[BlackZRoadster]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/669084

i read this site a while ago, and seems like this ramen place is still not here yet. Anyone know more info?

[Hide625]

On Santouka's website there's no mention of store opening in Canada nor is it listed in the store list. But looking @ their updates of new store openings they tend to do it day-of opening or very close to it.

[skyxx]

Someone educate me on This chain?

[Hide625]

It's a ramen chain that started out in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan back in '88. They have stores throughout Japan. Quite a few in the US, mostly located in Cali. One in Singapore, & couple in HK. If they have this many stores they must be fairly good, although I'll never try it since I'm a tonkotsu-only fan & they serve shio/miso/shouyu only according to their site.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

sounds promising!!!



even tho i aint a big fan of ramen

[hamsup]

Wow.. i can't wait !!!!! hopefully they will open soon.. have they even started construction?

[Okami]

on an unrelated note.. the new benkei on thurlow is open..

[jlo mein]

Wow.. i can't wait !!!!! hopefully they will open soon.. have they even started construction?

It is located on Robson beside Guu. I last walked past it a month ago and it was under construction with the windows covered and signs up saying opening soon.

[skyxx]

This better be good cause I will be "Webraging" on RS about how much it sucked. :lol

[Durrann]

cheese ramen. mm...

[skyxx]

It's Open now. They don't have everything readily available on the menu. The official Grand opening is on March 5th. I went yesterday(28th), and found that this Ramen joint is awesome! Great stuff! Best I've had out of the Lower Mainland.

[jlo mein]

Just like the Japadog Robson location and Gyudonya, they all missed out on the possible Olympic business they could have had.

Still, I can't wait to try this place out.

[skyxx]

^ Technically Japadog didn't lose any business since there were two locations serving the Olympic crowd.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

japa dog is overated, its just hot dog guys :rolleyes: A bun, a dog, and some different sauces



new location is opening soon on robson

[Vale46Rossi]

It's Open now. They don't have everything readily available on the menu. The official Grand opening is on March 5th. I went yesterday(28th), and found that this Ramen joint is awesome! Great stuff! Best I've had out of the Lower Mainland.

sounds good thanks,

can you compare to any other ramen palces you have been to?

[HonestTea]

japa dog is overated, its just hot dog guys :rolleyes: A bun, a dog, and some different sauces



Only thing I've agreed with :thumbsup:

[Greenstoner]

went there on sunday... its not bad 8/10 but lots of items on menu was not ready
ie. small dises or sushi roll and other speciality dishes

[YK86]

I went there on Tuesday and had the toroniku kara miso ramen. It's a bit pricey at $13 but the special chashu that comes with it was really good (not too salty, very tender) and I liked the soup alot. Noodle was not really the type I like but I would definetly go back again.

Their regular shoyu/miso/shio/kara miso was around $8. My friend had the shoyu so I tried some of the soup and it was good as well.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

Only thing I've agreed with :thumbsup:

cant justify paying $5 bux plus for a dog

god damn

JDM hype

oh well

[Jer3]

went today. i ordered the chashu shio and its probably the best ive had in vancouver aside from kintaro except not as fatty. personally, i like kintaro's noodles but santouka's kind is passable i guess. chashu taste almost exactly like kintaro's lean chashu which is a definite plus. aside from that, i will probably order the toroniku miso next time to try the pork jowel or the tsukemen (which i don't think any other vancouver ramen place has offered yet).

[RollingStone]

Went there this week. Very good ramen, but place is small so you'll probably have to wait.

[Vale46Rossi]

cant justify paying $5 bux plus for a dog

god damn

JDM hype

oh well

Have you been to the DAWG house on broadway?

its like 6-10 for a dog....

[josayeee]

I love this place. I've been there 3 times already. Seems like each time I go back there is a longer line up. I don't like Kintaro but I really like Benkei. I like this place a little bit more than Benkei.

This is coming from someone who hated ramen at one point.

[hamsup]

Best Ramen i've had in vancouver hands down...

[hirevtuner]

had to line up for 15 mins, broth soup was really nice (had miso) but noodles weren't the same as kintaro and the price was at 8.95 a little steep

but i'll visit another time as they gave out free noodle tickets to us yesterday

[MG1]

I went this afternoon. Not bad. Line up was about 20 minutes long.
Worth the money, I thought.

