Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

Fast casual Japanese eatery specializing in ramen and small rice bowls. Go-to place for the family to pick up takeout or eat in the common food court area within the Mitsuwa grocery store. A family favorite is the char siu rice bowl (side dish #45). It is simple comfort food with warm and plump short grain rice, topped with tender pork and freshly sliced green onions. The shichimi (seven flavor chili powder) offered at the counter is a nice complement. The Hiyashi ramen is a cold noodle summer special. Two slices of tender pork, green onions, red pickled ginger, thinly sliced cucumber, and other goodies. Santouka offers three types of sauce - tried the spicey sauce, but felt the mala overpowered the dish a bit. Would recommend the shoyu or sesame sauces and then adding shichimi for more heat.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka – Hearty Hokkaido Ramen Inside Mitsuwa Located inside Mitsuwa Marketplace, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is a popular ramen stop, especially during weekend peak hours, drawing in a steady flow of customers. Despite the crowds, seating is usually available on weekdays, and the system is efficient and self-service—order at the counter, grab a number, and wait for it to be called. The cleaning staff works quickly, resetting tables almost immediately after customers leave. While the menu may seem extensive, it’s essentially a combination of different ramen broths (salt, soy sauce, miso, spicy miso) and topping sets—Regular (2 slices of cha-siu), Cha-siu (extra pork), or Toroniku (pork cheek). Bowl sizes include small, medium, and large, and there are side dishes like rice bowls and extra soft-boiled eggs. Rice bowl toppings range from plain, natto, negi, sake & ikura, mentaiko to char-siu. I ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen (medium) with a natto rice bowl combo (#106). The broth was rich, hearty, and flavorful, with tender noodles, black fungus, and bamboo shoots. The cha-siu portions felt a bit small compared to the generous amount of noodles. The natto rice was flavorful, though the natto seemed slightly over-frozen and icy at first. However, pairing the rice with leftover ramen broth worked surprisingly well. This is a carb-heavy meal, especially if you go for both ramen and a rice bowl, so a small-sized ramen might be a more balanced choice. One limitation is the lack of appetizers like karaage or gyoza, likely due to the shared food court kitchen. Overall, it’s a solid spot for rich, comforting ramen with efficient service and reasonable combo pricing. Ideal for a quick, filling meal while exploring Mitsuwa.

The ramen is pretty good but I’ve had better ones. I’ve ordered a small combo salt ramen + flavored egg + char-siu rice bowl. And yes the egg is not included in the ramen and the combo doesn’t come with any drinks which I think is kind of pricey. The boiled egg was cold and a little overcooked than usual. I like the ramen broth tho and the pork on the char-siu rice bowl was really tender and flavorful. Overall good and it’s just inside the Mitsuwa market where I bought my drink and dessert.

Great ramen at a reasonable price. Every other ramen place I've gone to has skimped out on the chashu pork, but this has a secret stash of them on the bottom. The dining area was clean and easy to maneuver.

Ramen is taste good. Pork is soft. Staffs is friendly.

Nice little ramen spot located inside Mitsuwa Market. Ordered the Shoyu Ramen with Ikura rice bowl. The broth was rich and flavorful. Noodles were nice and chewy and paired well with the rest of the ramen. Definitely no complaints when it comes to that. The Ikura was also great. The toppings were also quite good for the most part. The pork chashu cuts while nice and fatty was just a bit too chewy. Egg was seasoned well but just a little too hard boiled to my taste. That's just my personal opinion but I'm sure most people will still love how delicious the rest of the ramen is. Even though it's not my personal favorite I would still highly recommend this place if you're craving some quick tasty ramen. Update 3/24 Their Toroniku ramen is my new favorite. Pork cheek meat was very fatty and flavorful when soaked in the hot broth. Paired well with the rest of the toppings and noodles. Broth 5/5 Noodles 4.5/5 Toppings 4.8/5 Egg 4/5

A+. Not a true restaurant ambience, more a dining patio inside a grocery store ambiance, but the food quality was very good and I'll be coming back.

