Santouka Ramen does not want to be found. It’s buried inside the food court in the back of Mitsuwa market. Mitsuwa itself is hidden just off Bristol, but hidden behind a 7-Eleven and the plaza with Angotei (which I still need to try!). Neighboring plazas and buildings look pretty dated and are currently getting new pavement poured.

Santouka doesn’t have English signage either, you kind of just have to smell your way (or use the photo provided (: ).

People are constantly walking by, checking out dining options, while order numbers are being called out for all the restaurants over the intercom. Dining in a food court makes me feel more relaxed. It’s a lot more casual. You can be loud and obnoxious, run some laps, and take as many pictures as you like (:.

I’ve had the miso flavor once because they were out of the Shio (salt) ramen, but it was much too salty for my taste. I visit regularly now and Shio remains my favorite!

So here’s the regular sized Shio, topped with slices of tender, fatty pork, a slice of naruto fish cake, bamboo, mushrooms, with chopped green onion in the center. A boiled egg is $0.99 extra. The egg looks similar to the one from my Vietnamese Braised Pork w/egg recipe, but this one’s a bit harder and rubbery. Strange, but good.

(Trust me, there’s ramen under there.)

This soup is served nice and HOT. The noodles have a nice bite to them, and are accompanied by a rich and salty broth sure to leave you dehydrated.

Santouka’s Shio ramen would be fine if it came with just ramen and broth, but all the tasty toppings add unique flavor and texture to each bite. I love the crunch of the bamboo and mushrooms. And the pork is tender, fatty, delivering more of that broth flavor.

It’s important to note that this place does not accept credit cards. I hate carrying cash, but I’ll make that sacrifice for Santouka. Bowls range from about $6-9, and combos are a bit more. Mitsuwa has a BofA ATM at the front now too.

I’m coming to realize I’m eating more and more pork belly, and doing less and less cardio exercises. Stay tuned for a fried pork belly post.

Santouka Ramen
665 Paularino Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 434-1101