Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

I have been to the competition numerous times and have learned to love ramen in Toronto. I ordered the shio. Service was ok. I never got the water I asked for.
I did not finish the shio. The strongest scent in the soup was a barnyard smell. I kept thinking, this smells like hoof. I finally found it so repellent I stopped eating. I’m hoping this isn’t a prelude to food poisoning…
I MUCH prefer Sensotei!

Menu:
What we had: Kara miso (spicy) cha-​shu ramen, large toroniku (cheek meat) shio ramen, matcha cheesecake
Taste: ⁸⁄₁₀
The broth here is thick and rich, though a little too salty, and the meat is tender. The kara miso ramen was flavourful and had a small spicy kick. The toroniku shio ramen was a little bland in comparison. I think there are options for making your broth less thick and less salty, and we should have asked for less salt, but hindsight is ²⁰⁄₂₀.
The cheesecake has the same consistency as a Western cheesecake; it’s a lot more dense than Japanese cheesecakes. It had a lot of matcha flavour. We expected it to be more like a Japanese cheesecake. Steven liked it, Laura would have preferred a lighter cheesecake.
Value: ³⁄₁₀
They give very little meat/​other things that go into the ramen. You get 1 piece of meat if you don’t order extra meat. Furthermore, their bowls are quite small. A large size bowl here would be the same as a regular size bowl at Sansotei. Even after ordering a «large» bowl with «extra» meat (5 slices of meat) AND sharing a slice of cheesecake, Steven was still hungry.
We forget the price breakdown of the items but…
**Average cost per diner: more than $ 21 After Tax+Tip (We say «more than» because Steven wasn’t even full at the end.)
Service/​Convenience: ⁸⁄₁₀
The place is easy to locate. It could get busy here and the line sometimes extends to the outside, which really sucks in the winter. The staff here are fairly efficient and try to get you in as quickly as possible. Like most Asian restaurants, the staff don’t fawn over you, but deliver what ever you need reasonably quickly.
Would go back? Maybe, but when selecting between Santouka and Sansotei, we would prefer to go to Sansotei.
Would recommend to friend? Yes, to try if they like ramen. And if they have a small stomach.
Similar places: Sansotei
**Disclaimer: Average cost per diner constitutes the amount (per person) we eat to get full without drinks. Total cost is usually divided between 2 diners, one of whom can regularly eat 7 slices of XL pizza (16″) in one sitting.

Went to this restaurant on a sunday afternoon. it was a busy place and highly recommended by a friend. however coming here and trying their food service and environment, i find that this restaurant fails on many levels.
First of all. the minute we sat down, they had told our group of 4 that they initate a $ 10 minimum charge on every customer. which is ridiculous, we came at a 3pm time. which is not a peak period and on a sunday. charging $ 10 minimum order, even if a friend was just sitting around to grab a drink and hang out with friends is ridiculous. that part already for me left a bad taste in my mouth.
the other thing that gave me a worst taste is the food themselves. i had ordered a cream soda with ice cream, the steamed pork jowl, and a spciy ramen noodle with pork jowl. Aside from the fact that the portions for the noodles and pork jowl for the price you pay is not good. i was expecting quality to me much better since the portion is small. no such luck.
The noodles were clearly whole bought instant noodles. if your going to be called a ramen place especially a more authentic one, at least make some fresh ramen or noodle. giving customers instant noodles and charging over 12 dollars a ramen for that small a portion is insulating to say the least. also the steamed pork jowl lacked actual flavor and it was literally steamed with barely any marinating. which they also charged 6.99 before tax and tip.
the soup which is the most important part of a ramen along with the noodle. was definitely nothing special.
Overall from service to food, and even restaurant outlook its all below average at best.
i would not recommend anyone try this place, save yourself some money and go to other ramen places. considering all the ramen places available in the area, you are not missing anything from avoiding this restaurant.

I’ve been to this restaurant but it has gotten worse in terms of service. To make matters worse, we were waiting for tables to clear around 3 pm and they still required us to spend a minimum per person. All of us were not impressed by that since it wuld not have made a difference in terms of table space wheher we had 3 or 4 people seated. You still need a table for 4 with 3 people.
The food was not impressive and with the minimum charge, I was forced to order a ramen instead of an appetizer with a drink. I skipped the drink and just ate the regular miso ramen. One of my friends order spicy ramen, the other ordered some appetizers and the last just chose the pork. He was not a fan of ramen so stuck to a non-​ramen dish.
During non-​peak times, they should not enforce the minimum charge as there were no patrons lining up after us. I think the minimum charge had a sour taste in the group’s mouth that the tips reflected their disatisfaction. I likely won’t recommend this place next time.