This place offers indoor dining! Great place to buy some groceries have some lunch and even has crepes! This store has all the authentic Japanese sauces, noodles, ingredients and Japanese desserts! Really enjoyed our lunch! Two restaurants to choose from. Great katsudon and Ramen! This is found in a shopping center with plenty of parking.

came here twice and ordered the same thing twice because it was pretty good considering the price and size. the broth can be pretty salty depending on how you typically like your soups but i found it to be a perfect level of umami and salty (one is salt based and the other is soy sauce based). the noodles are a bundle of chewy goodness and the pork is fatty and goes well with the dish because of its simplicity.i also loved the narutomaki (spiral fish cake) and the amount of green onions that were in the bowl. the rice bowl was also pretty good considering how it's just salmon and fish egg with a light sauce on the bottom. however, i didn't like the egg slices that came with the ramen because it was overcooked but that is definitely up to preference since my significant other enjoyed it. the ordering process is very simple and efficient. the person by the register has a slip of paper where they mark what you've ordered (you can just tell them what number/combo you want) and then they hand you a slip with a number on it and you wait. they work very fast in the kitchen too and food comes out pretty quickly even when there are other orders being made! make sure to take your trays with you near the bin and to throw away your trash though. the cleaning staff are working very hard and are so sweet and i see some people just leave their trays in a pretty messy state. the ramen shop is literally in a supermarket so the ambience isn't anything special but for everything else that comes with the place, i don't think it really matters since there's nothing bad about the eating environment. honestly though, you kinda forget that you're in a supermarket until you look over the divider.

My favorite ramen spot in all of San Diego. I always come here for lunch because they're so fast and it's super affordable. I never leave without completely cleaning out my Salt/Shio Ramen bowl. You know it's good when you finish the broth. It's so milky and smooth. The Char Siu bowl is a good size lunch all on its own, but you know yo boy gotta wash it down with some ramen lol. The ambiance is a typical lunch food court, but it has that chill vibe where people are just there to enjoy food. The cashier is always so patient and ready to help you out if you need it. Also, the bus boys are on top of it and clean the tables constantly. You can order anything from here and it won't disappoint.

Came for dinner with my boyfriend since his son loves this. I got the Toroniko ramen. I'll not sure what base the broth is made of. I like that they have 3D images of the meal for you to pick on, however there's not much details. Like is this soy, miso, pork based? I don't have dietary restrictions so it's ok for me. Our meal was good. I tried the option with the toppings on the side just to try it and next time I'll just get it all in the bowl. My protein was kinda cold so the temperature difference kinda threw me off. I like wood ear mushrooms but theirs and the bamboo lacked any flavor. The bamboo tasted like canned ones which is fine but again literally no flavor to it. Overall the noodles were good and filling. My boyfriend liked his as well but we both agreed, our favorite remains across the street at Nishiki. He said his egg just tasted like a regular boiled egg lol. Salmon mini bowl was good.

Ordered a side dish to accompany tempura from the adjacent restaurant. #Grilled SalmonandSalmonRoeRice Bowl was a good addition and priced reasonably. Service was nice as they added a seasoned boiled egg. The grilled salmon was flakey like canned salmon. I would likely try something else on my next visit to accompany the yummy tempura.

This is one of the best ramen spots in San Diego. Don't be fooled by the food court vibes, the broth here is still rich and filled with that umami goodness. We got the different types of of broth (Shio-salt, Shoyu-soy sauce, and Miso-soybean). The flavor profiles were really distinct, and you can't go wrong with any of them. The strongest flavor one was the miso and the lightest one is the salt one. If you're feeling hungry, they offer sets which adds an egg and a rice bowl with the ramen. Combo A includes a green onion rice bowl and some egg. I was curious about green onion with rice, thinking there was a special way to prepare it, but it's just raw chopped up green onions on top of rice. The egg was a regular flavored hard boiled egg. Next time I would skip the combo unless it's the salmon ikura one. Sevice / Ambiance: You order at the counter and then grab your tray of food when it is ready for you. It's located in the food court area right when you enter the Mistuwa grocery store.