[MG1]

wrong thread........ LOL

[LiquidTurbo]

The ramen here is quite expensive. I'm not really sure it's 'better' than other places. The decor is really nice, but I didn't feel that there was value for money.

Heres Ramen Santouka. The place is just a few paces up from the Benkei heading up the hill. WHen I went there wasn't a line up, but every other time I've seen it, there's been a big line up. Probably because of the novelty of the place.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51Q2gddJaI/AAAAAAAAB9E/d1Ut_YSUE0Y/s720/DSC_3841.JPG

This was about $12-13 before tax/tips. (Can't remeber exact price) I think that's rather expensive. However, the pork, (which they call Pork Jowl) was very good. I kinda wished they had given an extra slice or two.

They give you the goodies separately..
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51PI6Btg1I/AAAAAAAAB8U/gGdU7TWKZck/s720/DSC_3828.JPG

Then you gotta mix it into your noodles..the broth was good, but I didn't really enjoy the texture of the noodles much.. didn't have enough 'chewi-ness' to them. There also wasn't as much noodles as I expected. I prefer Kintaro's noodles. Usually after I finish a bowl of ramen I'm usually completely satisfied. I found myself kinda wanting a bit 'more' with Ramen Santouka. The broth was really good, but the noodles were just lacking a bit.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51PK3w7D1I/AAAAAAAAB8Y/ZwZFb_PruBA/s720/DSC_3829.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51Qy4TN9dI/AAAAAAAAB9A/C1MVzQL0jKs/s720/DSC_3827.JPG



Here's what everything looks mixed together.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51PNcN9__I/AAAAAAAAB8c/k4btt-Mz7T4/s720/DSC_3835.JPG

The egg, (called Ajitama) was really good. But at an additional $2? Come on. Essentally the yolk is nice and creamy which gives the egg a really nice texture. You can make these at home by boiling cold eggs from the fridge fo 7m30s, then dunking them in ice water.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51Q6Ean5-I/AAAAAAAAB9I/P5aMafZ-TCY/s720/DSC_3832.JPG




Kintaro: BBQ Pork Ramen - A couple $ cheaper.. Very filling and satisfied.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51PAhIUgmI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/J-V-cLEcbVk/s720/DSC_4521.JPG

The ambiance is of a crammed, crazy ramen shop from Japan. These guys work tirelessly to pump out ramen continuously. It's really fun to watch.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S5tr20NnJJI/AAAAAAAAB4o/UDws-8qnNdg/s512/DSC_4520.JPG

This is Kintaro Spicy Garlic Ramen.. it's very hardcore and not for the faint of heart..
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51PVpdL62I/AAAAAAAAB8g/YKZURpAXM4A/s720/DSC_2937.JPG

So overall, I think I prefer Motomachi Shokudo, Kintaro, over Ramen Santouka. I still like Ramen Santouka better than Benkei though. Just my personal preference.

In terms of decor and ambience, if you care about that kinda thing, I'd rate, Ramen Santouka, Motomachi Shokudo, Benkei, then Kintaro in dead last.

In terms of food, (which is all that matters to me), I'd rate Motomachi Shokudo and Kintaro virtually tied, then Ramen Santouka, then Benkei. (I really didn't like the random pork bits and noodle texture from Benkei, but it was a really nice place to eat at. My overall favorite is Kintaro. I like the philosophy of get in, eat, then get the heck out. Along with Motomachi Shokudo, they have the best noodle texture, which is what I look for in a nice bowl of Ramen.

[Amuse]

Thanks for the review. The portions at Ramen Santouka look smaller than Kintaro.

[danew]

so much smaller then kintaro. i ordered a large and wasnt even full!! + added eggs and pork! so ended up going up to the japanese crepe shop and got some crepes om nom nom nom!

[LiquidTurbo]

Thanks for the review. The portions at Ramen Santouka look smaller than Kintaro.

There's a thanks button you know! But yea. Small portions. The place is kinda overhyped a bit.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

thx for the photos and detail reviews


:thumbsup:

$2 dollar an egg is kinda....insane?

