Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

Cashier(audacity) ask for tips in cash but the shocker is the meat portion..pretty sure it was a mistake and will come again for 2nd try to see if this is true- counting pennies

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 1

Recommended dishes: Noodles

Fast casual Japanese eatery specializing in ramen and small rice bowls. Go-to place for the family to pick up takeout or eat in the common food court area within the Mitsuwa grocery store.

A family favorite is the char siu rice bowl (side dish #45). It is simple comfort food with warm and plump short grain rice, topped with tender pork and freshly sliced green onions. The shichimi (seven flavor chili powder) offered at the counter is a nice complement.

The Hiyashi ramen is a cold noodle summer special. Two slices of tender pork, green onions, red pickled ginger, thinly sliced cucumber, and other goodies. Santouka offers three types of sauce - tried the spicey sauce, but felt the mala overpowered the dish a bit. Would recommend the shoyu or sesame sauces and then adding shichimi for more heat.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Wow, what happened, Santouka used to be the best ramen. I just feel like everything isn't as good as it was. Pork isn't slow cooked anymore, so it's chewy, broth, not as good, different noodles that just are thin and not as good. Then I ordered an egg, and it was overcooked, not softboiled, but actually overcooked. It's gone from 5 stars to meh. Makes me sad!

Recommended dishes: Spicy Miso Ramen

The ramen is pretty good but I’ve had better ones. I’ve ordered a small combo salt ramen + flavored egg + char-siu rice bowl. And yes the egg is not included in the ramen and the combo doesn’t come with any drinks which I think is kind of pricey. The boiled egg was cold and a little overcooked than usual. I like the ramen broth tho and the pork on the char-siu rice bowl was really tender and flavorful. Overall good and it’s just inside the Mitsuwa market where I bought my drink and dessert.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

The best Ramen in America.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Ramen is taste good. Pork is soft.
Staffs is friendly.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Combo B spicy miso ramen!

Food: 5

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka – Hearty Hokkaido Ramen Inside Mitsuwa

Located inside Mitsuwa Marketplace, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is a popular ramen stop, especially during weekend peak hours, drawing in a steady flow of customers. Despite the crowds, seating is usually available on weekdays, and the system is efficient and self-service—order at the counter, grab a number, and wait for it to be called. The cleaning staff works quickly, resetting tables almost immediately after customers leave.

While the menu may seem extensive, it’s essentially a combination of different ramen broths (salt, soy sauce, miso, spicy miso) and topping sets—Regular (2 slices of cha-siu), Cha-siu (extra pork), or Toroniku (pork cheek). Bowl sizes include small, medium, and large, and there are side dishes like rice bowls and extra soft-boiled eggs. Rice bowl toppings range from plain, natto, negi, sake & ikura, mentaiko to char-siu.

I ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen (medium) with a natto rice bowl combo (#106). The broth was rich, hearty, and flavorful, with tender noodles, black fungus, and bamboo shoots. The cha-siu portions felt a bit small compared to the generous amount of noodles. The natto rice was flavorful, though the natto seemed slightly over-frozen and icy at first. However, pairing the rice with leftover ramen broth worked surprisingly well.

This is a carb-heavy meal, especially if you go for both ramen and a rice bowl, so a small-sized ramen might be a more balanced choice. One limitation is the lack of appetizers like karaage or gyoza, likely due to the shared food court kitchen.

Overall, it’s a solid spot for rich, comforting ramen with efficient service and reasonable combo pricing. Ideal for a quick, filling meal while exploring Mitsuwa.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Great ramen at a reasonable price. Every other ramen place I've gone to has skimped out on the chashu pork, but this has a secret stash of them on the bottom. The dining area was clean and easy to maneuver.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This place have the greatest ramen in San Diego. The side dishes are great too

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Spicy Miso Ramen

I must admit when I first tried this place back in LA, I had mixed feelings about it. At first I thought that the food was mediocre at best, a place that was trying to be restaurant quality but falling short of just above instant ramen level. But the more times I came to eat here, the more I started to enjoy the simplicity of the menu and the dishes. I usually get medium spicy miso with pork chashu on the side. The combo is enough to leave me satisfied and full until the next day. The ramen itself does come with two pieces of chashu and a few bamboo shoots. The egg that is provided is hard boiled which is a little disappointing, but I have no complaints since it's decent to eat. The soup itself is warm and rich and the noodles are chewy and al dente. Definitely a hearty meal when the weather is raining outside.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Spicy Miso Ramen

A+. Not a true restaurant ambience, more a dining patio inside a grocery store ambiance, but the food quality was very good and I'll be coming back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Salt Ramen with Char-Siu Rice Bowl

Easily the best ramen in all of San Diego, and on a price to quality ratio completely crushes everyone else. The only drawback is that it's usually busy enough that it's hard to find seating.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

Santouka ramen, who doesn't know?! Always tied with Mitsuwa supermarket.
Anyway, good ramen, rich savoury soup broth, salty, noodle is ok, just right. Portion is ok, price is decent.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Spicy Miso Ramen

Fantastic ramen. Quickly prepared and pipping hot. Took me right back to Kapan for almost an hour.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5