Hokkaido Ramen Santouka Allston

Walking into this place almost completely blind, I feel like I may have already set the bar too high for ramen spots. The food was absolutely delicious and I don’t even entirely know what came in my order! The staff was friendly and the music playing was great! I will definitely be coming back and would recommend checking this place out if you’re on Brighton Ave

I’ve been to Santouka several times, and it’s always an amazing experience! The Karamiso Tsukemen is outstanding—perfectly firm noodles with a rich, spicy miso dipping sauce bursting with flavor. The Neginanban is light yet satisfying, with fragrant green onions enhancing the savory broth. The Karamiso Ramen is pure comfort, perfectly balancing spice, creaminess, and hearty toppings. On top of the incredible food, the service is always friendly, attentive, and efficient, making every visit an absolute pleasure!

One of THE BEST ramen and Hokkaido locations in the area - from the fantastic staff to the dining area set up. They also have a nice variety of claw machines, with different ways to get free tokens to play. Milton is absolutely fantastic and will try to get you a good deal, between the rewards programs and student discounts! Hokkaido also has lunch deals (quick meals). This is one of our go-to ramen places for dinner in the city and you can't really go wrong with any of their menu options. I typically order the shoyu ramen combo with ajitama (egg) and karaage (fried chicken). You can eat in the general dining area or bar-side seating. Tables have generally 2-4 seats. They have 1 table for larger groups that typically fit 6, though the staff have been excellent and gone out of their way to accommodate us once with a group of 8. Since this location is smaller, the only downside is if you're eating with a larger group or at a busier time - the wait time might be longer. Bathroom is a single stall restroom and well-maintained.

We got the kara miso, shio and vegetarian ramen and it was absolutely delicious. We devoured it. I’ve been to a few ramen places in the city and santouka always takes the cake among them all! 10/10 recommend.

The best ramen I have ever had! Always my go to. I always get a side of the egg as well. The service was incredible and I would definitely recommend!!

If you’re looking for veg options- you probably want to go elsewhere. They only have one vegetarian thing on their menu(only the veg ramen) and the broth was not good at all. It tasted like water and almond milk. We had to add jalapeños and chili paste and it still didn’t help with the flavor. They also don’t have any other vegetarian appetizers. Ramen is probably enjoyed best with pork broth but I’ve had really good vegetarian ramen at other places in the city. Overall-this place is too overpriced for the low quality of food.

If you are in the mood for some comforting ramen, this is your spot. They have decent choices as soup based along with few seasonal choices. Their combo side dish is okay, wish they have more choices

Great spot for ramen with attentive service and delicious food!!! This location is way better than other Santouka around the area, with NO wait, more variety of menu options, and plenty of street parking spaces!

Solid classic ramen spot, the shoyu broth warmed my belly and was perfect for a blustery cold day. The space is very clean and service was lightning fast, they took my order a moment after I got seated and the bowl of ramen was served nearly 3 minutes later. I came at an odd time, 3pm on a weekday, but this place seems a lot less busy than the Harvard location. Noodles were okay, the broth impressed me more. Would return when I'm in the area again.

The most delicious broth I've ever had!!! The quality definitely improved. The noodles are so perfectly bouncy and the meat just melts in your mouth. I didn't get an egg because it would be 2 dollars extra :,) but I didn't miss it at all because the ramen itself is so solid. The takoyaki and karaage were also delicious!

It's been a while since I last had ramen from Santouka! During my trip back to Boston a few weeks ago, I had a chance to go to a new location of this ramen spot. To start the chicken karaage was on point, crispy and tender, plenty to share. I loved the ramen, it was chewy and the broth was very flavorful, a little on the salty side. The rice bowl with salmon and roe was also tasty, not something I usually get but not opposed to it. Would definitely come back. There wasn't a huge line when we went during dinner. The staff was friendly and this location had a good amount of tables. Ample parking and also super close via MBTA.