Our friends took us here on a cold Rainy day and this place hit spot! The Ramen is very good, we ordered a few Salt Ramen with pork combos that came with Ramen with pork, a rice bowl with pork, and a salted egg. The rice bowl was so flavorful and delicious! It is located in the Mitsuwa market, food court style, nothing fancy but very good! I do have to mention to be aware that the parking is in a very busy shopping center so expect it to be crowded.

Solid ramen place. I got the large char siu salt ramen and it was delicious! Great flavor and noodles and lots of meat. The large was too big for me so I'll definitely get the medium size next time!

The one thing about santouka there's one original in Santa Clara I grew up with and this location is basically an exact copy of that location so I know the ramen will be good. I always get the spicy miso and this is always on point. The restaurant makes the ramen quick and prompt so you won't be waiting to long to be fed. I always eat it so fast even though I should be trying to enjoy it. I'm glad this location is here because it reminds of home including the decorations being a copy reminds so much as I grew up eating this ramen a lot and I know the ramen will always be good as long as this location is up and around.

My first time eating salt ramen and I enjoyed it; the flavor was great. I got the Large char siu salt ramen and it was too big of a size for me, I would get a medium next time. Solid ramen place!

I really enjoyed this place! Located in the Mitsuwa Market in Kearny Mesa, this place seems to always have a crowd, and I finally got around to reviewing it. It's located in the little food court in the Mitsuwa Store so it can be pretty packed. Parking is definitely a challenge here. Not necessarily the amount of parking, but moreso the fact that the parking spots are super freaking small. I would suggest parking on the side street if you can. Like I said, this place is located in the Mitsuwa Marketplace so its pretty clean in here. Service was good. You can't expect any above and beyond service just due to the type of place this is. Don't expect this to be a sit down place, its more for convenience but it definitely hits. I had the Salmon and Ikura Rice bowl. I was hungry but just needed something small. I personally love this because of the saltiness but I know that may not be for everyone. Price wise, I definitely think its worth it. Aside from parking, I definitely suggest people to check this place out. Especially if you're craving Japanese and want something quick and easy, this is the one to go to.

This place is in the food court of mitsuwa marketplace. The food court is relatively cramped and depending on the time you come, the line for the two restaurants including this one can be unreasonably long or short. You're not here for great service or a phenomenal atmosphere. To go is 50 cents more. But actually the food was pretty good. I went to the one in Costa Mesa multiple times and this is my third time and each time the ramen is not bad at all comparable to other ramen places. The salmon and roe rice was a little dry but delicious nonetheless. You're usually fighting for a table in the cramped food court. You'll be pretty close sitting next to strangers but actually it's a great spot to eat alone. So multiple single eaters relishing their solo meals in this crowded and loud yet small food court. You'll hear the two restaurants announcing numbers throughout the meal.

Santouka is located in the food court of Mitsuwa market. This place is now ranked #2 on our list of ramen shops in San Diego because we like the taste of Nishiki Ramen better. BUT it is a close contender for #1 due to the combination of deliciousness, size, and price (This is definitely the best ramen price:taste ratio in San Diego). Food: See prior review for my opinion of the soy sauce ramen, but we have transitioned to only ordering the salt ramen 5/5: Rich broth, QQ noodle texture, tender chashu. The portion size was excellent for the price ($12.99 for a large) Large free parking lot. When we come near opening ~11AM, there are tons of seating in the food court

Been coming here for more than a decade now and it has always been great ramen meals here. After many many years,they have caught up with technology (no pun intended) and have accepted card payments for a couple of years now..no more scrambling for cash or withdrawing cash before coming here like the good old days

One of my all time favorite ramen places. No fancy seats. No fancy drinks. Just ramen and an optional side dish. I usually get the salt ramen. But everything is great. We have been coming here for years. Always great ramen. Now they take credit cards!

Underrated, best ramen in San Diego. Spicy miso broth is a must-try. Love that they have different sizes and combos. The man working the front (I'm assuming the owner) is always wonderful. Open seating in a cafeteria-like setting. And you can grab drinks and stuff from the grocery store.

