Santouka has been a staple of Mitsuwa for years, long before the pandemic. I always enjoyed their ramen -- no frills, nothing fancy, but hits the ramen spot. The bowls/portion size seemed to have gotten a bit smaller over time and are more expensive now, but such is shrinkflation. I typically like to get the shoyu ramen, which comes with two slices of chashu, a piece of seaweed and some green onions & bamboo shoots. They also have combos where you can get a small rice bowl alongside your ramen -- the salmon roe one is always a favorite of mine, but there's a few options including natto if you're a fan. I took my order to go on this occasion, and it was well packaged -- the ramen noodles were separate from the soup & toppings. And the rice bowl was in its own container. The plastic bag was tied tightly so nothing would tip over/spill during transport. And overall taste was still great for takeout and cost me $24 for the medium size ramen combo with salmon rice bowl. Not too bad for ramen in the Bay. Soup was a bit salty to drink, so I tend to save some for another meal and dilute it down by adding more noodles & water. Line wasn't too long this time around, and the orders came out quickly (they'll call your number). Staff member taking the orders was very friendly, but the one handing out orders to pick up was not so much. They used to be cash-only but now they take card & apple pay after the pandemic era. Seating is food-court style if you chose to dine in. Parking in the plaza can be a struggle but usually better chance if you wait for someone just finished their grocery run.
Sunny N.
Used to be good , now more like a fast food ramen place , with the price same I eat in resturant , I will just pass on this
Alan C.
Service was great but food was so so for the price. The ambiance was nice and what you would expect; a somewhat noisy food venue with wooden chairs and tables.
B C.
Got to leave a review to remind me this is the best Ramen I've eaten anywhere.....they set the bar for every I've been. It has been maybe 10 yrs ago or so, not sure but I can still remember it was the best just didn't remember til I looked at old reciew for another ramen place. Gotta go back....so far.
Felix D.
Located inside Mitsuwa marketplace, Santouka Ramen is one of the few businesses remaining in the food court. The line was short on Saturday afternoon around 2:30. and we were able to get our order of ramen within about 5 to 10 minutes. We went to the counter to grab our ramen. The noodles were perfectly chewy and the broth was flavorful but not too heavy. I felt like the medium size was perfect. You can also buy stuff at the Mitsuwa market if you're looking to buy a drink or dessert. There's a lot of places nearby (Daiso, Kinokuniya, N7) to walk after your meal. Recommend checking Santouka out!
Torsten Keil-Long
This is one of my favorite ramen spots in the South Bay. It is inside a grocery store, so expect a food court style seating arrangement. The food comes out quickly, and on days they take longer there is a whole grocery store and book store to look through. They are friendly and always get the order correct. We usually get the 36 and the 63 when we go, and I personally love how the spicy char sui miso soup!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jeremy Roberson
If you have to choose one ramen shop to try, this. Classic is the one.
Darice W.
Came here for lunch on a weekday. It was already quite busy but we waited an extra twenty minutes to order due to issues with the cash register. In general the environment can feel hectic since there's so many people walking through Mitsuwa/Kinokuniya. Thankfully the food came pretty quickly, within ten minutes. We got the shoyu ramen and spicy miso ramen and also paid $3 for one completely overcooked and tasteless egg -- not worth! The best part was probably the pork, which was flavorful and cut generously thick. My dad thought the miso broth was too watery but I was alright with mine (shoyu). Overall the broth and noodles are solid enough, though nothing that will blow you away. If I could give half stars this would be a 3.5/5. It's serviceable ramen.
Jenny T.
It was definitely a bit of an off day for Santouka last Saturday - we ordered the spicy miso ramen and pork bowl and the noodles were a soft. The worst part wasn't the noodles, however - the chashu was hard! Not soft at all, it was chewy and had no fat. The only redeeming part of the meal was the rice and the broth, together, they were absolutely delicious. Service: They are very quick and efficient here, you can expect to have your bowl in no more than 10 minutes when it's not too busy. Ambience: The ambience is ensuring you're comfortable making conversation with strangers since the seating can get a bit crowded. Fun for people watching!
k mT
Recently, the soup is way too greasy!?Cash only! Fantastically flavored tonkutsu (pork bone) soup base! Can't stop sipping it up!!!! Cha-siu pork slices are very delicious with rich flavor! Ramen is chewy and springy! Can't stop slurping! Excellent!!!!
The miso ramen is good but I have tried other ramen they have and it is a hit or miss. Sometimes it is good and sometimes it is not. However, today the ramen is super delicious. It does taste like Japanese miso ramen. However, it is kind of expensive. $12 for a small miso ramen and a large is $15. It is okay for one or two people but for a family, it is a lot. The service is fine. They will get your food as soon as possible. But beware you need to grab a seat once you walk into the food court. The seating is a hit-or-miss. It is hard to find a seat. My advice is to find a seat and order.
Kevin C.
A large bowl of spicy miso ramen with chashu is $19.04 . Super overrated ramen, the ramen wasn't even that good especially for its price.
I love their salt ramen. I am sad it's getting more and more pricey, the combination menu for a regular size ball is over 20 dollars in a food court in market is really insane.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Shio Ramon Salt Flavor
Veronica L.
Best ramen in the Bay Area in my humble opinion. I always try to come here when I'm in the South Bay. Here for my Invisalign check up with the best of the best in orthodontics Dr. Corsa of Corsa Orthodontics across the street (check 'em out if you want/need Invisalign) and eat ramen here and shop at Mitsuwa before or after! The ramen here is legit.
