Santouka Ramen

675 Saratoga Avenue (located in the Mitsuwa market)
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 255-6699
website

Vitals:
Mon-Sun: 11:30 am - 7:30 pm (or until they run out)
Cash only
kid-friendly


I've been on a hunt to find really good ramen in the Bay Area. I've tried the ramen at Santa Ramen, Orenchi, and Halu, and they have all been fab, but then I heard about Santouka and had to try it. If you don't mind eating in a cafeteria-like place or a food court, then you're in for a treat. Some friends don't understand my obsession with ramen, they wonder why I would pay around $10 for a bowl of ramen noodles when I can just buy a package of ramen noodles for 25 cents, add a few veggies and some meat and have the same thing. Au contraire, it is SO not the same thing.

Ramen, when done well is so satisfying. I prefer noodles to be slightly chewy, the meat to be tender and fatty, and the broth to be rich and flavorful. Don't come here if you're on a diet though, it's the trifecta of bad - oily, salty and so good, you'll forget about portion control. The atmosphere is a bit sterile, but the focus is on the food.

Pictured here is the Salt Ramen special (with a side plate for the pork and other sides), and the Soya ramen. As you can see, they usually provide a small slice of fishcake (the white thing with a swirl of pink), some green onion, some pork, bamboo shoots and some cloud ear fungus (black fungus). While the regular bowls of ramen are skimpy on the meat (although you can order extra meat), it is a highly satisfying meal. What's good about this place, is that right before you order, they have a window display that, in typical Japanese style, has replicas of what your food will look like.

The salt ramen, while slightly salty is surprisingly not too salty. The broth has a milky consistency (maybe from adding egg to the broth), and is rich and very flavorful; the ramen noodles were soft, but not too soft, and slightly chewy; and the meat was tender and fatty. My kids love the ramen here (again a sign of good food) and eat up most of my noodles and meat.

The soya ramen seems saltier and has, of course, a taste of soy sauce. It's still good, but my favorite is still the salt ramen.

We've occasionally ordered the meal which comes with a bowl of rice (we choose the one with stewed pork and green onion, haven't tried with one with salmon roe) and a boiled soy egg. The meat is flavorful, but it's a bit of a disappointment. I'd rather just stick with a bowl of ramen.

Happy eating!