Basically you get what you pay for. This review is strictly for the ramen. I guess if you're getting some groceries inside and wanted a quick bite after this might hit the spot for some. The ramen comes in 3 sizes S-M-L and goes up in price. I tried the toroniku ramen, nothing special here. The pork tasted like Costco rotisserie chicken and the broth was really salty. They separate all the toppings as well so you can just add whatever you like. The noodles aren't fresh and is a little chewy. Seating is very limited here and is first come first serve so if you're in a big group it may be hard to sit together. Not the best ramen but if you want something quick this might tickle your fancy.

Great ramen especially for the price. I like the spicy miso. It's in mitsuwa market, just look left when you enter. a

Good solid ramen inside Mitsuwa market. Had Santouka in Japan, HK, San Jose & here, qualities usually consistent. The only thing i don't like is they still charge extra for egg which is typically included in most ramen places. They dont have tonkatsu so salt ramen is the closet thing. Broth was descend, noodle nothing special, lacked the QQ texture of hand pulled chinese noodles. Pork chashu were good, some fattier than others, but lacked the charred edges like Hiro Nori. $27.37 for 2 ramen (small & regular) including tax.

The original go to spot for delicious ramen! Been coming here for over a decade. Sure there's been been minor changes of convenience like no longer cash only... but the food is consistent and amazing every time. A true local spot!

Located in the Mitsuwa Market This place is in my top 5 ramen restaurants in San Diego. The shio broth is my favorite along with the salmon bowl. And to wash it down; iced green tea. This place used to be cash only but now accepts credit cards. Very authentic and very delicious; a must for those who love ramen.

Very affordable ramen menu that offers a lot for the most bang to your buck. Is it the best ramen? No. But it is very good! They were extremely quick to give me my food after placing my order. The place was packed and seemed to be quite a crowd pleaser. Parking was not too bad but very tight spaces and this shopping center area can get packed at times. Aside from being able to shop inside the store another nice feature about coming to this ramen spot is that they have a crepe stand next to it. A sweet little treat after ramen never hurts! Overall my experience was nice. I'd definitely consider this spot in the future. Go check it out. You can thank me laters!

Good casual dining place. The ramen is delicious here and the service is amazing. Great prices. I got the chasu spicy miso ramen. A must try!

If you're a ramen fan, I recently discovered the best ramen spot in a Japanese supermarket. Forget about the big name places and head over here for a truly unique and delicious experience. The broth is rich and creamy, the noodles are bouncy, and the char siew is decadent. The combination of flavors and textures is unparalleled. It's amazing that all of this can be found in a Japanese supermarket. I highly recommend giving it a try!

Hokkaido Ramen is proof that they don't need a fancy restaurant to serve great ramen. I really liked my Spicy Miso Ramen and mini rice bowl combo. They do regular and large sizes for the ramen bowls and pricing is average compared to dining ramen restaurants. They use thin noodles in their ramen and it captures all the broth. I liked their chasu pork belly for being not too thick and how the egg is marinated! I also tried their Salmon Roe mini rice bowl and it was a good side. The rice is good and actually seasoned with rice vinegar. Seating can be difficult at times but that's just expected at a food court. I believe Hokkaido Ramen is a great choice for ramen in the area with the convenience of Mitsuwa market attached to it. Their displays of the sets are super cool and provide a visual for what's in everything which is common in Japanese style menus!

We came back here twice in a row, we went yesterday and today. Among the Soup Places in San Diego, this soup place called "HOKKAIDO RAMEN SANTOUKA" is my Son's FAVORITE. This Soup place is located inside the MITSUWA MARKET. When you enter the Market, SANTOUKA is on the Left side. What we always get here are the: * B1 COMBO NUMBER "67 SALT RAMEN LARGE" - Ramen, Sake & ikura (Grilled Salmon and Salmon Roe) Rice Bowl, and flavored egg. *. D-COMBO NUMBER "87 SALT RAMEN LARGE" - Ramen, Char-siu (Pork) Rice Bowl, and egg. *. NUMBER 64 CHASHU PORK (Extra Pork) - SALT RAMEN LARGE. They have Glass shelves where they show Samples of their food, and the Large-size prices can be found near the Cashier area where you order your food. It's been years that we have been eating here, but we have never tried other of their soup flavors. We like the Salt Ramen flavor so much that we just kept ordering the same one ;) Yesterday I wasnt hungry yet, so I just took their rice Bowls and my husband and son enjoyed their Bowls of Soup. Today we got our own Soup Bowls ;) It's a nice Soup place. The Noodles are very flavorful. The Pork Char siu is soft and so good. The Broth is Savory and Good. The Rice Bowl is just alright, it's their Soup that is the main Highlight for us in this place!

