Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

This place always seems to be busy. They always have a line whenever I come here. Rightly so, since they have pretty good ramen. It’s comparable to Daikokuya, but Daikokuya has the edge. However, I do prefer this to Shin-​Sen-​Gumi. The ramen place is located within the Mitsuwa Marketplace’s food court. It shares the dining area with other food stalls so it can be a bit difficult to find a table especially during lunch and/​or dinner rush hours. They only accept CASH, so make sure you have enough cash on hand. If not, there is a BofA ATM at the store’s entrance. Finding parking is always difficult here, but there is an underground garage that some people do not seem to know about, so you can try your luck there. If you’ve got time to wait for parking, this place is worth it.

Ramen is delicious, good portions and speedy service.
A tip for those who want to go: Be there early, because seating can be limited due to the number of vendors and clients.

Pretty tasty Ramen inside Mitsuwa foodcourt. Try avoiding lunch hour because it can get quite busy. The flavor is great but my only complaint is the pork was basically all fat, no meat.
Try bringing your own spoon because the plastic one they give you is super dinky.

of course I’m not going to stay in the OC without getting some good ramen. it’s also funny that I’ve never been to the Hokkaido Ramen Santouka that’s just a couple of minutes away from home. (it’s funny how when something is actually close to home, u never seem to find time to go.)
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is located on Paularino Avenue in the Costa Mesa area of Orange County. (love saying Paularino! :)) it’s inside the Mitsuwa Marketplace with a couple of other food stalls; kind of like a mini food court. there’s parking in the small lot n there’s also an underground lot.
I ordered the popular Toroniku Salt Broth Ramen in the small size which perfect for lunch size. just like everyone says, the pork cheeks r so soft cooked just right. the salt broth wasn’t too salty n was the perfect consistency (I’m not into the thick n creamy broths.) as was the noodles. I like to put the pieces of pork cheeks into the broth to get more flavor, but eaten separately; it’s just as good. it was so amazing, I went back TWICE last week. I’m definitely going to have to try the one by my home the next time!

I’m not sure what all the hub-​bub is about for this place. For me, the most important thing for ramen is the broth, and the broth here is really heavy and oily. Compared to places like kitakana and shinsengumi, they have a lot to learn. The prices are pretty good, a little cheaper most places, but I rather have quality over a few bucks off.
Maybe they just cater to people who like heavier and oily broths. If that’s the case, those people will be in heaven.

OKAY this is literally the best Japanese-​style ramen I ever had. It is inside Mitsuwa, where parking is a disaster and lines are usually long during meal times, but it is so worth.
It is in a little food court area inside the grocery store, and they only accept cash, and it usually takes a while due to the amount of people there. Seating does get a little limited because there are other food shops nearby, and it does get noisy considering it is basically inside a grocery store.
The prices range from around $ 8-​$ 10 depending on the size you get, which I think is perfect for the quality you are getting. I tried the Shoyu ramen and EVERYTHING about it was amazing — from the meat to the broth to the noodles, it brought me to ramen heaven.
Overall, this place has the best Japanese ramen in The Bay Area and I recommend everyone to try it at least once. The only downside is the parking and ambiance, but that’s fine considering how amazingly delicious the ramen here tastes.

There has not been any other ramen joint that comes close to Santouka.
My order: #8 small salt ramen with special pork
— the special pork cheek here is like no other place, seriously so good and tender! Also comes with some toppings and is served separately from the ramen bowl.
The chili pepper is placed to the side near the water, and you can’t open it or take it with you. I usually stand there and try to shake out a lot into a cup so that I could add it to my ramen.