What I ordered: Kaki Fry Takoyaki Volcano Karamiso Tsukemen Shiyake Gohan Combo w/ Shoyu Ramen adding a side of Ajitama (egg) and corn w/ fried onions = highly recommend The service here is amazing and the food overall is pretty good at a reasonable price. I honestly liked this location better than back bay and Harvard.

The staff were very nice. Mightve just gotten lucky with timing but I liked that it wasn't too busy and we were quickly seated. The flavor of the tsukemen was good and spicy enough. I do wish that the broth was even more hot because the constant dipping of the noodles cools the broth.

Came in here for my first ramen experience and it was amazing. A small joint with a few tables and a counter. The food was out of the world. The broth was spicy and the meat was tender. Will defiantly come back

Great family friendly location. They had a perfectly sized kids menu. My kids unfortunately can't use chopsticks yet but they were kindly provided spoon and fork that were for toddlers my kids complained but hey - their fault for not using chopsticks!! 10/10 food and we will stop by again soon.

This location is great for those who may not want to wait at the other two locations and has only been open for about a year. There is also more space and seating at this location which makes it friendly for larger parties. The service was beyond great and we were well taken care of for our entire meal. The menu here is extensive, with special dishes unique to the Allston location such as the volcano octopus balls. We also loved that the dumplings here were deep fried instead of pan fried like other locations. We got the limited time special tan tan noodles, which had a very creamy and spicy base with some acidity from the pickled veggies. The cha-shu karamiso had delicious fatty pork and a great creamy and spicy broth as well. All of the noodles were bouncy and perfectly cooked. Our appetizers of dumplings and octopus balls had great umami flavor. They also offer an assortment of great teas and ramune that pairs well with their dishes. I am excited to go back and try more of their menu!

The best parts of this place are the staff and the options of 3 size bowls. The menu is pork heavy. Pretty much all pork. While the noodles were good, the broth had no depth. It felt like one of those places you go out to eat and wonder why you didn't just make this at home. The pork itself isn't tender. I compare this to my favorite local shop and the pork there melts in your mouth. Hokkaido feels like a fast food version of Ramen. The butter corn is just canned corn with a square of butter dropped on it. Not even melted. It was like they just stopped trying. Good Ramen places with roast and season the corn before it gets to you. I was super disappointed in the food here. It's not terrible. It's just bland and boring. If this was the first Ramen I ever had in my entire life, maybe I would give 5 stars. I can name a dozen local spots I would rather go to than here. Kudos to the nice staff. They're awesome.

I hear this location just opened up in Harvard square so we decided to give it a try! First of all I love that they greet you in Japanese. The coziness of the restaurant really brought me back to Japan. We were seated by the windows very quickly. Our appetizers came out as soon as we order our ramen. And the rest came out super quick as well! All the broth were tasty, especially the Kara miso. Not too spicy. The shio had so much flavors and although it did get a little too salty toward the end, it was still a good bowl of noodle. Takoyaki were delicious. Always a win! Kara gee were okay, nothing too special. So glad we came here. Perfect for a cold Boston night

I stopped in to Santouka tonight for a take away dinner. I was in part interested in them for the fact that they advertised Hokkaido Ramen, a place I have visited in Japan. Not having ordered ahead I expected a long wait but that was not the case. I was quickly greeted by multiple employees, provided a menu, ordered and was on my way home in 15min. The restaurant was clean, modern, and welcoming. As the eat-in portion of the restaurant was full, I assume others have discovered this place and had become regulars. I ordered ramen of course as well as some dumplings, both were delicious and the price was fair. If you are looking for quality ramen and rich flavorful broth, you will appreciate Santouka as I have. I just may become a regular as well!

Ramen the way it should be. Flavor was great, ingredients were fresh and it was quick. The combos are a great touch with different sizes and appetizers on the side. Overall my go to place for ramen when I'm in the area.

