Hokkaido Ramen Santouka University Village: A Seattle Ramen Staple
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, a Japanese chain celebrated for its velvety-rich tonkotsu broth, has become a notable presence in Seattle's vibrant ramen scene. With locations in University Village and Bellevue, Santouka offers a taste of authentic Hokkaido-style ramen. This review delves into the Santouka experience, considering the food, service, and overall atmosphere.
A Taste of Hokkaido in Seattle
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is a ramen chain that started in Japan, and somehow made its way to Seattle- with good reason. The restaurant offers in-store ordering with special takeout items like brothless mazemen and tsukemen. Established in Japan and later expanding to the US and Canada, Santouka's first American restaurant opened in Bellevue before extending to University Village.
The Ramen Experience
Santouka's menu centers around its signature tonkotsu broth, available in various flavors like shio, shoyu, and miso. A standout is the TONKOTSU MISO RAMEN, featuring a robust miso paste and silky broth, subtly enhanced with bonito dashi for a gentle balance of flavors. Another popular choice is the TORONIKU GOMA MISO RAMEN, a combination of savory sesame and miso flavors in a creamy tonkotsu broth, topped with menma, kikurage mushrooms, toroniku slices, and baby arugula leaves.
For those seeking a different ramen experience, the TSUKEMEN is a must-try. This dish features noodles that you dip out a soup and then eat. The thickened soy flavored tonkotsu soup has enriched flavor and umami. The noodles are at room temperature and the dipping soup is hot. It takes restraint to only dip 3 or 4 noodles at a time. If you try to stuff a bunch of noodles in the soup, the flavor will be too overpowering. Having the Tsukemen with the Aji-Tama(half cooked egg) takes it to another level.
Beyond ramen, Santouka offers a selection of side dishes. The SHIYAKE IKURA GOHAN, a rice bowl topped with grilled salmon & salmon roe, provides a complementary taste of Japanese cuisine. They also have gyoza, takoyaki, karaage and all are top rate. They also have “combos” where you can mix and match ramen dishes with their side dishes.
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A Consistent Favorite
Many reviewers praise Santouka for its consistent quality. Since it's a chain, the food is always very consistent. Reviewers appreciated the ability to adjust salt levels in their ramen, the quality of pork belly, and the attentive service.
Ambiance and Service
The University Village location offers a casual and clean atmosphere. The place is not that big. There are booths on the left side that can fit 4. On the left side long bench against the wall with individual tables.
The service is generally quick and friendly. The staff is consistently friendly which i think makes the whole experience! And while many ramen places allow you to order larger portions by paying extra, Santouka is the only place I know of in Seattle that gives you the option to order a smaller portion for a lower price. Kids Eat Free! The service is quick and regardless how busy it is, we’ve never had to wait long for a seat. And it’s not a big place to begin with.
Takeout Considerations
While Santouka excels in dine-in experiences, some reviewers have noted issues with the takeout execution. Yesterday, the ramen noodles arrived as a giant, solid cake of pasta. The main issue was that the noodle container was placed inside the soup container. Today, I tried to prevent that by asking the staff to mix the noodles with the soup, thinking it might help. Unfortunately, due to my lack of experience with how ramen should be packaged for take-out, I didn’t realize this would actually make things worse. The waiter also wasn’t clear in explaining that mixing everything together would further ruin the texture. 1. The take-out packaging method needs to change. Santouka makes excellent ramen when dining in, but the current take-out execution does not reflect that quality. Until the packaging and communication improve, I would not recommend ordering ramen to go.
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tags: #hokkaido #ramen #santouka #university #village #review