[Tim Budong]

cant justify paying $5 bux plus for a dog

god damn

JDM hype

oh well

man you are so synical when it comes to opinions! Although I have nothing wrong wtih everyone's opinions!

regardless, another Ramen joint that I need to try, and I be honest, I fucking love ramen. So far, only Motomochi has hit the spot for me. Kintaro has gone downhill since Motomochi opened up

[Amuse]

There's a thanks button you know! But yea. Small portions. The place is kinda overhyped a bit.
It looks like I need 2 bowls to satisfy my hunger.
The egg must be like some grade AA organic free range chicken egg.

[LiquidTurbo]

It looks like I need 2 bowls to satisfy my hunger.
The egg must be like some grade AA organic free range chicken egg.

I didn't see anywhere on the menu that it was an organic free range egg, but personally I think it should be a $1.00 or $1.50 addition. It was very good though.

[josayeee]

It looks like I need 2 bowls to satisfy my hunger.
The egg must be like some grade AA organic free range chicken egg.

Nah ask for a large miso with double meat. $10.95 I think but it's definitely worth it. The broth and the meat are the best I've tried. Broth is very tasty and the meat has a nice bbq taste to it and it like melts in your mouth. Alright I'll agree the noodles aren't anything special. But shit I don't know how you can compare Kintaro to this place. Kintaro taste like something you can get anywhere in Richmond.

Keep in mind this is from someone who grew up eating white food. <3 Santouka! Try it before they get lazy and quality goes down overtime like most new restaurants.

[Obsideon]

I heard that it was shutdown recently (a few days ago?), anyone know why?

[quayzy]

sign on window said due to Mechanical problems. No specified date for re-opening was provided.

[MoBettah]

What kind of mechanical problem would have them shutdown indefinitely? So sketchy, hope they weren't serving cat meat or something.

[skyxx]

^ That makes no sense. :lol It's MECHANICAL.

Who wants to work there. They're hiring. :)

http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/dispjb_eng.aspx?OrderNum=4937959&Source=JobPosting&TimeFrame=E7Days&ProvId=09&OfferpPage=50&Student=No

[Phat_R]

Is this the place across from Capers on Robson?

I thought it was called Hokkaido Ramen...

[LiquidTurbo]

Yes its the place.

The full name of the place is Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, but the sign outside just says Ramen Santouka.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

did they reopen yet


im guessing its sth to do with their food safety

[Obsideon]

Must be something massive to be closed for so long when they were operating fine before?

[hirevtuner]

they actually closed?
weird...well at least I have kintaro

[Obsideon]

Yeah they been closed for a while now ...
After trying Santouka, Kintaro just taste like overnight oily paste to me ... bleh

[orange7]

still closed???


i think this is by far the best ramen place in downtown.

[sh0n]

I went there today - they had reopened recently due to problems with their sprinker system.

Overall I would say and rate this as the best ramen Vancouver.

[skyxx]

I find that it's one of the best Ramen places in Vancouver. Sure the noodles aren't that great, but the Broth and Pork is great!

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

gonna give it a try today at lunch

[J____]

The ramen here is quite expensive. I'm not really sure it's 'better' than other places. The decor is really nice, but I didn't feel that there was value for money.

Heres Ramen Santouka. The place is just a few paces up from the Benkei heading up the hill. WHen I went there wasn't a line up, but every other time I've seen it, there's been a big line up. Probably because of the novelty of the place.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51Q2gddJaI/AAAAAAAAB9E/d1Ut_YSUE0Y/s720/DSC_3841.JPG

This was about $12-13 before tax/tips. (Can't remeber exact price) I think that's rather expensive. However, the pork, (which they call Pork Jowl) was very good. I kinda wished they had given an extra slice or two.