So this place usually is a hit I've been here many times and I've never left disappointed. But this time I was left a bit wary of the place. Usually I get the ramen combo that comes with a side dish. Tonight I ordered the one with chicken karate. I've ordered this in the past and they would give a few pieces of nice size chicken on it but today they gave me the scraps. They had the audacity to bring out to me like it was normal which is what pisses me off. I mean look at it. McDonald's chicken nuggets would have been better than this. The lemon wedge is bigger than the dam chicken!

So glad one opened in Allston! I haven't had Santouka for over 5 years but I am glad I tried this location. It was really clean, new, and nice service. Their menu is a lot at first but very customizable and emphasizes loyalty rewards. We ordered a shio ramen (large), extra ajitama, and an XL shoyu Tsukemen. The shio was nice - soup was not too heavy but still tasty. I do wish the noodles were thicker but even though it was on the thinner side, it was still chewy (which I love). The ajitama though did lack flavor and was borderline hard boiled. The Tsukemen - oh my. What a GENEROUS portion size. The XL was $19 and could feed two people. The soup was also very flavorful with a hint of sweet. The noodles looked like lomein and I was confused at first but it wasn't bad! Would recommend. It isn't the best ramen I've ever had but they do a good job and give a lot of value.

The food was good but I think the Cambridge location is better. We ordered extra pork and eggs and on the side of our combo and it was delicious. The egg's texture tasted like they've been sitting out for a while. The pork cutlet was juicy and the takoyaki tasted a little stale but still good. Our waiter was so sweet and very friendly. The place itself was clean and very fully lit.

Best ramen in Boston! Must try if you are in Allston. Also branches in Cambridge and back bay. This branch is spacious and more choices. Friendly staff and fast service.

Service was wonderful, the place is small but we got a table very fast and food arrived also very fast. I had a dish without soup and i found it very salty. My friends enjoyed their food. The "spicy" one was not spicy though, so she was disappointed... Keep in mind the food is heavy so I don't recommend it for dinner unless you are going dancing after. It's a cute lunch place

Soo excited to see a Santouka open in Allston! I've been to the other location in Harvard a few times and have never been disappointed. My husband and I came here on a weekday night and there was plenty of seating. Probably seats about total 25-30 people. The service was prompt and friendly. We both ordered the Kara Miso Ramen but I decided to get the combo and chose the cha siu rice bowl and the soft boiled egg. The combo upgrade is worth if you're hungry since it's a good amount of food. The broth tastes the same as the other location and the ramen noodles were perfectly al dente. Will be back for my next ramen fix :)

So excited to have a Santouka ramen location opened in Allston. This took over Toto ramen and has a good sized seating area for dining in comparative to the Newbury location. I ordered takeout, regular miso ramen, through their app for dinner. They're quick with the orders and when I was picking up my order I noticed there were at least 5 other take out orders as well. The noodles and fixings come in a separated smaller container above the broth, so nothing gets soggy. The broth is rich in flavor, salty, and is worth finishing. The noodles and cha siu are tender, while the bamboo shoots add in different textures to your meal. Overall, a solid place to satisfy your ramen craving!

Excited to see Santouka opening up a new location. Their Harvard location is great and the newbury location is always packed! Food was great as always!

Service was 10/10! Ramen was quick and delicious! Would def recommend for a quick lunch

HAPPY 1 Year anniversary to Santouka in Allston . If you haven't downloaded their app, i highly recommend you do. I got a free order of Kara-ge. My Karamiso was filling and spicy, just how I like it. i was too hungry to post a before picture but the regular size will satiate your hunger. My husband had a refreshing looking salad and service is always impeccable. It's worth the wait if there is a line. We came on a Sunday evening (5p) and when I tell you our food was ready in the blink of an eye . The music was soothing and relaxing. I always leave with a happy and full belly.