Great service, awesome ramen. What else can you ask for in this cold day in Toronto? Metered parking lot available next to the building.
So wanted to try the rice bowl and noodle combo posted from other Unilocalers and I’m glad I did. I upped my noodle for extra $ 1 and got a bigger bowl with more noodles. So worth it.
2 combos + 2 pop + 1 kimchi totaled $ 46. Awesome, so worth it. Broth is nice and fatty, I needed a pop and kimchi to cut the grease. Cooks and servers are all so professional and courteous. You get greeted as you enter and as you leave in Japanese. This made me very happy to have eaten here.

The soup was not greasy and got flavoured with seaweed and soy sauce-​soaked-​pork, all tastes came into the soft noodles.
The servers were polite and passionate, they say greetings out loudly every time when there’s customer step in.

Good ramen can be find at other placeslol they took my chair away and among me sitting at a cornor — worst lunch ever for sure — maybe if you are the «alone eater» go there, no room for sharing with friends at all

This is one of my all time favourite ramen places. Having first introduced to this place by a friend, this is my go to spot when I’m craving ramen.
This place is really small so there is usually a line but its worth the weight.
Also pro tip, try to get/​request a table away from the main entrance as the door tends to stay open due to the line so those sitting by the door tend to get cold despite having a bowl of hot ramen in front of them.
My go to order is the Chashu karamiso ramen with a side order of gyoza (dumplings) and an egg. If you’re new to this place chashu= extra meat. The karamiso ramen is a spicy ramen made with three different types of chilies.
Not a fan of spicy things? The shoyu ramen, a soy sauce like ramen is just as good.
ps im 99.8% sure I spelled chashu wrong sorry lol

I came by this area for some good food and decided to give it a try since it has such positive reviews. The place is spacious, lighting isn’t too dark, and the staff are generally pretty friendly. I believe it is run by Japanese staff or staff that know Japanese, as this franchise from Japan actually.
I decided to try their shoyu toroniku ramen as this is the traditional way of eating ramen, with the pork jowl served separately on a side dish. The pork jowl was amazing!!! It literally MELTS in your mouth :) the ramen was also cooked perfectly in its texture, I love how there is a bit of spring in the noodles. The broth is actually really good. A bit salty but the flavours are great! I definitely enjoyed my bowl of ramen. I would say it’s on par with sansotei ramen!
The sides that came with the pork Jowl complemented the bowl of noodles really well :) they have desserts as well– green tea cheesecake and matcha Mochi ice which is basically ice cream Mochi but I was too full to eat. The only thing is that the price is a bit more expensive (15 dollars Vs 10 dollars for the original char Siu ramen), but with the instant melt feeling it’s quite worth the extra few dollars :)
Would def come back for another bowl if I’m ever in the area again!

I’m not really a fan of Ramen, so my review might be a little bit bias. The family wanted to go to ramen for lunch. Being a democracy and all, I decided to give in to the popular vote and go.
The place is very small. I hate waiting in line (especially when it is snowing and freezing outside), but unfortunately we had to wait. We waited for approximately 20 minutes for a table. Our party was big so we had to sit at two different tables.
The service was great and friendly. My waitress was always smiling and friendly. Unfortunately, her English wasn’t the best, so we had to repeat the order a couple of times to get it across.
In terms of food, I was told it was very good. I don’t like ramen in general, so I didn’t really like the food. One thing that I can comment on is that the pork is Extremely Fatty. I ordered sliced pork for an appetizer, but it tasted like it was all fat. The meat in the ramen was also very fat. When I trimmed it, there was barely any meat left.
Overall, I wouldn’t go back unless I was out voted again.

I love ramen. It’s hearty, it’s salty, it’s the classic instant noodles I ate as a child, and it gives you that cozy feeling. Santouka however takes the «cozy» factor to the next level.
I had 5 people in my group. First of all, they refused to seat us cause only 4 of the 5 were present. Okay fine, understood. But when your restaurant is empty? Really?!
Secondly all their tables are constructed for EVEN numbers of guests. If you are a group on odd number then prepared to get close and personal. When we finally got seated, even though there was an available table next to us that could transform our seating from a 4 to a 6 seater, we were told «not allowed». They didn’t even allow us to add an extra chair at the end to comfortably accommodate the total 5. They claimed they don’t have extra chairs! Ludicrous. So my friends and I, with 3 on one side, and 2 on the other «cozily» ate our ramen, knocking out elbows and jabbing each other.
As for the ramen, it was just a little bit… «Too gourmet» for me. I’ve been to other ramen restaurants, and I’m sort of a die hard fan to a specific ramen chain, won’t say where but this ramen I had at santouka was just alright. I don’t like how you can’t customize the noodles the broth or the meat to your liking. I also got the Kara miso ramen expecting to get kicked in the ass with flavour. And I did, but wait maybe that was my friend who was kicking me because we had no space. Heh.
The service here was mediocre, it didn’t have that homely feel of a ramen restaurant where they yell at you when you come in and leave.
Won’t be cheating on my regular ramen place for Santouka any time soon :(boohoo.

We faithfully waited in the cold for 20+ min to get into this little ramen shop. Once inside, we did not regret it!
This chain from Japan knows their ramen. I ordered the tsukemen (dipping ramen), my husband ordered the kara miso tsukemen (spicy dipping ramen) and salmon roe rice side ($ 4), and my brother ordered the miso ramen with the chirashi special. The dipping ramen was good-​not my favorite broth, but still delicious. The regular size was enough for me. Not so for the husband– he ordered a large and ate it swiftly. The thing about the tsukemen is that they don’t come with meat so you’d have to order it on the side if interested. The noodles were perfectly «Q» and chewy. The tsukemen is not as fatty as some other places, but still flavorful and good.
Note: the chirashi special is not sashimi. It’s rice with cooked/​smoked fish, salmon roe, a sweet dried fish topping, egg, and a few other elements. I’m not sure it’s worth the extra $ 10 or so unless you really are very hungry!
We all had warm sake with our meal and that is highly recommended!

Hands down best ramen in the city. We waited 10 minutes in line but the place smelled so delicious that I didn’t mind waiting. We ordered a bowl of Spicy Miso Ramen, and the famous pork cheek that came with Shio ramen (I don’t remember the name right now — but it was the last on the menu). We also got the nice cream soda which was delicious. Staff were super nice, and service was fast. Will definitely go back.

I was stuck between a 3 or 4 star rating, but decided to go with a 4 because the service was fast & the value was good.
Hokkaido is a pretty small ramen shop with 8 bar stool seats and tables seating maybe 24 – 30 guests. When my friends and I arrived on New Year’s Day around 2:00PM, there was already a line formed outside. There’s no waiting system, such as writing your name/​number down on a list. You just wait in line and hope the people seated order and eat as quickly as possible.
Surprisingly though, I felt like the line went by fairly quick even in the blistering cold. We had a group of 6, but split up into pairs.
I ordered the combination with their spicy miso ramen & pork rice bowl. Toppings for the ramen are not included besides seaweed, pork, and spring onions. So, I added kimchi & a soft boiled egg to my bowl. Everything seemed expensive, but if you’re from the US and convert the amount into US dollars, it actually came out to be an extremely inexpensive meal compared to most ramen spots in the states. Our food arrived pretty quickly and I was pleasantly surprised by the broth of the spicy miso. I’m normally not a fan of miso broth (it was their only spicy option), but it was actually tasty! It had good flavor, although it could’ve been spicier. The pork was prepared well and the noodles were cooked perfectly. The pork rice bowl was pretty average. Not bad, but nothing special. Reminded me of Vietnamese thit kho.
Overall, it was a solid meal, but I’ve had better ramen elsewhere.

Anticipate long lineups because this place is nearly always packed!
Having tried a few ramen stores in the area, I must say that this place’s «Hokkaido ramen» was as delicious as acclaimed and potentially the best contender around. The texture was just the right balance between chewy and soft, creating a filling but not stuffing meal. The soup base that I had (miso) was not too salty and the pork belly was tender, falling apart with every bite.
However, I would personally complain that the pork belly was too fatty. I also would’ve enjoyed the meal significantly more had they supplied a half-​runny egg.
Overall, the price is slightly more expensive than other ramen restaurants but still reasonable. I mean, I wouldn’t mind coming back but I also wouldn’t wait in line again for 40mins to eat here either!

It’s a high probability that if you’re reading this review, you’ve either heard about this place, or you googled «best ramen in Toronto».
Luckily for you, this place is the real deal. My stomach has done the work on your behalf, trying most ramen shacks this city has to offer. Having just come from Tokyo a month ago, I can safely say their ramen brings homage to classic, Hokkaido Ramen.
They are known for their Shio Ramen, but since I’m a meat lover, I usually skip to the
Tokusen toroniku ramen (Ramen with roasted pork cheeks). The broth is extra hearty, but a little salty for me the first time. Pork Jowl is so good, and incredibly moist.
I’ve since learned you can request specifics, so I always ask for less salt, and for my noodles to be a little firm and chewy. Order an Asahi black beer to wash it down. It’s the perfect combination!
Conclusion? It’s definitely top 2 in the city.

