Another day, another ramen. Last week I adventured back down to the bottom of Robson street to head to Santouka. I’ve been there a few times now in the past. It’s probably #3 of my favourite ramen in the city but there are a few things they could do to make the experience a little better.

Firstly it’s always busy, a great time to go is alone or with one other person only. The seating is a little bit cramped for my liking, the communal table in the front has an akward layout with uncomfortable stools and it makes you feel like you are in the way of others eating beside you. 

The menu at Santouka is plentiful and there are a lot of variations to choose from. I LOVE the texture of their pork jowl in their Toroniku Ramen and I highly suggest ordering one of their ramens from this menu. It’s a little bit more expensive but you really get what you pay for quality wise.

This time I opted for Toroniku Kara Miso Ramen at $16.00, I also added Shibazuke because DUH ( Japanese pickles are my favourite food in the entire world AND are hard to find at ramen joints here) 

Pros –

Pork Jowl is to die for. Literally the best I’ve had
Portion size is large and I can never finish the food here
Noodles are not over cooked
Extremely fast service
Shibazuke is authentic and amazing

Cons –

Soup base is a little too oily for my taste
Lard ratio is actually low as it’s a thinner soup
Egg yolk isn’t as running as I usually like
Seating is uncomfortable