Santouka has been a staple of Mitsuwa for years, long before the pandemic. I always enjoyed their ramen -- no frills, nothing fancy, but hits the ramen spot. The bowls/portion size seemed to have gotten a bit smaller over time and are more expensive now, but such is shrinkflation. I typically like to get the shoyu ramen, which comes with two slices of chashu, a piece of seaweed and some green onions & bamboo shoots. They also have combos where you can get a small rice bowl alongside your ramen -- the salmon roe one is always a favorite of mine, but there's a few options including natto if you're a fan. I took my order to go on this occasion, and it was well packaged -- the ramen noodles were separate from the soup & toppings. And the rice bowl was in its own container. The plastic bag was tied tightly so nothing would tip over/spill during transport. And overall taste was still great for takeout and cost me $24 for the medium size ramen combo with salmon rice bowl. Not too bad for ramen in the Bay. Soup was a bit salty to drink, so I tend to save some for another meal and dilute it down by adding more noodles & water. Line wasn't too long this time around, and the orders came out quickly (they'll call your number). Staff member taking the orders was very friendly, but the one handing out orders to pick up was not so much. They used to be cash-only but now they take card & apple pay after the pandemic era. Seating is food-court style if you chose to dine in. Parking in the plaza can be a struggle but usually better chance if you wait for someone just finished their grocery run.
Used to be good , now more like a fast food ramen place , with the price same I eat in resturant , I will just pass on this
Service was great but food was so so for the price. The ambiance was nice and what you would expect; a somewhat noisy food venue with wooden chairs and tables.
Got to leave a review to remind me this is the best Ramen I've eaten anywhere.....they set the bar for every I've been. It has been maybe 10 yrs ago or so, not sure but I can still remember it was the best just didn't remember til I looked at old reciew for another ramen place. Gotta go back....so far.
Located inside Mitsuwa marketplace, Santouka Ramen is one of the few businesses remaining in the food court. The line was short on Saturday afternoon around 2:30. and we were able to get our order of ramen within about 5 to 10 minutes. We went to the counter to grab our ramen. The noodles were perfectly chewy and the broth was flavorful but not too heavy. I felt like the medium size was perfect. You can also buy stuff at the Mitsuwa market if you're looking to buy a drink or dessert. There's a lot of places nearby (Daiso, Kinokuniya, N7) to walk after your meal. Recommend checking Santouka out!
This is one of my favorite ramen spots in the South Bay. It is inside a grocery store, so expect a food court style seating arrangement. The food comes out quickly, and on days they take longer there is a whole grocery store and book store to look through. They are friendly and always get the order correct. We usually get the 36 and the 63 when we go, and I personally love how the spicy char sui miso soup!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
If you have to choose one ramen shop to try, this. Classic is the one.
Came here for lunch on a weekday. It was already quite busy but we waited an extra twenty minutes to order due to issues with the cash register. In general the environment can feel hectic since there's so many people walking through Mitsuwa/Kinokuniya. Thankfully the food came pretty quickly, within ten minutes. We got the shoyu ramen and spicy miso ramen and also paid $3 for one completely overcooked and tasteless egg -- not worth! The best part was probably the pork, which was flavorful and cut generously thick. My dad thought the miso broth was too watery but I was alright with mine (shoyu). Overall the broth and noodles are solid enough, though nothing that will blow you away. If I could give half stars this would be a 3.5/5. It's serviceable ramen.
It was definitely a bit of an off day for Santouka last Saturday - we ordered the spicy miso ramen and pork bowl and the noodles were a soft. The worst part wasn't the noodles, however - the chashu was hard! Not soft at all, it was chewy and had no fat. The only redeeming part of the meal was the rice and the broth, together, they were absolutely delicious. Service: They are very quick and efficient here, you can expect to have your bowl in no more than 10 minutes when it's not too busy. Ambience: The ambience is ensuring you're comfortable making conversation with strangers since the seating can get a bit crowded. Fun for people watching!
Recently, the soup is way too greasy!?Cash only! Fantastically flavored tonkutsu (pork bone) soup base! Can't stop sipping it up!!!! Cha-siu pork slices are very delicious with rich flavor! Ramen is chewy and springy! Can't stop slurping! Excellent!!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
The miso ramen is good but I have tried other ramen they have and it is a hit or miss. Sometimes it is good and sometimes it is not. However, today the ramen is super delicious. It does taste like Japanese miso ramen. However, it is kind of expensive. $12 for a small miso ramen and a large is $15. It is okay for one or two people but for a family, it is a lot. The service is fine. They will get your food as soon as possible. But beware you need to grab a seat once you walk into the food court. The seating is a hit-or-miss. It is hard to find a seat. My advice is to find a seat and order.
A large bowl of spicy miso ramen with chashu is $19.04 . Super overrated ramen, the ramen wasn't even that good especially for its price.
My favorite ramen place in bay.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tokusen Toroniku Ramen Choice Pork Ramen
I love their salt ramen. I am sad it's getting more and more pricey, the combination menu for a regular size ball is over 20 dollars in a food court in market is really insane.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Shio Ramon Salt Flavor
Best ramen in the Bay Area in my humble opinion. I always try to come here when I'm in the South Bay. Here for my Invisalign check up with the best of the best in orthodontics Dr. Corsa of Corsa Orthodontics across the street (check 'em out if you want/need Invisalign) and eat ramen here and shop at Mitsuwa before or after! The ramen here is legit.