I have been going to Santouka for years so I was excited to hear about a new opening. I got the pork tonkatsu and the karamiso ramen with a chashu gohan. Everything was delicious and consistent with the other two locations. The pork had a really nice batter on it, although it was a little tough. I wouldn't order it again since I'm usually full with just the rice and ramen. Spicy miso ramen is one of my favorites but one piece of chashu for a small ramen is kind of sad but I guess it's not too bad since I had chashu with rice on the side. I can't complain about the ramen other than I wish I had gotten the large! 4/5 stars because it was kind of smelly in there. For a store that's brand new it smells really bad like they use dirty rags to clean. I got over it but if a restaurant smells it's usually because they aren't keeping things as clean as they should be.

I must say I never expected to find such a magnificent jewel of a ramen-ya in Boston! We first saw this place as we walked by enroute to another part of town. Hmmm... look at that line! So, next day we planned on being there before they opened. 20 minutes early and we made the first seating. I think this place sat 19 max. The Kara Toro Ramen in a regular size was mildly spicy The broth was rich and the pork belly was the best I've ever had. I added an egg, which was 2 halves of perfectly gooey soft boiled egg. The fresh ramen was perfect. The other dish was the vegetarian, and that broth was "Off the Hook!" Can you say Umami! Rich, creamy, and just bursting with complex flavors which I just could not decipher. There was not 1 drop left of this broth left in the bowl. Good to the absolute last drop! A side of Edamame was cooked to the perfect texture and lightly salted. Guess where I'm having lunch tomorrow ...?

Just mean. The waitresses started bullying once you mentioned food allergy. Take away all the sauce so my child won't eat but they still get to charge. Lied about adding something back but didn't. That mean girl said Yakult had peanut and egg! So my poor boy cannot eat anything. I told them he has had noodles before and it was fine but they insisted and insisted. My boy was so sad. These nasties not only has no training for professionalism, trying to provoke me to cause a scene when I wanted to just dine in peace. So obnoxious. Play stupid. Coconut is not a nut nor a peanut. They did not serve what they advertised. Take away my seaweed salad but serve a regular garden salad in a Japanese restaurant. I wish your child get bullied like you did to mine. This is for all those who suffers food allergy.

Honestly disappointed by the food here. It was bland and greasy which left you feeling kind of sick after eating it. Other locations make the food better but I'd like to give the Allston location credit where credits due. The ambience is better here and the owner as well as all the staff were extremely nice and attentive.

Excellent Sapporo style Miso ramen and the best Takoyaki I've had in Boston. Service was quick and friendly. I highly recommend this shop if you want to try Hokkaido style ramen in a casual environment.

Ordered the gyoza, negi namban and ajitama. Definitely larger and easier to get a seat than their back bay location. Staff is super friendly and attentive. I will say, it was FREEZING inside. Gyoza was really oily to the point that it was hard to pick up with chopsticks. Flavor-wise it was okay, but not great. I could have done without it and will probably try something else next time. Negi namban was pretty good. This is my go to order here and I go whenever I'm craving it. I didn't notice a stark difference between locations. I do agree with the previous reviews re: pork being a little tough. I do think ajitama was jammy, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. Not my first choice but definitely on the higher end of my list as far as ramen in the area goes.

super good aux, great for a first date! my (new)girlfriend loved it, and now she loves me

I went to the Back Bay location a few months ago and have been craving this ramen so badly! I was so excited to try the closer location, and I'm so happy it lived up to my expectations! The broth is super flavorful (both the Shio and Kara Miso are delicious), and I LOVE the ramen eggs! The ambience is great, and the staff are extremely polite and friendly. One of the waiters even sprinted outside and down the street to return a patron's forgotten wallet! 10/10 food and service! This might be my new go-to spot for ramen in Boston!