We finally have the chance to try out Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. This ramen place was recommended by many of our friends. All of them said Santouka has one of the best ramen in Toronto and here we are giving it a try.
I would say Santouka is mid-​size for a ramen place. It could fit around 40 customers at a time. When we got there after work (around 6:30ish), there was a line up already, but luckily we only waited for 10 – 15 minutes. The design of the restaurant is very modern, yet it also has a raw and rustic feeling. It is very different from other ramen places we have been to where the whole place is decorated with Japanese décor.
This platform is located in the centre of the bar area. Customers can see their ramen being prepared by chefs in the kitchen. The wait staffs can also easily access this area, and making sure the ramen is served to customers the moment they are ready.
Santouka is famous for their Shio ramen as it is the only item on the menu when the very first Sankouka was found in 1988 — Hokkaido, Japan. After having the first sip of the soup, I can totally understand the hype of this place. The soup is pearl colour, very creamy, and has a very rich pork bone flavour. We later found out that they simmer the pork bones for over 20 hours (before adding any other ingredients), coaxing out all the flavours and keeping the richness and purity of the pork bones.
Like most other miso ramen I had, the miso soup base was very rich but a little too salty. The ramen had a very good texture that was neither too soft or too hard and the pork had an even distribution of fat on it which made it very soft. The Grilled Salmon Bowl on the other hand was not that great. It tasted very salty and fishy. The saltiness of the salmon was to the point where you couldn’t eat it alone, and had to eat it with rice to balance out the saltiness. A sip of water was needed for every bite of the fish. With this combo, I drank almost 3 cups of ice water.
During the whole time at Santouka, staff were friendly and attentive to the customers. However, in the meantime, we also felt like we were being rushed. The wait staff was asking what we would like to drink the moment we sat down at our table. Two minutes later, the same waiter came back to ask if we’re ready to place an order for ramen. They also tried to take away my ramen before I was done with it. And needless to say the bill was brought to our table without asking for it. We were not very pleased with their customer service. If their service was better, our rating for Santouka would be much higher.
Bye for now Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, until next time.

If I could trust my memory like I trust in Panquela (my bestie from other lifes), I would shout from the rooftops/​4 winds using Spanglish, that this has been the tastiest Ramen I had had in my life (TO is guilty of my infatuation for this kind of Japanese treat).
Because it has been a while since I went here; Mr. Winter is approaching; I really enjoy soaking up elaborated broths; and I’m making my list of best Ramens: I’m visiting them again (les caerá el chahuiztle).

Food: Yummy authentic Hokkaido ramen! Love! Ordered the shoyu ramen and it is sooo good. The cha-​siu is very tender and chewy. The flavour comes quite head-​to-​head with Sansoutei. I can’t remember if you can decide between thick or thin noodles. (I always get mine thick anyways)
Service: Everyone is nice and welcoming. Only thing which sucks is that your entire group has be present in order to be seated because there is limited space inside. :c The space is really crowded so careful not to bump elbows with the person sitting next to you.
Décor: There are even single booths where you can see the chef make your ramen. Halloween is around the corner so they had cute paper pumpkins around the place.
It’s pretty good, but I’m still loyal to Sansoutei. Will go back though!

⁴⁄₅ for my first ramen experience (of the non-​Maruchan variety).
Cute, authentic, Hokkaido style ramen shop right across from the Eton Center. There’s usually a short wait, maybe longer on weekend evenings or the lunch/​dinner rush. Being so close to the mall, I noticed that it was always kind of crowded. Communal tables and bar seating, depending on the size of your party/​preference.
The miso ramen with added soft egg and a side of steamed veggies ($ 3 for a huge side) makes for a delicious & filling lunch. The broth was good except the bottom got salty which ended up being a good time to mix in the bulk of those steamed veggies. I did ask for less fat and less salt, so it was still manageable. I appreciate that they happily accept such modifications!
The counter seating got me a great view of the chefs preparing fresh noodles and ramen bowls so I recommend that for a more authentic and intimate Japanese style experience.
Overall, it’s a cramped space with a minimalist ambiance but the food is of high quality, quite comforting, and modifications are allowed while the service is fast and friendly.