| rev:text
| - I probably won't have much more to add to the other reviews but what the hey...
My friend and I were able to snag a table the other night just before the dinner rush and after a 20-or-so minute wait--this was my second attempt to eat here so I was pleased. I was also glad to be having something soup-y considering the weather we'd had late last week. On the half-block walk from the car to Santouka, I stepped in a puddle so my feet froze while marinating in street sludge. Soup and noodles to the rescue!
The place was tiny and while some people like to dawdle after their meals, I often feel rushed when I see hordes of people lined up at the door and try to eat and just get the eff out. I can't help it..and besides, ramen places aren't meant for people to sit around and kill hours on end.
I never tried Santouka when I was in Japan but I have had it in LA and theirs was DAMN GOOD. They also came in different sizes, whereas the location in Toronto offers only the one size which looked small when it arrived but was actually enough, probably because of the richness of the broth. We both ordered the basic miso ramen and gyoza and a couple of pops (sodas) which come in the old-school bottles--so cute! The ramen bowls are served in individual lacquer trays, which has nothing to do with anything, but I liked it anyway. The soup has that rich density that seems to accompany broths that have been boiling away forever, and you know it's got to be pretty fatty, but that's what makes it so guuuhhhhd~ There were two small pieces of chashu, a swirly odeng, green onion, black mushrooms (or was that seaweed?), and those pickled thingies (I forget what they're called). I didn't realize it doesn't come with the egg but just as well since I don't like it when the yolks are half-runny, even though that's how they're supposed to be. The noodles were springy which was a good sign. There's no question that this chain knows what they're doing. I didn't find anything too unique about the gyoza but I find that's usually the case, just that gyoza and ramen go hand in hand.
Service is friendly and cheery, and things move along quickly enough. I noticed a wide age range of Japanese people eating at Santouka the night I was there, which is always a good sign.
I had Kenzo at the original location last week and it's not what it used to be, from what I understand. Sadly, I don't really have high expectations of ramen in Toronto but am willing to keep trying the different places that seem to be popping up everywhere. So far I'd say Santouka is one of the better places here, hence the 4* rating, but I think we still have a way to go.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)