Very good ramen and can be busy at time. Taste just like what I had in Japan and I am Japanese :). Happy to see a real Japanese ramen shop in San Diego!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salt Ramen with Char-Siu Rice Bowl, Noodles
Jay G
Price to quality ratio is very much on point. Ramen was quite delicious and everything you would expect (plus a little more) from a working man's lunch; it was $12.95 for a large shio.The thing that delivered most for this bowl of goodness was the broth. The salt content was well balanced and provided just enough depth of flavor to satisfy all of your umami cravings. The noodles were delightfully springy, and the bamboo + mushrooms were well incorporated, even if they added more texture than taste. The roasted pork had good flavor, but was a bit too tough. The lowest point was the egg I added, which was hard boiled (blasphemy), and definitely made the dish worse…I left it unfinished.I cannot speak for the non-soup offerings, but in all it was worth my time. Any ramen lover would be satisfied.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Noodles, Large Shio Chashu Ramen
G A
The ramen and the little dishes with rice are good. The staff is friendly and speaks Spanish (:
Tim W.
Not sure what's all the hype is? After eating at menya ultra, this place became a huge disappointment. My ramen only has 2 small pieces of meat, toppings that I want like corn and garlic wasn't available. Overall, just a disappointing meal. The 2 small pieces of meat is a huge rip off. The roe with salmon and rice was good though, that's about it
Darren Chen
This is the best Japanese ramen in my opinion!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Izumi
It was delicious~☺️
Food: 5
jimmy “Lord megatron 0044” zhu
This place have the best ramen in San Diego!Parking: The parking is kind of hard for this plaza!Kid-friendliness: This place great to bring kids to learn about Asian culture!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elvin D.
Basically you get what you pay for. This review is strictly for the ramen. I guess if you're getting some groceries inside and wanted a quick bite after this might hit the spot for some. The ramen comes in 3 sizes S-M-L and goes up in price. I tried the toroniku ramen, nothing special here. The pork tasted like Costco rotisserie chicken and the broth was really salty. They separate all the toppings as well so you can just add whatever you like. The noodles aren't fresh and is a little chewy. Seating is very limited here and is first come first serve so if you're in a big group it may be hard to sit together. Not the best ramen but if you want something quick this might tickle your fancy.
Milani L.
I really enjoyed this place! Located in the Mitsuwa Market in Kearny Mesa, this place seems to always have a crowd, and I finally got around to reviewing it. It's located in the little food court in the Mitsuwa Store so it can be pretty packed. Parking is definitely a challenge here. Not necessarily the amount of parking, but moreso the fact that the parking spots are super freaking small. I would suggest parking on the side street if you can.Like I said, this place is located in the Mitsuwa Marketplace so its pretty clean in here. Service was good. You can't expect any above and beyond service just due to the type of place this is. Don't expect this to be a sit down place, its more for convenience but it definitely hits. I had the Salmon and Ikura Rice bowl. I was hungry but just needed something small. I personally love this because of the saltiness but I know that may not be for everyone. Price wise, I definitely think its worth it.Aside from parking, I definitely suggest people to check this place out. Especially if you're craving Japanese and want something quick and easy, this is the one to go to.
Rachel L.
This place is in the food court of mitsuwa marketplace. The food court is relatively cramped and depending on the time you come, the line for the two restaurants including this one can be unreasonably long or short.You're not here for great service or a phenomenal atmosphere. To go is 50 cents more. But actually the food was pretty good. I went to the one in Costa Mesa multiple times and this is my third time and each time the ramen is not bad at all comparable to other ramen places. The salmon and roe rice was a little dry but delicious nonetheless. You're usually fighting for a table in the cramped food court. You'll be pretty close sitting next to strangers but actually it's a great spot to eat alone. So multiple single eaters relishing their solo meals in this crowded and loud yet small food court. You'll hear the two restaurants announcing numbers throughout the meal.
Good value ramen! You order at the counter and they will call your number over the intercom when your food is ready. The food court is small and fills up quickly around 11AM. There are different bowl sizes for the ramen. I got the spicy miso. It was not exactly spicy but still good. The broth was not smooth and the noodles were similar to that of stir-fry, but the texture was nice and chewy. The staff were kind and efficient.
Masa Guchi
Santouka has been the staple of ramen scene in San Diego for well over a decade now. I like the ease of cafeteria style ordering and dinning inside of Mitsuwa supermarket (water dispenser is still broken so just buy drink from the market if you need a drink). However, the quality of the ramen has definitely gone down the hill in recent years, less portion on rice bowls etc. The broth is inconsistent or consistently tastes like it’s water down. I’m assuming the chef’s turnover rate is high so keeping the flavor/quality is difficult. It has become an average cafeteria ramen spot.Today’s Miso Ramen was a disappointment and side egg had piece of shells left which I had to spit out. These are attention to detail issues that can be solved easily. I hope they can improve on things and bring back the good old Santoka quality!2.8/5 ⭐️
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
hansub
Great ramen especially for the price. I like the spicy miso. It's in mitsuwa market, just look left when you enter.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Han L.
Great ramen especially for the price. I like the spicy miso. It's in mitsuwa market, just look left when you enter. a
Cristina J.