This little ramen restaurant is located inside a supermarket along with many other ramen restaurants. However, I never think twice about selecting Santouka over the other spots.
I’ve only gotten the Spicy Miso with Extra Chashu here about three times now and so far, so good, both literally and figuratively. I have driven 40+ minutes out of my way for a delicious bowl of Santouka Ramen and so far it has yet to disappoint me.
My only complaint about this location is that the last time I ate there, I was sweating bullets. A suggestion I would like to provide is to maybe add some ceiling fans to facilitate the evaporative cooling process when people like myself are eating a hot bowl of ramen on a warm spring afternoon so that we could eat in comfort. Otherwise, nothing short of a perfect bowl of ramen.

Came here on a Saturday about 11am. The food court was busy and there was already a line. Thank goodness it moves quickly. Between the line and wait for food, it was about 20 – 25 minutes.
I got the Salty Ramen. It was good, not the best I’ve ever had but at least in the top 5. I got the large and the portion was good, took half of it home for left overs.
I’ll definitely be back.

Well a warning would be to not eat here if you’re going to have your blood drawn or doing any health check up the next day because the pork slices and ramen broth are so rich and fatty that they’ll throw your results off. Believe me!
As for me, I wanted to indulge so I ordered a large bowl of Shio ramen. Let me just say that this ramen was as good as the ramen places I had when I visited Tokyo. It’s been about five days since I ate there but as I’m typing out this review at 1am, my mouth is starting to water just thinking about the fatty slices of savory pork that just melted in my mouth. The broth was so rich and fatty that at the end of the meal, whatever was remaining started to congeal and I’m certain that if I waited around a little bit longer, I would have been able to stand my chopsticks in them. Ya herr me! They don’t mess around here son!

I’ve been pretty outspoken about how the Santouka Ramen in Torrance is one of my all-​time favorite places to eat. Perfectly cooked noodles, pork belly with just the right amount of fat and a broth with such a deep and rich flavor to it. The only downside for me is that a drive to that area from where I live can reach up to 2+ hours with socal traffic being what it is. Which brings me to the Costa Mesa location, a closer option for those who live in the Inland Empire like myself.
Like the Torrance location, this ramen spot is located in the food court of the Mitsuwa Marketplace. Don’t expect anything fancy, it’s just a common food court, people are mainly here to eat and nothing more. I’ve been here twice, once on a Sunday and another on a Thursday. Lines can get really packed quickly, so if you plan on coming in when they open, I’d consider getting there 15 – 20 minutes early to wait in line.
I ordered the Large Chashu Shio ramen, $ 11.49 at the time of this review (Bring cash, they don’t accept cards!). Looks-​wise, it looks the same as the other Santouka’s that I’ve visited. In terms of taste, noodles are still perfectly cooked (chewy, not too firm) and the portion was definitely fitting for the price. Chashu pork is still very tasty, pork belly slices were very lean. The only major difference between this branch and the Torrance branch is the broth. The broth is good and has lots of pork flavor, but it wasn’t as flavorful and rich as I remember from the Torrance branch. I didn’t find myself smacking my lips and still tasting the soup after my meal.
Maybe it was just the hour that I came (or maybe it’s just my inner Ramen-​snob talking), but the qualms I had with the broth stop me from giving this branch a 5 star review. But even with my nitpickiness, I still enjoyed my meal, I’ll definitely be back, the drive from the IE to Costa Mesa isn’t anywhere near as bad as driving to the South Bay. I think if you’re looking for a solid Ramen spot in Orange County, this is a very strong choice.

#1 ramen!!! I’ve been eating here for years! Santoku ramen is top on my list of best ramen places. I’ve been to Orochon, Daikokuya, Foo Foo Tei, Shen Shin Gumi, Kopan but none of those places compares to Santoku. It’s all in the noodles. I just love how thick wavy and chewy noodles.
The spicy miso ramen is my favorite. I highly recommend getting a combo because it includes a bowl of yummy rice (get the pork!!! So fatty and delicious!). Prices are a bit high but it’s worth it.
Come during near the end of the day, there’s lots of seating and the wait time is much less!

I will begin by saying that I was having a fairly off day when I visited for the first time and failed to notice the CASH ONLY sign plastered at the register. Off I went to find the only ATM machine in the market to be charged $ 5.50 all in all to use the atm. That was find I thought… my mistake for not noticing that and ultimately coming prepared.
Moving forward– Their spicy miso ramen is fairly good. Although it was flavorful, I wish there was more to it… corn, mushrooms, sprouts… something. Im glad I added the egg because without it I would have been scrounging for fulfillment. Their quantity, quality per price could be arguably on the more expensive side, but what struck me as odd is that they wouldnt do to go. They had all the packaging for a to-​go order, but would not package to go. They give you the container and bag and you do it yourself. Needless to say a ¼ of the soup ended up on the tray and I ended up with an even sadder look on my face.
I’m sure I’ll be visiting again, I’ll just make sure to go prepared with cash and with company so I dont have to package my own food to go.

Great ramen, but always so crowded!
[RAMEN]
I really love the soup broth at this place! I always order the spicy miso ramen because I love a little spice in my food. Good ramen is good ramen, I can’t explain it any other terms. The portions are good for the price. What I didn’t enjoy was the egg that I got on the side. It’s not the best egg I’ve had with my ramen, and I won’t be getting it again.
[PARKING]
The parking lot is a large parking lot, but remember that this plaza is for a supermarket along with all of the restaurants inside the food court area. I always spend at LEAST 20 minutes just to park my car, on a weekday or weekend.
[SEATING]
The food court seating is large, but always full! There are people standing over people eating just to wait to take their spot immediately after they leave. If I were eating, I wouldn’t want someone watching me like a vulture just to swoop my spot, but it’s really the only way you can get a place to eat.
[TIPS]
— Come in between the lunch/​dinner rush
— CASH ONLY!
— Visit the Santouka in Irvine– it’s just as good, but with less of a crowd

I am not a huge fan of Hokkaido style ramen however this is a review. But let’s keep away from my personal preferences.
The price, quality and combinations that you can order here at Santouka are very good. The cooks push out the bowls fairy quickly and in an organized manner. One of the perks about eating here is that there’s something for everyone being that this is located at a food court.
Santouka offers plenty of variety and combinations as well as 2 sizes of bowls. The broth is full of savory flavor, the chashu is tender and there are just the right amount of fresh toppings.
I highly recommend stopping by if you need to get your grub on and some Japanese specialty groceries at the same time.

1 star off because I remember last summer this place was sweltering hot, it would be nice if you could get more fans up and running there. I also wish they had larger cups for water. :)

Truly Epic Meal! Can’t miss here!

Definitely a fan of the restaurant. I found this place through Unilocal and I am pretty happy that I did. The fact that it is located inside a market might be displeasing to some; especially when you have to find parking in a small lot.
There are no signs, in English, so use Unilocal and remember what the stand looks like. I ordered the Spicy Miso ramen with the fatty pork. This is a direct quote from them about the dish, «For this ramen we blend akamiso into our tonkotsu soup»
The broth is rich and creamy. The ramen noodles are made of high quality. The meat was the best part of the entire meal. I really enjoyed my meal, and I’m pretty picky about everything. So this was a win for me. Overall, I would definitely come back to try more. The meal was good and for the price, the meal was worth it.

This place is what got me into ramen in the first place.
By far my favorite ramen place in Orange County.
The meat isn’t super amazing like some other places I’ve tasted in LA. However, the soup is just perfect. Broth makes or breaks ramen for me and this place has really fatty amazing soup.
For me it goes Santouka, Shin-​Sen-​Gumi, Yamadaya, La-​Men, and Gomen (as far as ramen places in Orange County).
It can get crowded here but I think it’s worth the try!