I really had to sit and grapple with my elitism but I will say it: Santouka Harvard Square is much better. Picture it: my boyfriend (Gay, now 22) and I (Gayer, 23) were cravingg santouka. It was the place that brought us together. The vegetarian ramen single-handedly inspired his drive for environmentalism. However, it is approaching closing hour of the harvard square Santouka. Alas! The Allston location is open later (Honestly shoutout to y'all we need santouka open later; +1 star). We got our normal order, but everything tasted different. Womp womp. Gyoza and vegetarian ramen just weren't the same. We absolutely love Santouka, so obv cannot rate it less than 3 stars. However, for the life-changing, relationship-forming experience, consider the Harvard Square location. Still love y'all tho!

Though we've been here several times, the waiter this time was just extremely rude and disrespectful. We ordered our gyoza and needed a sauce bowl. We called the waiter 3 times, and he begrudgingly went to the back and got us a bowl. We noticed on one of our gyoza that there was a bug. We called him over, commented that it was pretty gross, and he said, with an attitude, that "I know it's gross" and just walked away shaking his head aggressively. When he walked back, he was just staring at me and we asked what is the problem? He said we were staring at him. We commented that him walking away shaking his head was the problem. We did nothing wrong and he was mad at us about the bug. No apology, nothing. We walked out before our order came because of just how rude the waiter was. Terrible service. I genuinely think he expected us to eat the gyoza with the bug.

This restaurant was a disappointment. The service was fine but the ramen bowl lacked the punch of flavor i expected. The broth was warm and noodles were overcooked. I will probably not return here.

The To-Go containers are exactly what you want. They're waxed paper not plastic. The noodle texture is on point and the broth has the perfect balance of spicey twang and saltiness. Best ramen in Boston yet.

Super excited to have a new location in Harvard Ave! Came here for lunch and service was quick and friendly. Can't go wrong with a Kara Miso ramen combo with chashu rice or salmon and roe rice + ramen egg! The broth is super thick and flavorful, will definitely be back again!

This is one of the very few restaurants my family repeatedly visit. The service is commendable - the wait staff is extremely polite, patient and understanding of each diner's needs. The food is consistently flavorful and enjoyable as when we first frequented this spot a year ago. Whenever my family is craving for soup noodles, this place is always first on my kids' minds.

Food was amazing! My husband and I tried the limited edition volcano takoyaki, the spicy dipping noodles, and shio ramen. Cant say if any was my favorite because all was very good! We would come back here again for sure! :)

Has my vote for best ramen in the city of Boston for sure. Can't miss on this menu, definitely get some Karragge!

My first time in Allston. The ramen and all the side dishes were very good, except the meat was slightly dry.

TLDR: the smallest serving of pork in the history of ramen. I've visited all 5 locations of Hokkaido Ramen Santouka - the 3 in the Boston area and 2 in Seattle area - and have genuinely enjoyed each visit. Unfortunately, my recent takeout experience from the newest location in Allston left me questioning if I'll ever go back again. I ordered a regular size of the miso ramen and immediately noticed a dramatic decrease in serving size. The two razor thin slices of pork combined for about 2 oz of meat. The broth was flavorful and noodles bouncy like always, but the lack of pork was truly astonishing. Why are you skimping on your pork?

Visited Santouka Allston on opening night. I ordered their toroniku ramen with karamiso, and my partner had the goma miso ramen. Since they've just opened, some items like appetizers and vegetarian ramen are coming soon, including sushi. The food was excellent, consistent with the standards we've experienced at other branches. The service was also top quality, attentive and friendly. So glad they're our local ramen joint!

I ordered a take out and paid 23 dollars for a cup noodle. This is not the same taste like the other 2 locations. Very disappointed

i ordered Miso Ramen , tasted greasy. The pork belly that came with the bowl was 99% fat, 1% meat. Pork belly usually has two or three layers of meat with fat in between. Egg was missing which is another attraction of Japanese ramen. Service was good, but Ramen was no good for health due to too much fat and grease in the soup.

This santouka is horrible. Ramen noodles are hard, not fully cooked. Eggs are fully cooked, way over done. And the meats are super thinly sliced. Santouka in Cambridge is a better. Very disappointing to see their quality is going down as they try to expand...