I like the spicy miso ramen, good flavor, right quantity, and very good. Inorder the combo #62 and it came with the salmon rice bowl, simple flavors, and delicious.
Very good ramen and can be busy at time. Taste just like what I had in Japan and I am Japanese :). Happy to see a real Japanese ramen shop in San Diego!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salt Ramen with Char-Siu Rice Bowl, Noodles
Price to quality ratio is very much on point. Ramen was quite delicious and everything you would expect (plus a little more) from a working man's lunch; it was $12.95 for a large shio.The thing that delivered most for this bowl of goodness was the broth. The salt content was well balanced and provided just enough depth of flavor to satisfy all of your umami cravings. The noodles were delightfully springy, and the bamboo + mushrooms were well incorporated, even if they added more texture than taste. The roasted pork had good flavor, but was a bit too tough. The lowest point was the egg I added, which was hard boiled (blasphemy), and definitely made the dish worse…I left it unfinished.I cannot speak for the non-soup offerings, but in all it was worth my time. Any ramen lover would be satisfied.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Noodles, Large Shio Chashu Ramen
The ramen and the little dishes with rice are good. The staff is friendly and speaks Spanish (:
Not sure what's all the hype is? After eating at menya ultra, this place became a huge disappointment. My ramen only has 2 small pieces of meat, toppings that I want like corn and garlic wasn't available. Overall, just a disappointing meal. The 2 small pieces of meat is a huge rip off. The roe with salmon and rice was good though, that's about it
This is the best Japanese ramen in my opinion!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It was delicious~☺️
Food: 5
This place have the best ramen in San Diego!Parking: The parking is kind of hard for this plaza!Kid-friendliness: This place great to bring kids to learn about Asian culture!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Basically you get what you pay for. This review is strictly for the ramen. I guess if you're getting some groceries inside and wanted a quick bite after this might hit the spot for some. The ramen comes in 3 sizes S-M-L and goes up in price. I tried the toroniku ramen, nothing special here. The pork tasted like Costco rotisserie chicken and the broth was really salty. They separate all the toppings as well so you can just add whatever you like. The noodles aren't fresh and is a little chewy. Seating is very limited here and is first come first serve so if you're in a big group it may be hard to sit together. Not the best ramen but if you want something quick this might tickle your fancy.
I really enjoyed this place! Located in the Mitsuwa Market in Kearny Mesa, this place seems to always have a crowd, and I finally got around to reviewing it. It's located in the little food court in the Mitsuwa Store so it can be pretty packed. Parking is definitely a challenge here. Not necessarily the amount of parking, but moreso the fact that the parking spots are super freaking small. I would suggest parking on the side street if you can.Like I said, this place is located in the Mitsuwa Marketplace so its pretty clean in here. Service was good. You can't expect any above and beyond service just due to the type of place this is. Don't expect this to be a sit down place, its more for convenience but it definitely hits. I had the Salmon and Ikura Rice bowl. I was hungry but just needed something small. I personally love this because of the saltiness but I know that may not be for everyone. Price wise, I definitely think its worth it.Aside from parking, I definitely suggest people to check this place out. Especially if you're craving Japanese and want something quick and easy, this is the one to go to.
This place is in the food court of mitsuwa marketplace. The food court is relatively cramped and depending on the time you come, the line for the two restaurants including this one can be unreasonably long or short.You're not here for great service or a phenomenal atmosphere. To go is 50 cents more. But actually the food was pretty good. I went to the one in Costa Mesa multiple times and this is my third time and each time the ramen is not bad at all comparable to other ramen places. The salmon and roe rice was a little dry but delicious nonetheless. You're usually fighting for a table in the cramped food court. You'll be pretty close sitting next to strangers but actually it's a great spot to eat alone. So multiple single eaters relishing their solo meals in this crowded and loud yet small food court. You'll hear the two restaurants announcing numbers throughout the meal.
Restaurantji Recommends
Good value ramen! You order at the counter and they will call your number over the intercom when your food is ready. The food court is small and fills up quickly around 11AM. There are different bowl sizes for the ramen. I got the spicy miso. It was not exactly spicy but still good. The broth was not smooth and the noodles were similar to that of stir-fry, but the texture was nice and chewy. The staff were kind and efficient.
Santouka has been the staple of ramen scene in San Diego for well over a decade now. I like the ease of cafeteria style ordering and dinning inside of Mitsuwa supermarket (water dispenser is still broken so just buy drink from the market if you need a drink). However, the quality of the ramen has definitely gone down the hill in recent years, less portion on rice bowls etc. The broth is inconsistent or consistently tastes like it’s water down. I’m assuming the chef’s turnover rate is high so keeping the flavor/quality is difficult. It has become an average cafeteria ramen spot.Today’s Miso Ramen was a disappointment and side egg had piece of shells left which I had to spit out. These are attention to detail issues that can be solved easily. I hope they can improve on things and bring back the good old Santoka quality!2.8/5 ⭐️
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Great ramen especially for the price. I like the spicy miso. It's in mitsuwa market, just look left when you enter.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Great ramen especially for the price. I like the spicy miso. It's in mitsuwa market, just look left when you enter. a
I like the spicy miso ramen, good flavor, right quantity, and very good. Inorder the combo #62 and it came with the salmon rice bowl, simple flavors, and delicious.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4