Santouka is a chain of ramen shops that have multiple outposts here in the us. It is an interpretation of ramen based in the Hokkaido region of Japan, what that means I do not have the slightest clue.
But what I do know is that service goes a long way and in my last experience my service went… short. the lady who helped take my order was rather short in her attitude and was if few words. Now, this may be a cultural thing but when I’m asking if you offer a to go box for items, scoffing and saying no wimhilenlooking away usually does not win fans over.
The rice bowl I ordered was pretty good and the flavors were there. Their menu is relatively pricey still and for 4 bucks I felt the rice bowl was quite underwhelming. My mom works in the area and she wanted me to pick up a boiled egg for her from this place (cause that’s how my family rolls) and if it weren’t for her I probably wouldn’t have stopped by this spot. Now, next time, after this experience, I more in likely won’t again

Location: Its inside the japanese market with lots of small businesses. so beware that the parking lot may be full especially on the weekends. and if you order the food inside, tables are limited as well, which i hate. (minus one star)
Food: I have tried miso ramen because I am trying to stay away from salty food LOL. Anyways, the soup base is still salty as expected. Ramen is kinda heavy for a small portion. I only saw 1 – 2 pieces of meat. I was not really impressed with the ramen. I had better ones. (minus one star)
Cost: $ 7 – 9 each bowl, it was a bit pricier comparing to other ramen places I been to.
Service: it’s very quick, but the cashier made a mistake ringing up the extra food. Two of my cousins and I ordered 2 small bowls ($ 7 each) and 1 big one ($ 9). and the total was around $ 37 including tax. I was iffy about the price so I told my cousin about it, then my cousin asked the cashier if it’s $ 37. The cashier nodded and said «it’s correct». Then I asked «are you sure? It doesn’t add up right.» then she checked and said «oh im sorry I made a mistake.» –_​– very big boo boo!!! (minus one star)
Do you think I would come back? I would PROBABLY come back to this food court to try other stuff, not to this particular restaurant.

I’ve heard really good things about this so I decided to go try it. I got a large extra chashu spicy miso ramen with a small chashu rice bowl.
My girlfriend and I got food around 6 so the seating situation wasn’t too bad yet. We saw that seats were becoming more and more scarce as we were sitting there eating our food.
It took around 10min for my o

I’ve heard really good things about this so I decided to go try it. I got a large extra chashu spicy miso ramen with a small chashu rice bowl.
My girlfriend and I got food around 6 so the seating situation wasn’t too bad yet. We saw that seats were becoming more and more scarce as we were sitting there eating our food.
It took around 10min for my order to come out which wasn’t too long in my opinion. There were 5 slices of pretty thick cut chashu that were pretty tender. They weren’t the best I’ve had though. The broth was very flavorful but a bit too salty. It had that slight sweetness underneath but a very powerful punch from the spiciness. I wish they gave a bit more noodles considering I had ordered a large. The ramen noodles were perfectly cooked though. Firm and right amount of chew to it.
The chashu rice bowl was a bit sweet from the sauce added to it but overall bland in my opinion. It really needed more sauce and something else to give it more oomph. Also since the chachu itself wasn’t seasoned/​marinated or anything. It’s really better in a bowl of ramen instead since it’s able to absorb some of that flavor from the broth. I had to add a lot of togarashi (the orange seasoning salt) to enhance it.
TLDR; I will probably only order a normal sized ramen bowl next time since I don’t think they add much more to the large bowl. The broth is very flavorful and the chashu served is thick sliced and good. I’ll most likely skip on the rice bowl since they aren’t anything spectacular. I do wish the egg was soft boiled though.

Santouka has long been one of my favorite places to eat ramen, but in the more recent times that I’ve been here, the ramen is way too salty and oily for my preferences. And maybe it’s my imagination, but I think the portions have gotten smaller as well? Someone tell me if I’m wrong or not, but over the years, I do believe they have downsized the portions.
I’ll still come to eat at Santouka though because

Arrived here today, Saturday Jan 9^th at 630PM. Parking = crazy. Not even joking. Turning into the parking lot took 5 minutes itself. Finding parking… another 10 minutes. Asians everywhere, HAHA!
Alright so upon entering the super market, just head straight to the back… into the food court.
There you will find a bunch of crazy animals trying to order food, and trying to find a table to sit at.
I ordered the spicy soybean ramen and also the #7 which is the tonkatsu ramen. BOTH WERE DELICIOUS! I’m talking TOP NOTCH ramen. Took around 10 minutes for them to make. Everyone here was going to the same ramen place it seemed.
Anyway, item #7 was delicious like i said early. Flavorful, milky, and a bunch of pork. The noodles and the soup are placed into a bowl. The other ingredients are placed off on a side dish, waiting for you to dump them into the noodle bowl + mix. Item #31 which was the spicy ramen, was damn good too. Shoot, if you like spicy, try #31 and let me know what you think. Salty, savory, and milky. Just so good!
The downfall: finding a place to sit! Seriously, people are walking around every single table asking if the people eating are «ready to leave» or if they’re «about to leave.» There is no freaking seating around here! So hard to find a place to sit! Hated it! Even the bar seating area was packed!
The experience was totally worth it: If you have like 30 minutes to spare on a weekend dinner (cheap food too), then I would say come here to try it out. I don’t think I’d come again during a busy time, but maybe off peak hours for sure!

Wow. Are you serious right now? I’m certified obsessed with this place and I’ve only eaten here one time. The ramen is BEYOND amazing. The broth is salty & savory blood pressure-​spiking heaven, the noodles are rich and chewy, and the pork is so tender and rich it melts in your mouth like butter. I ordered a small salt ramen with extra pork (#5) and for the first time in fooooorever, I actually finished my noodles before I finished my pork (aka they don’t skimp on the meat). Also, it is sacrilege to eat ramen without an egg, so fork over that $ 0.99 for the side of egg (#47). And be prepared to refill your water a lot because it is salty, but still SO SO SO SO good.
Other logistics: Yes, parking is horrible. Ordering is easy, just glance at the menu before you go so you know what you want to order when you get there and aren’t overwhelmed by options. After ordering & paying (cash only), you will be given a ticket with a number that you must turn in to get your food so don’t lose it. The process is very fast and efficient. I ate here around 3pm on a weekday and there was no line and no issue with finding seating.
(P.S. After I ate here, I texted my friend in a happy little food coma and told her I would weigh a lot more if I lived in California because I would get ramen here everyday. Her response was, no, I wouldn’t, because I’d have no money to spend on food after paying my rent. Ok. That’s fair.)

A Ramen spot in a food court that is actually good? Yeah I didn’t believe it at first either.
Ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen with Char-​Siu Pork and Rice Combo which took around 25 minutes for us to receive on a Sunday afternoon Seems everyone at Misuwa’s Food Court was there for Santouka.
The noodles had the right consistency and the spicy broth was delicious. Even though I finished a Katsudon/​Udon combo, I couldn’t help but slurp one spoonful after another. I appreciate that the Ramen comes with mushrooms, bamboo, ginger, sea weed, and green onions. Would’ve been better if they gave another cut of Char-​Siu Pork and larger spoons. The Pork Rice was also a tasty side that reminds me of Taiwanese Minced Pork.
Even though the portion size was small for a regular combo, $ 12 isn’t asking too much when its come quality and flavor.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is located in Mitsuwa’s food court which is infamous for its parking lot and seating area.
Beside my horrid experience finding a table once I got my food, my mood was fine. I ordered the Miso Ramen. The taste was great, very heavy and rich. The pork slices were huge, very tender and and the noodles were cooked to perfection. Good broth, slightly greasy, but deep flavor.
The atmosphere leaves a bit to be desired, but I guess this is just how food courts work in general. Very loud, grating yelling from the cashiers from all sides and a sense from the beginning that other customers creeping on you for seating and tables once your bowl is half empty.
I’m a fan of the food quality, but not one if it comes down to atmosphere and ambiance (not Santouka’s fault)