They give you the goodies separately..
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51PI6Btg1I/AAAAAAAAB8U/gGdU7TWKZck/s720/DSC_3828.JPG

Then you gotta mix it into your noodles..the broth was good, but I didn't really enjoy the texture of the noodles much.. didn't have enough 'chewi-ness' to them. There also wasn't as much noodles as I expected. I prefer Kintaro's noodles. Usually after I finish a bowl of ramen I'm usually completely satisfied. I found myself kinda wanting a bit 'more' with Ramen Santouka. The broth was really good, but the noodles were just lacking a bit.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51PK3w7D1I/AAAAAAAAB8Y/ZwZFb_PruBA/s720/DSC_3829.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51Qy4TN9dI/AAAAAAAAB9A/C1MVzQL0jKs/s720/DSC_3827.JPG



Here's what everything looks mixed together.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51PNcN9__I/AAAAAAAAB8c/k4btt-Mz7T4/s720/DSC_3835.JPG

The egg, (called Ajitama) was really good. But at an additional $2? Come on. Essentally the yolk is nice and creamy which gives the egg a really nice texture. You can make these at home by boiling cold eggs from the fridge fo 7m30s, then dunking them in ice water.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51Q6Ean5-I/AAAAAAAAB9I/P5aMafZ-TCY/s720/DSC_3832.JPG




Kintaro: BBQ Pork Ramen - A couple $ cheaper.. Very filling and satisfied.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51PAhIUgmI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/J-V-cLEcbVk/s720/DSC_4521.JPG

The ambiance is of a crammed, crazy ramen shop from Japan. These guys work tirelessly to pump out ramen continuously. It's really fun to watch.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S5tr20NnJJI/AAAAAAAAB4o/UDws-8qnNdg/s512/DSC_4520.JPG

This is Kintaro Spicy Garlic Ramen.. it's very hardcore and not for the faint of heart..
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_RlBlRdp4hCE/S51PVpdL62I/AAAAAAAAB8g/YKZURpAXM4A/s720/DSC_2937.JPG

So overall, I think I prefer Motomachi Shokudo, Kintaro, over Ramen Santouka. I still like Ramen Santouka better than Benkei though. Just my personal preference.

In terms of decor and ambience, if you care about that kinda thing, I'd rate, Ramen Santouka, Motomachi Shokudo, Benkei, then Kintaro in dead last.

In terms of food, (which is all that matters to me), I'd rate Motomachi Shokudo and Kintaro virtually tied, then Ramen Santouka, then Benkei. (I really didn't like the random pork bits and noodle texture from Benkei, but it was a really nice place to eat at. My overall favorite is Kintaro. I like the philosophy of get in, eat, then get the heck out. Along with Motomachi Shokudo, they have the best noodle texture, which is what I look for in a nice bowl of Ramen.


i tried the spicy garlic the otherday, it wasnt that good, had too much of a sweet flavor. I was also not feeling too well for the whole day after haha. ended up not eating dinner and shitting fire the next day. I can take spicy foods no problem, just not this for some reason. Must be the wad of garlic

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

shitting fire = back fire
:haha::haha::haha::haha:

running too rich son

[LiquidTurbo]

i tried the spicy garlic the otherday, it wasnt that good, had too much of a sweet flavor. I was also not feeling too well for the whole day after haha. ended up not eating dinner and shitting fire the next day. I can take spicy foods no problem, just not this for some reason. Must be the wad of garlic

Shit, son!

You didn't heed my warning " it's very hardcore and not for the faint of heart..".

Yea, the garlic can be pretty intense. When I ate it, I found that 1/2 of what they put was far more than enough.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

just got back...lol $40 bux for two


most expensive ramen ever.


but damn was it good

9.5/10

soup base was perfect, like the ones u have in jap. more oily, with flavor. The pork is really soft, cooked to perfection
:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[6793026]

apologize for not knowing their proper Jap names for their dishs.

Motomachi is still number one in my books, their seasonal cold noodles (and then add soup in it after) and their charcoal ramen was definitely interesting and well worth visiting. you just don't see it at kinatro or Benkei.

kinarto is dirty and yes, if u like fat and rich soup base, it's like drinking oil, but seeing them work and just walking into the super hot oven somehow makes it so much better since I've been going to it for a while.
Benkei jsut doesn't do it for me and I went to santouka ramen, it's pricy but it is sort of better than benkei.

[LiquidTurbo]

^
yea, agreed.

[J____]

Shit, son!

You didn't heed my warning " it's very hardcore and not for the faint of heart..".

Yea, the garlic can be pretty intense. When I ate it, I found that 1/2 of what they put was far more than enough.

haha i didnt consider myself faint of heart. I can drink extra spicy kimchee jigae like water and eat szechuan dishes for breakfast while rubbing jalapeños in my eyes. Something about that garlic mixture at kintaro didnt do me well lol.

