Santouka Ramen

Have been going here regularly for years and truly miss it when I’m out of town. Absolutely fantastic ramen. No other place comes close. Try their spicy tonkonitsu or char siu ramen. Highly recommend!

Absolutely awesome delicious food and prices are awesome too. Cool place to choose what you want to eat from other vendors and also buy some groceries!

+1

Came back after things opened up and they take credit card now. Same consistency for ramen here that I've enjoyed throughout the years. The toroniku is great!

Was able to order through door dash and pick up once i made it through the line to get into the market. No vegetarian protein substitutions but they took out the pork for mine.

The pork they have is amazing. There is alot of meat and just the perfect amount of fat. The broths are rich and delicious. It is some of the best ramen in Los Angeles. If you are over that side of the city you have to check this place out.

Santouka is one of the better chains of authentic Japanese ramen around. I like this food court format, easy, reasonably priced, quick. I had the miso and it was excellent!!! The ramen too is priced right. $12.95 for small, $13.95 for medium and $15 for large. Shio - it certainly has a lighter flavor than the Miso one but Miso will taste better in my opinion There is a special - shrimp and pork wonton for $7. It had a decent taste, thought I felt it was a bit overpriced for what it is.

Tasty ramen. The girls at the counter are the nicest and sweetest people they take care of my order and accommodate me with a cute bowl! Thank you

Real good ramen, good thick pork, noodle is just right, rich broth, very savoury (salty). Friendly staff. Went here after lunch peak hour, so no queue but still lots people in food court. Last time had this one was 7yrs ago in Chicago and NY. Worth a try.

Possibly the best ramen in the area. Get the salt ramen. The soup has a deep richness with some hint of fermentation, possibly miso or mirin. The pork belly is tender and fresh. The toppings varied and were complimentary. Pricing is a great deal. Overall, such a hidden gem for the area

I can’t believe this place exists! Shoyu Ramen is my favorite ramen. $15 for medium bowl. Tastes authentic. Very addicting I wish they have this place in every city.

Cash only! I would venture a guess that all Santouka location are cash only restaurants. I have been to the one in Chicago suburbs, and this one was much, much better, who knows why. Be mindful that this is located in a food court, simple, quick, no frills. All in all, their ramen is solid, good noodle consistency, flavorful broth, but nothing extremely spectacular. Just a solid go-to Ramen spot here in Los Angeles.

Is there anything more to say about Santouka? It's a classic for a reason. Amazing Hokkaido style ramen that's affordable, consistent, and delicious. My wife got the shio ramen, and I usually get the tonkotsu miso. If you love ramen and haven't had Santouka, do yourself the biggest solid and head to your nearest Mitsuwa food court.

Authentic and affordable ramen here

I have been coming to Santouka for 15 years, since the second day I arrived from San Francisco. They do a superb job with their salt ramen. Remember, cash only and no to-go. But you can ask for a to-go container if you eat enough of your food. Be respectful! You can’t find better in LA. Also, try the leek/rice salad. Awesome.

Leila Lei

Tasty ramen. The girls at the counter are the nicest and sweetest people they take care of my order and accommodate me with a cute bowl! Thank you

Kendrick Khoe

Santouka is one of the better chains of authentic Japanese ramen around. I like this food court format, easy, reasonably priced, quick. I had the miso and it was excellent!!! The ramen too is priced right. $12.95 for small, $13.95 for medium and $15 for large. Shio - it certainly has a lighter flavor than the Miso one but Miso will taste better in my opinion

steve green

I can’t believe this place exists! Shoyu Ramen is my favorite ramen. $15 for medium bowl. Tastes authentic. Very addicting I wish they have this place in every city.

A J

Real good ramen, good thick pork, noodle is just right, rich broth, very savoury (salty). Friendly staff. Went here after lunch peak hour, so no queue but still lots people in food court. Last time had this one was 7yrs ago in Chicago and NY. Worth a try.

Jeff Tong

Possibly the best ramen in the area. Get the salt ramen. The soup has a deep richness with some hint of fermentation, possibly miso or mirin. The pork belly is tender and fresh. The toppings varied and were complimentary. Pricing is a great deal. Overall, such a hidden gem for the area

Brandon Okumura

Is there anything more to say about Santouka? It's a classic for a reason. Amazing Hokkaido style ramen that's affordable, consistent, and delicious. My wife got the shio ramen, and I usually get the tonkotsu miso. If you love ramen and haven't had Santouka, do yourself the biggest solid and head to your nearest Mitsuwa food court.

Gin Yu

Cash only! I would venture a guess that all Santouka location are cash only restaurants. I have been to the one in Chicago suburbs, and this one was much, much better, who knows why. Be mindful that this is located in a food court, simple, quick, no frills. All in all, their ramen is solid, good noodle consistency, flavorful broth, but nothing extremely spectacular. Just a solid go-to Ramen spot here in Los Angeles.

Ro and Reese D

Absolutely awesome delicious food and prices are awesome too. Cool place to choose what you want to eat from other vendors and also buy some groceries!

Andrew Hawn

I have been coming to Santouka for 15 years, since the second day I arrived from San Francisco. They do a superb job with their salt ramen. Remember, cash only and no to-go. But you can ask for a to-go container if you eat enough of your food. Be respectful! You can’t find better in LA. Also, try the leek/rice salad. Awesome.

Elizabeth Khoury

One of the best ramen places in west LA. Absolute hidden gem.

Cash only, inside the Asian marketplace food square. Hop in the market and grab something new or loved to drink and then walk right over to order some delicous ramen. Can build combos with rice bowls and additional sides. No frills, deliciousness.

Good spot in the food court for ramen, cold soba Noodle tempura. Easy quick fix with good ingredients and fresh prepared food.