Jesus men almighty BRO. This joint is literally undefeated. I have tried Nishiki, Underbelly, Menya Ultra, Kasa, (not even going to mention tajima), etc. Santouka is in a league of its own. If you want strong authentic broth, then come here asap. There's a few different options however I do recommend the Toroniku Spicy (or non spicy) Miso Ramen. Comes in Small, Medium, Large $16/$17/$18. Their meat does come on the side, and its a different cut from your typical charsiu that ramen joints just throw in. They have a clean premium taste upon every bite. I dont even know if I'm making sense anymore but if you have been looking for great ramen in San Diego and have not tried Santouka, this is your sign. Pro tip: Buy a drink in mitsuwa and bring it over!

Santouka is hands-down my favorite ramen spot in SoCal. Almost every time I'm in the area, I stop by for a filling bowl of ramen. We've been stopping by for 7 years now. We love doing the combo bowls, especially either salmon or pork. It's a great side if you've got a big enough stomach for everything. The ramen broth is flavorful but not oily at all. The noodles themselves are springy and chewy- the perfect texture each time. I love the flavored egg on the side and pork belly in the ramen to add some extra protein flavor to each bowl. Ordering is quick and fairly easy. They have demo plates of ramen in the front before ordering so you can see what one of the items look like. Staff is quick with orders and will call out your number as soon as they're ready. This is in a food court, so seat yourself. It sometimes gets packed during lunch rush hours, so be prepared for that. If you're wanting to walk around after the big meal, you can walk through Mitsuwa Marketplace and check out some Japanese snacks. I highly, highly recommend!

Fatty broth that leaves your lips feeling like you just wiped lard on it. Gross! The greasy and flavorless broth made me nauseous. There was also an off putting smell to it too. The egg that came on the side was cold and sad. Anyway, I ate the meal despite it being unsatisfying because it's not like it was cheap. Overall I just left feeling like I paid for and ate a crappy meal.

The cold noodles are unbelievable. Wish it were a permanent menu item, but it's only available during the summer. So don't wait. Try them!

This is my fave place for ramen. The flavor is very authentic, similar to what I had in Japan. The place gets packed especially around lunch time. The service is fast. It is inside Mitsuwa, it is next to another Japanese resto which makes the ambiance a little chaotic during lunch time. The ramen has the right combo of ingredients: pork belly, mushroom, bamboo shoots and fish cake. They also have variety of combo with their ramen options.

When I'm in Kearney Mesa area craving a good ramen ..Santouka located inside Mitsuwa market can't be beat. Simple structure ..miso, salted or spicy broth , S,M,L size. Good prices and quick service ..my go to is the spicy broth..comes with typical ramen toppings and pork belly. Inside seating . Try them out ...

Santouka is like the staple of every Mitsuwa. If you want good quality ramen without a long wait, you go to Santouka. So I'm a sucker for miso ramen so I always get that, and if I'm feeling particularly splurging, I make it a combo. Anyway, rich broth, great noodles, all equally balanced with toppings and the like. Anyway, you can never go wrong eating here so eat here.

I don't understand this place having anything less than 5 stars. I moved away from SoCal in 2011 and I have since had ramen in a variety of states and cities, including NYC, where you can get just about anything you want and get it right. But Santouka... is still the gold standard. Nothing else compares. The milky broth, the homemade noodles, THE PORK CHEEK OMG. You don't know how good you have it, SD. I'm already dreaming of coming back here for another giant bowl of happiness when we return in May.

