was indeed a very sizable line to order a bowl. Never fear though, it only took approximately 20 minutes to get to order with 2 dozen people in front of me. It took another 10-15 minutes for the orders to come out. Impressive! There appears to be limited seating, but it wasnt a problem when I Most of the people in my group got either the miso or spicy miso ramen, both very good in a simple and basic way. The noodles are really good, and true to Hokkaido/Tokyo style noodles, not quite like the fat kind youd find in most shops here in the Bay area. The soup is a shade lighter flavor than the popular tonkotsu broth, but still very satisfying. We all got hardboiled tea eggs to go with our ramen. The eggs are way overcooked, to the point where the yolks turned grayish in color. I suggest foregoing the eggs. Other than the stumble with the egg, this place is good enough to warrant earn a spot in my list of top five ramen shops in the bay area, and certainly the most traditional ramen Ive seen yet in America. Recommended!

---

JO

Johnny Wang

After a failed attempt to eat at Orenchi (on one of the two times a year I actually come down this way!), my friend and I swung by Santouka as a consolation. And, while the tokusen toroniku I ordered was pretty solid - great noodle texture and good broth - the overall dish was WAY too salty. Not that this is unique to Santouka, as the Santa Ramen chain, Himawari, and many others all suffer from this. If I were in the area again, Id definitely consider eating here, because flavor wise, its still better than what you can find in SF proper. But I definitely would not find myself driving an hour south for these folks, especially given the crazy lines. ***Accessibility Info*** Venue - In the Mitsuwa food court, so theres plenty of space to get around, assuming you can actually find a table to sit down at afterwards. Getting through the roped lines they have set up was fine for me, but others with wider chairs may have a bit of difficulty. Bathroom - Didnt check them out.

---

AL

Alyx Barranger

Came here for the first time today, and I really enjoyed my experience. The best ramen in the South Bay still goes to Orenchi in my opinion, but I thought that Santouka was genuinely delicious and authentic. I got the salt flavor ramen with pork and my fiance got the miso ramen with pork. I liked the salt better, but I didnt like how long the meal lingered with me afterwards. My mouth literally felt like a desert, but I guess thats what you get when you eat something that is SALT flavored. :) Anywho, the one perk that this place does have over Orenchi is that the wait is really not that bad. Also, even if there is a wait, there is an entire market to explore that has all kinds of authentic goodies in it. I was even able to find my favorite japanese cookies (the little mushroom cookies with chocolate as the mushroom cap... om nom nom). Overall, I highly recommend coming here. I give it 4.5 stars since it is really good, but not quite the best in the South

---

SO

Sonya Li

My partner opted for the Shio ramen, which happened to be one of the most popular options, and an egg on the side. I order the same thing, but with Tokusen Toroniku (choice pork). The ramens came with bamboo shoots, kikurage, green onions, and Japanese pickled plum. I found that there was a strange tang to the bamboo shoots and I’m not sure but I think they were not rinsed properly when they came out of the can. The Japanese pickled plum was new to me, but I enjoyed it. The broth was rich but not too salty but the noodles were not chewy enough for me. While it didn’t get mushy, they were too soft for my liking. The egg was cooked through, which is not my preference, but my partner didn’t mind. The pork in my partner’s ramen was dry, but the pork cheek was rich, fatty, tender, and delicious! It’s not my favorite ramen, but the both is good and if you’re going to check out this place don’t miss out on the Tokusen Toroniku.

---

A

A Private User

Ramen straight from the horses mouth. Literally. Since Santouka is actually from Japan (Ive eaten at two of the restaurants in Tokyo), you cant really say its not authentic. My favorite things to get here are the special toroniku, which is tender pork cheek, with the shio broth (salt). The savory thick broth with the soft meat is very addicting. Which explains why the toroniku always sells out, so go early. If Im extra hungry, I like getting a chasu bowl and a tea egg. The other ramen dishes here are not very good once you have the shio broth with toroniku - I did not like the miso or shoyu based broths, or the kimchee ramen. Long lines at times, be ware. Best time to go is at 11:30 am, right when they open.

---

---