[Obsideon]

I just got back from Japan last week, I ate about 6 bowls of Ramen from various restaurants offering different types of ramen originating from different parts of Japan.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v234/41/52/666145472/n666145472_2894399_7551.jpg
Name of the restaurant - 龍上海 (literally translated Dragon Shanghai) from the Yamagata Region - Kara Miso Ramen is BY FAR HEADS AND SHOULDERS 10000x better than any ramen you will have EVER eat in your entire life!
I had the privilege to consume a bowl of this 3 years ago, and just to make sure I wasn't dreaming and prove that old adage of how your memory is better than your taste... I went to eat it again last week, and it was still just as damn good as ever, if anything it was even BETTER than I last remembered!... unbelievable awesomeness! Just drooling from thinking about it! ... ok I'm way off topic LOL ...

Back to Vancouver ramen, where it all taste like bleh now compared to that ... but of the good ones I would rank:
1) Santouka - very tasty broth for the Shio base and the Kara is not bad either, noodle texture could be better.
2) Kintaro - Delicious but even when I order light broth it still comes out pasty thick which literally feels artery clogging.
3) Motomachi - Pretty good, noodles were good but the broth isn't as flavourful as Kintaro or Santouka

WAY below those 3 I would put Benkei somewhere, infact it shouldn't even be in the same list. I've been there twice and both times have been very dissappointing. Soggy noodles and soup was very lacking.

[LiquidTurbo]

^

Nice pic! What exactly made it so amazing?

[Obsideon]

Everything! Right from the temperature, to the chewiness of the thick noodles to the incredibly flavourful soup base. The clump of chili pasta had a very aromatic touch to it. You can push in however much you want, either you scoop out half or use it all. They even offer bigger clumps too for the more daring. It can get pretty spicy but it just enhances all the flavours of the soup and noodles even more. The meat was also perfect, not overly fatty but still melt in your mouth tender with the lean cuts. I gotta stop talking about it I already miss it too much lol!
It's the ONLY time I can completely finish the entire bowl down to the last drip of soup. Everywhere else (especially Kintaro) I can't drink a lot of the soup... oh yeah and it's only $6 :D

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

^

damn after reading your description i feel like im eating garbage here lol

[ShyGuy]

i like the texture of the cold ramen and dipped ramen at santouka...the noodle in the soup is too soft...

[TRDood]

I just got back from Japan last week, I ate about 6 bowls of Ramen from various restaurants offering different types of ramen originating from different parts of Japan.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v234/41/52/666145472/n666145472_2894399_7551.jpg
Name of the restaurant - 龍上海 (literally translated Dragon Shanghai) from the Yamagata Region - Kara Miso Ramen is BY FAR HEADS AND SHOULDERS 10000x better than any ramen you will have EVER eat in your entire life!
I had the privilege to consume a bowl of this 3 years ago, and just to make sure I wasn't dreaming and prove that old adage of how your memory is better than your taste... I went to eat it again last week, and it was still just as damn good as ever, if anything it was even BETTER than I last remembered!... unbelievable awesomeness! Just drooling from thinking about it! ... ok I'm way off topic LOL ...

Back to Vancouver ramen, where it all taste like bleh now compared to that ... but of the good ones I would rank:
1) Santouka - very tasty broth for the Shio base and the Kara is not bad either, noodle texture could be better.
2) Kintaro - Delicious but even when I order light broth it still comes out pasty thick which literally feels artery clogging.
3) Motomachi - Pretty good, noodles were good but the broth isn't as flavourful as Kintaro or Santouka

WAY below those 3 I would put Benkei somewhere, infact it shouldn't even be in the same list. I've been there twice and both times have been very dissappointing. Soggy noodles and soup was very lacking.

I went to the Dragon place too! I ordered the fatty-est, biggest bowl. I find it a bit too much though, but not as bad as kintaro's oil.

My mom went to the one across (the other famous one), she said that one is perfect! I think she ordered shio.

I loved the fact that they have a vending machine type ordering system, that makes everything much faster.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

those vending machines sells school girls undies too
:haha: