Friday, April 23, 2010

Santouka Ramen


This is not news for most ramen lovers and probably not for most Angeleno foodies, but I'd be remiss if I did not post about just how delicious the ramen at Santouka in the Mitsuwa marketplace is. I've been enjoying the ramen at Santouka for a couple of years now. It is extraordinary.



I was there just last week with my sister. We had the same conversation we always have: Who will have the salt (shio) and who will have the miso, and what about the spicy miso? In the end I chose the salt broth. I think it has the purest flavor.

The best set-up is to share a salt and a miso, so that you can feel pleased with yourself that you ordered the salt, but rather glad to have the opportunity to taste the other.

I am constantly impressed by the noodles. They are cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of bite to them. No mushiness here. The pork is fatty, the way you want it to be. The crunch of the bamboo is so satisfying, that I can almost understand why my sister always orders extra.

This ramen is in the same vein as Daikokuya's ramen, but rises well above the Little Tokyo institution's best offering. The hard boiled eggs that are marinated for twenty-four hours at Daikokuya however, have those at Santouka beat by a long shot. To me, those at Santouka are forgettable.

Hooray that my sister doesn't like the fish cake! An extra for me!

The lusciousness that is a bowl of Santouka ramen makes driving clear across Los Angeles at the height of traffic seem utterly reasonable.

Santouka Ramen
3760 S. Centinela Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90066

1 comment:

Monique said...

Last week when I was there with my friend, Malik, I went for the salt but this time ordered not only extra bamboo but also extra pork. It made for the perfect lunch.