In my opinion we had some pretty good ramen in Japan.
I mean, for me, it was a total slam dunk…I loved my choices.
1 – Nagi Ramen – which I've already posted on
2 – Ippudo
3 – Rokurinsha
We had one bowl which we both didn't care for.
But the place made killer fried chicken.
Strangely, during the whole time, the Missus kept saying…."you know, this is not as good as Santouka!" Say what?!? I love Santouka and all, but really! Perhaps I should have gone to Santouka in Kyoto just to set things straight. I'm thinking She really didn't care for the stronger niboshi flavors…..but She also wasn't impressed with the richness of the broth! Nagi Ramen? Rokurinsha? Really?
If She believed Santouka is that much better than anything we had, then fine. I wanted some confirmation. So, this past Saturday, it was off to Santouka, which by the way, is my favorite ramen in San Diego.
We ordered just as we did in Japan. The Missus, minimizing the carbs……She almost fell out of Her seat the first time She saw someone having ramen, rice, and gyoza! Ramen and rice?!? Anyway, She'd have a bit of noodles, a bit of rice, usually a decent amount of broth, and sometimes more than 1 egg. She did readily admit that the eggs in Japan were just that much better.
Anyway, one sip of the broth did it. "Huh, it's kind of thin, sort of bland……. I don't know what I was thinking?" Yes, She had somehow mentally put the broth and everything else at Santouka on a pedestal! We all do this….but not usually with items we've recently had….food nostalgia strikes us all. But I've never seen this in the short term.
No, it wasn't quite as rich, nor robust in flavor, as much of what we had. The noodles, well, the Missus doesn't care for Hakata style noodles, yet the texture in each bowl we had was excellent.
"You know, I feel kind of disappointed….I don't feel that I enjoyed those bowls as much as I could have. I put Santouka up on a fictional level. It was all in my head….."
"Doesn't it suck when you find out that Santa Claus doesn't exist? Oh, and….as an FYI…..neither does the Easter Bunny"
"I feel gypped……"
"Hey, we can always circle back. I'm more than willing to return to Japan. And, we can even check out Santouka while we're there!"
Like I said. Santouka is our favorite. But a little perspective is always good. And maybe, just maybe….we'll be able to sample more good ramen in Japan again soon.
Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111
Hope you're having a great week!
Brohan:
Did you see QiWieh Kitchen on CMB?
You done been scooped!
Yelp reports of of SLLllllllooooWWWW service.
Also still need to get the name of that other new Szechuan place on Convoy.
I’m trollin’ for grub this week end. Tacos Perla on the list. Love that place.
I was warned off Qi Wei (they have a location in Rowland Heights which was really bad)……by all my Chinese friends. Over an hour to get served, really bad meat. I’m kinda looking forward to the Sichuan place across the street. Oh and that Crawfish/Crab place is going in next door. So, go for it……keep grub trolling.
Thanks for the heads up. I hate waiting for food..and bad meat. I am on impatient bastardo when I am hungry.
Any thing exciting on the list this w/e for patrol?
I’m thinking Cafe Sobaka, or Alforon…been a while.
FK – I’d still encourage you to check them out if you’re so inclined….who am I to say what you should eat or not. Alforon? I thought you were a low carb kind of guy? Pomegranate…well, I wouldn’t know since they moved.
Nah, I will pass. Too many unhappy yelpers.
Dude, I can scarf down the godly tabouli, Hummus, Lentl soup, fava beans, or Kibbeh! I just avoid the flat breads. So, so good…but oh so bad. ๐
No Sobaka has no more affiliation with Pommegranite. Totally different and hilarious menu. You really should check it out. The owner has a great sense of humour. Trust me on this one.
Tropical Star may be calling to me..hmmm..or maybe Village House K. That is some serious, homemade, sublime grub bro.
You really should try Harritna. Oh my gosh.
The kidney dish is just to die for.
Why not just go to Awash Market…go to the back room and get some Kitfo….
Funny, Awash was on this weekends list.
Jonsing for Ethiopian beer.
Hmm, I didn’t know there was a Santouka in Kyoto. When I was in Japan in 2012, the three ramen places I went to were:
Honke Daiichi Asahi (Kyoto)
Ichiren (Hakata)
and some place ~Ikenoue station? I remember tracking it down off of some Japanese chowhound like site and went there because it was on the way to Mitaka and the Ghibli Museum…
cool! guess you guys will be back for ramen ๐
Make a note for next time, eat Santouko right before you go to Japan. Then it’ll be fresh in your head as you gorge yourself on more ramen.
I haven’t been back to Santouka in a while. Sis also thinks it’s the best ramen in SD. That’s too funny the Missus preferred Santouka while she was in Japan. I could only equate that being in Taiwan and craving Liang’s Convoy beef noodle soup? Happy Halloween Kirk –
Santouka is the best ramen in SD, unfortunately. I actually tried it in Tokyo and it tasted the same. So props to them for being consistent? Their egg is disappointing though. I always wanted to try their original location in Hokkaido. The amount of good ramen to Tokyo is mind boggling.
Marukai Gardena had a big ramen festival last month where shops from Japan would take turns setting up shop in their food court. I went to Tatsunoya for tonkotsu and Kamitoku for beef bone ramen. Both were divine.
Hi Hao – Both Santouka and Ippudo have shops in Kyoto…Ippudo is crazy busy there.
I guess we will Kat!
Hi Jason – Actually we did…..
Happy Halloween Faye!
Hi Junichi – I read somewhere like 20,000 ramen shops in Tokyo alone…can’t be true, can it? I heard about that fair from Dennis….never quite made it tho’.
Haha! Or maybe this past saturday was an off day for Santouko and not representative of past Santouko glory. You’ll just have to keep going back and forth trying ramen. It’s like a Escherian Stair where you’ll just keep going around and around…
Now Jason, don’t be putting any ideas in the Missus’ head! ;o)
The Japanese ramen database website has rankings for Tokyo up to 7160.
http://tokyo.ramendb.supleks.jp/rank?page=144&state=tokyo
And that’s just user generated info. Doesn’t include obscure shops, Chinese restaurants that serve ramen and most chains. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were 20,000 shops in Tokyo.
Hi Junichi – Even at 7000, it would take you a lifetime to eat at them all….and by the time you’ve got a couple hundred down, there would be a hundred new places. Crazy….