Hokkaido Ramen Santouka Back Bay

"Often hailed as the best ramen on Newbury (or rather, directly around the corner on Hereford), Santouka serves up delicious, filling bowls of ramen in a variety of flavors. While a line often forms outside, it is worth the wait for intimate indoor seating. Seasonal patio seating is also available. Takeout is an option for those who do not want to wait in line, and is especially delightful on a gloomy day." - Anna Darrow

"You’ll probably have to wait in line a bit to get into Santouka, which is smaller than your freshman year dorm room. But once you get a table, the service is very quick, so if you plan right, you’ll make it back to the office in time to hear the HR person’s presentation about the new policy on timed bathroom breaks (or maybe don’t make it back in time for that). The pork-based broth bowls are great, and they come in three different sizes, so get the small if you’re worried about falling asleep at your desk later." - dan secatore

"If you’ve been to the tiny Santouka outpost in Back Bay, you know that the ramen’s worth waiting out on the sidewalk and then stuffing yourself into a communal table next to a stranger to eat. If you’ve been to the one in Harvard Square you know that, oh hey, you don’t have to do that here. This place still gets plenty busy, but the space is big and futuristic in a kinda-feels-like-a-cafeteria-on-a-spaceship way. All of their ramen bowls fall on the light side without sacrificing real flavor, and while you can’t go wrong with their house shio ramen, the spicy miso might be the best." - Dan Secatore

"At Santouka, you will wait in line, and you will be seated next to strangers. But the line moves quickly, and the strangers will become your new ramen friends, because it’s hard not to have a good time when you’ve got bowls like these. There are seven different types of ramen, and the broth is very well balanced and might even be called light. There’s also a small selection of well made side dishes like a rice bowl with salmon and roe." - Dan Secatore

"Working in downtown Boston can be tough. The commute sucks, it’s tough to find a bar without shamrocks on the wall, and a guy pretending to be John Hancock will threaten to tar and feather you when you go for your afternoon cortado. At least you can get some great ramen for lunch, though. Oisa Ramen is a counter-service spot on Broad Street that also serves poke and donburi bowls. It’s all good, but stick with the noodles and get the one with the truffles." - Dan Secatore