Address: | 1 Bow St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA |
Phone: | +1 617-945-1460 |
Site: | santouka-usa.com |
Rating: | 4.5 |
Working: | 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–10:30PM 11AM–10:30PM 11AM–9PM |
AA
Aaron Larsen
On the Ramen itself: I had the shio (salt flavored) ramen. They say its their specialty and if you cant get shio right, then you are hopeless as a ramen joint. The very first thing youll notice is the price, which is a good $2-4 greater than most local ramen joints and about double what youd typically pay in Japan. But youve heard this place is good, so it must be worth it. The second thing youll notice is the size. Its a small portion. Very small. But youve heard this place is good, so it must be worth it. Then you taste the broth. Flat, flavorless, under seasoned, thickish but with the wrong mouth fell, lacking in any character of a good raman broth. Your heart sinks. There is almost no detectable flavor of kombu or katsuobushi; almost no smokiness or umami at all. It tastes as though it was thickened with anything other than the gelatin from pork, chicken or beef bones. If you didnt tell me it was supposed to be a ramen broth, I would never have guessed. Id peg it as something vaguely Eastern European. Then you see the noodles. They look odd. Too thin and straight. But sure, you know that different styles of ramen have different sorts of noodles, maybe not all is lost. No. All is lost. The noodles are clearly packaged noodles of the wrong sort. They bought some type of similar-looking but clearly Chinese noodles. That might be fine if they do the job but these dont. Just about the only saving grace is the sliced pork garnish, which was very flavorful. Other than that, this is simultaneously the most depressing bowl of ramen Ive had in years and the most expensive. On the things that barely matter: The service is stiff but prompt. The server stared at me for what felt like a minute when she delivered my bowl. It was awkward, but meh. The decor is sterile and better suited to something vegan with microgreens and not a ramen bar. But none of that would matter at all if they could simply produce a ramen that even remotely lives up to the price they are asking. They cant. %50 more expensive than Pikachu and half as good. It also has the wrong feel about it. Ramen is a humble food. Slick hosts and modern decor is all wrong. Value added they might say. Id rather have a good bowl of soup.
MA
Matt Quan
Santouka Hokkaido Ramen is the newest restaurant to jump into Bostons scene. It offers a convenient location in Harvard square to satisfy your ramen fix for lunch or dinner. Having just opened recently, when I visited they were still in their soft opening, however things ran very smoothly and I had no qualms about service or wait times. Santouka Ramen has a more modern ambiance, different from what I normally associate with a ramen house. It offers an upscale eating experience and they can probably seat 45 - 50 people inside the location, a mix of individual and shared tables. While this may not be the same if youre looking to be served steaming ramen at a bar and where you can have a shared experience with strangers, its a more private and relaxing dining environment suited for more introverted people. They offer a selection of traditional ramen broth options including: shio (salt), shoyu (soy sauce), and miso. They also have a few sides to choose from. We ordered large shio and miso ramens and a side of egg. The shio is their specialty and we found the broth to be much lighter than expected. It was not only nicely flavored the noodles, but it was enjoyable to drink alone as well. The pork slices were a bit smaller and thinner than I would have liked, but they were tender and savory. The noodles were not the best Ive ever had and didnt leave a lasting impression, but they were noticeably decent. The miso broth was equally refined and would not disappoint. The portions were satisfying, but for the most hungry, may leave you wanting more. In summary, Santouka Hokkaido Ramen offers a solid and unique bowl of ramen which makes it stand out in the increasingly crowded ramen scene in Boston. I cant say that it is the best option in my humble opinion, but it offers a more inclusive ramen experience that will be appealing to a larger audience that might not like hole-in-the-walls or more bar-like restaurants. Go check it out and see if its your bowl of ramen! Its worth waiting for at least once if you like ramen.
BA
Barbara Karakyriakou
I have been a frequent patron at Santouka, but today was my last time there. I ordered a bowl of noodles, and I had to wait for at least 30 minutes without being served. Meanwhile, at least a dozen of people came after me and they got served. My server disappeared after taking my order and at some point he came back and he didnt even look at my empty table, rather he got himself busy at the register. The other servers were staring at me and they were talking to each other. At some point one of them came over my table and she said "your food is coming". Ten minutes after, my food was still not there and at that point I walked out. The servers turned around and looked at me, but no one came to apologize. They must have served my order to someone else who came after I came, and they had to make a new one; at least thats my guess. I understand that mistakes can happen, but they should have come and give me an explanation rather than staring at me like morons.
PA
Pamela Trincado
Il vostro ingresso nel locale è segnalato, proprio come in Giappone, con un coro di irasshiaimase (benvenuto). Potete scegliere tra una ciotola di ramen piccola, media o grande, con o senza menù, che include pollo fritto, riso con uova di salmone, alghe o gyōza e, ovviamente, potere decidere il tipo di brodo: di miso, di soia, di maiale o piccante. Per dessert servono anche i tayaki. Per un menù grande e un ramen medio ci hanno presentato un conto di 30 dollari.
K
K A
I didnt like the taste of Tsuke-men. There are other great ramen shops in US. アメリカにおいての基準だと☆4ですが、日本の基準だと☆1です。 海外においても、すごいおいしい!と思えるラーメン屋は多くあります。横にいたアメリカ人女性たちの会話を聞いていると「ここのラーメンが一番おいしいわ」と。 是非もっとおいしいラーメンを発見してほしいです。そして山頭火さんがもっとおいしいラーメンを作ることを期待します。
JO
john palmieri
Ive been looking for a place which serves a crave worthy bowl of Ramen. This is the place. While their bowl isnt as unique as some of the places I have been to in California, where they hit the mark is on consistency and flavor. They also offer combos with Japanese fried chicken or potstickers as the standout sides. Tip, unless you are starving, order to the combo with a small bowl. It is just the right amount to fill most people up without feeling like you over ate. Kudos for Santouka for offering more than just the giant bowl option. The wait can be long, however they take your phone number so you can grab a drink at the pub next door or walk around Harvard.
TA
Tara Espiritu
Very underwhelmed. Snappy Ramen in Davis is better in our opinion, not to mention all of the places in Porter Square. A main component of their soup base contains sesame, which one of us is allergic to. The staff was great on helping me figure out how to adapt the dish so I had something to eat, but the result was very bland. Even for my parter, who had their signature ramen, thought the broth was not as silky or well developed flavor wise as he was expecting it to be. Noodles seemed generic. Squid appetizer had good flavor, but wanted less dough and more squid. Probably will not be going back.