Hokkaido Santouka Ramen was one of my favorite ramen places in San Diego for the time I've stayed here and has even trumped Menya on my list. However, I'd say that Santouka has went down in quality drastically over the years and is not as good as many other ramen places anymore. My experiences for Santouka Ramen over this COVID time have not been the greatest. The broth does not seem to be rich anymore. The broth was served lukewarm. There are barely any pieces of meat and it seemed overcooked and tougher. I could almost just compare this food to packet ramen with toppings at this point. Even the rice bowls were not good anymore. For the ikura salmon rice bowl, the ikura (salmon caviar) did not look fresh. The salmon was overcooked. All in all, you can tell my experience was disappointing. To be honest, I don't think I'm giving Santouka another chance on my list for a while due to the lack of quality in the ramen now. Menya and many other places are much better options. I hope Santouka can step it up and make better broth, meat, and food in general!

Been on a hunt to find my go to ramen spot and this place delivered for sureeee, prices are too good to be true. I got the spicy miso and they aren't skimpy on the chasu or veggies! I love it :3 def putting people on yup. way better than overpriced ass Nishiki lol!

Good value ramen! You order at the counter and they will call your number over the intercom when your food is ready. The food court is small and fills up quickly around 11AM. There are different bowl sizes for the ramen. I got the spicy miso. It was not exactly spicy but still good. The broth was not smooth and the noodles were similar to that of stir-fry, but the texture was nice and chewy. The staff were kind and efficient.

Food 10/10 Service 10/10 Ambiance 10/10 The greatest ramen of all time, tastes better than menya ultra, and they have a Michelin star. Also great value for their selections, one of the cheapest ramens you can buy that taste really good. (I've tried so many ramen places in SD, all the popular ones as well as some low-key ones, nothing has matched up to mitsuwas quality of food.) This is a must try place for your ramen cravings, and it will be your go to ramen spot once you try it!

After many years this place still is the spot for solid ramen cravings. Next door is Nishiki, which my kids love because they give French fries, but if you want that strong broth taste and special pork cutlets then this is the place for you. As I got older I switched to the small portion while my son went up to the large portion (9 years old and eating everything in the house). I realized the large bowl combo with the pork over steamed rice was enough to satisfy my boy's cravings. This is the Japanese cafeteria style, minus ordering from a vending machine, environment. A neat tip is that I see many customers buy a drink from Mitsuwa and then walk over to grab their meal. My regular order is the spicy ramen but they do have other miso and soy based ramen options. For the price, the taste, and the quick service this is the place to satisfy your noodle and soup craving.

Yesss!!! SANTOUKA! The best Japanese Ramen ever!! We got the Miso Ramen and the Spicy Miso Ramen with char siu. Both were delicious. The noodles were cooked nicely and the broth is so nice and soothing. I love it! We usually go to the OC area for this but I love that they have one in SD with the same quality goodness that it is!! Its locates in the Mitsuwa food court. Parking is plenty but the plaza gets crowded so it may be hard to get parking spots. And there will be some time before your order is ready, so there is a bit of a wait. They have self-serve water.

Great food, but terrible terrible management or the guy who wears glasses is rude to the core. He keeps putting up signs & disappearing for hours at a time to sit & play on his phone - it's actually kind of ridiculous. One time we spent half an hour waiting because there was a sign saying he'd be back, but he literally said they were out of water & that was that. I told him he should probably update Yelp since another couple told us they were on a road trip & stopped by Santouka since they don't have it where they're from just to find it closed when it said it was open on Yelp, then the guy who worked at Santouka literally had the audacity to ask me "why should I?", are you kidding? That's terrible business. Update Yelp every time something happens so people wouldn't waste their time... duh! Anyways, the food is definitely a bang for your buck especially since you wouldn't get such a meal nowadays for under $15, so definitely worth it - they just need to hire better staff or management.

I tried to find a place that had good ramen because all I keep thinking about is the ramen that I had in Tokyo last month. The service is quick especially if you come before lunch hour. The seating area inside the market which makes it quiet. All you have to contend with are the people in your general area that don't really talk because they're so into eating their food. It wasn't too salty and I opted not to get the fish cake. I love the vegetables that come with it. I will be going back. It was about $24 for my son and I to eat.

With some time on my hands for a quick solo lunch and a hankering for fish and ramen... I knew a Japanese market would be the answer. To Mitsuwa! I spent too much time perusing Santouka's menu, and then walking around the prepared food section at Mitsuwa, before finally deciding to get a Salt B combo from Santouku: - Small salt ramen: came out piping hot! Noodles cooked perfectly al dente and the salt (creamy tonkotsu) broth was rich and creamy. Yum! - Grilled salmon & salmon roe over rice: Rice was cooked perfectly and the texture was very nice. Grilled salmon was cooked perfectly. The salmon and roe were perfect to pair with the rice. So decadent. Love salmon roe! - Flavored egg: Came as described and pictured. Be prepared that this is not a "ramen egg" with runny yolk, but a flavored hard boiled egg. Decent, but I prefer my eggs with runny yolks. I will definitely be back! Service was fast. They accept card, no tip, though!

I'm a big ramen fan and always come back to Santouka to have a bowl of their ramen. It's a small shop in the food court of a Mitsuwa Japanese supermarket, but don't let their modest storefront fool you. Their ramen is TOP quality! Santouka has a minimalist ramen selection, and does not have the modern flare compared to some other ramen shops in San Diego. That's because they don't need to! They offer the classics and do them well. They have the miso, shoyu, and shio options for broth base. Their broth has a rich flavor that isn't too creamy. They use a firm and thinner type of ramen noodle. For toppings they have wood ear mushrooms, bamboo, and a slice of naruto. You can also order set meals that include an additional bowl of rice with salmon, roe, etc. But the ramen is the main show. It's one of the more authentic Japanese ramen spots in all San Diego. They've never disappointed, and I expect to continue being a regular!

location: inside Mitsuwa food court parking: free (it's a busy plaza!) what I ordered: (1) small spicy miso ramen with chasiu (~$15 w/ tax) (9/10): the noodles are slightly firm and the broth wasn't salty. the broth is pretty mild and they're very generous with their cha siu. main takeaway: a reliable ramen spot in San Diego. I like how it's also inside Mitsuwa so you can buy groceries after eating

After 5 years, finally had their Char Siu Salt Ramen again. Totally forgot about this Ramen spot. Its broth was delicate, creamy, and delicious. Chasu pork was tender and who doesn't love the fat portion of the pork. The noodles were perfect. I wish the boiled eggs was softer. Definitely worth coming back again and again. Service was fast and great!

Fast easy and cheap. Broth a bit on the salty side. For under $15 you will get a belly full of fresh, bouncy noodles. The shoyu egg is tasty also. Get in line, place your order and find a seat. Stars to the staff who are always kind.

Came here for dinner. I got the shoyu ramen and natto side. I felt the broth was a bit bland and lacked depth of flavor. The fat in on the chashu could have been rendered a bit more but that's personal preference. The noodles were good. But the egg served could also use more marinade. Overall I thought this place was mediocre and thought the other ramen places around sd are better imo.

Ordered the Cha Siu Spicy Miso Ramen (M). The broth was delicious! I loved the chewiness of the noodles and the addition of bamboo shoots and wood-ear mushrooms. The medium bowl was $14.95. Service was friendly and food was ready fairly quickly. Located in Mitsuwa Market!

I am amazed at this place capable of surviving all economic hardship since I been here in San Diego at 2008. Apparently ramen is recession proof. Another recession may or may not happen, but I know Santouka will be there whatever may happen. Now I don't have any clue what the difference is between all Santouka shops, like I like it 5 star worthy, but I did want to try and find out. So I went to Santouka in Ikebukuro Tokyo. I really couldn't tell the difference between the Ikebukuro Santouka and San Diego one. So asked the guy making ramen there. He said main difference is the water, and the best Santouka is the honten, or the main store, in Shibuya. Confused me. Pretty sure Ikebukuro water and Shibuya water comes from same place cuz it's the same city for Tokyo, but whatever. I went to the Shibuya one. And you know what, I really couldn't tell much difference between all 3 places I went to. Maybe the Honten was better but it also might be Ikebukuro ramen chef playing Jedi mind tricks on me. I have no clue. Well, I would give 5 stars to all Santouka places I went to.