The ramen is quite good for the price with good options. The have 3 different sizes so I can choose a smaller bowl and not worry about wasting any food.

Had the Miso Ramen at their LAX Tom Bradley airport terminal location and it was excellent. Perfect combo of flavors, freshness and texture. I paid $20 for the dish. Next door they are selling BK whopper combos for a few bucks less. No brainer from the quality and cost perspective. No disrespect to the King.

I ordered #39 large Spicy Miso Ramen. The meat was perfect, very tender and flavorful. The soup and noodles were fine. The portion was modest. This is part of the food court. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the inside seating was limited, so go early if you want dine-in.

About Me: I am Level 7 Local Guide who is ranked top 10% of Google Restaurant Reviewers and have 15M+ views. I am a born and raised NYer who now lives in Los Angeles. I do not receive compensation for these reviews. Now that the weather is getting colder, I am naturally gravitate to more warming foods like Ramen. I am currently on a Ramen tear so expect to see more reviews of other places that serve Ramen. I am big fan of Mitsuwa Market, a Japanese market in Venice that is sort of a food court and mini-mall to all things Japanese. Hokkaido is just one of the establishments housed in the market. Their menu is extensive for such a small kitchen. You sit in a communal food court area that has someone clearing tables which is nice. This is a no frills kind of place so don’t expect much in the way of environment or service. Nevertheless everyone is very kind and polite. I ordered a basic pork Ramen which very good. Quality of the pork is always a distinguishing factor and here it was average. That being said the broth is also key and I found it very rich and tasty. I have been here twice now and will be back again.

Got the Spicy Miso Ramen and a Tokusen Toroniku Ramen. Both were super tasty! Just FYI, this place is inside of a grocery store, and it can sometimes be tough to get a seat if it's crowded. Also, bring a water, because the (styrofoam) water cups are about the size of a shot glass. But the food is great! 👌

Authentic Japanese food at great prices! I appreciated the menu options clearly showed to the customer while queuing to place your order. It made the process much easier. There are 4 o 5 different shops available in the food court which offer several options at great prices. It is not a fancy/beautiful place but it makes you feel that you are in a different country as most of the people speaking in other languages there. I would recommend anyone to check it out!

Kamuti Kiteme

About Me: I am Level 7 Local Guide who is ranked top 10% of Google Restaurant Reviewers and have 15M+ views. I am a born and raised NYer who now lives in Los Angeles. I do not receive compensation for these reviews. Now that the weather is getting colder, I am naturally gravitate to more warming foods like Ramen. I am currently on a Ramen tear so expect to see more reviews of other places that serve Ramen. I am big fan of Mitsuwa Market, a Japanese market in Venice that is sort of a food court and mini-mall to all things Japanese. Hokkaido is just one of the establishments housed in the market. Their menu is extensive for such a small kitchen. You sit in a communal food court area that has someone clearing tables which is nice. This is a no frills kind of place so don’t expect much in the way of environment or service. Nevertheless everyone is very kind and polite. I ordered a basic pork Ramen which very good. Quality of the pork is always a distinguishing factor and here it was average. That being said the broth is also key and I found it very rich and tasty. I have been here twice now and will be back again.

Geoffrey Holtsclaw

Got the Spicy Miso Ramen and a Tokusen Toroniku Ramen. Both were super tasty! Just FYI, this place is inside of a grocery store, and it can sometimes be tough to get a seat if it's crowded. Also, bring a water, because the (styrofoam) water cups are about the size of a shot glass. But the food is great! 👌

Miguel Tahoces

Authentic Japanese food at great prices! I appreciated the menu options clearly showed to the customer while queuing to place your order. It made the process much easier. There are 4 o 5 different shops available in the food court which offer several options at great prices. It is not a fancy/beautiful place but it makes you feel that you are in a different country as most of the people speaking in other languages there. I would recommend anyone to check it out!

Charles Chen

I ordered #39 large Spicy Miso Ramen. The meat was perfect, very tender and flavorful. The soup and noodles were fine. The portion was modest. This is part of the food court. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the inside seating was limited, so go early if you want dine-in.

Pretty good. But I am not a Ramen person, so I didn’t feel very satisfied. I prefer Yilan in Hong Kong.

Soup was very salty. Had the combo with salmon rice. I usually finish all my food. Not this time.

This place is constantly closed for no reason and doesn’t update Google to reflect it. 5 times IN A ROW I’ve come here only to find it closed. The quality of food and service has also really gone down since covid.

Employee was very nice! I ordered a spicy miso combo with rice and an egg and ended up getting someone else's order which wasn't the same soup or size i had ordered :( Food is usually great though!

I don't understand the high reviews. Ramen is meh. Soup is rich, but the noodles are bitter, the chashu is mostly fat and they only give one. Bamboo tastes like ammonia. Also cash only

Erin McDermott

Employee was very nice! I ordered a spicy miso combo with rice and an egg and ended up getting someone else's order which wasn't the same soup or size i had ordered :( Food is usually great though!

Musho Pea

I don't understand the high reviews. Ramen is meh. Soup is rich, but the noodles are bitter, the chashu is mostly fat and they only give one. Bamboo tastes like ammonia. Also cash only

You wouldn’t expect a food court ramen stall to have food this delicious, but their salt ramen is usually so creamy and delicious it has been my go to for rough days. I never felt compelled to write a review, however, until the first time my food went wrong. I received my regular order, combo c with salt ramen broth, an extra cap of pork fat had started to wrinkle over the top of my normally picture perfect bowl. Like many ramen enthusiasts, I like to admire my bowl before I eat it. This time, the fat cap was extra, perhaps it could be a good thing, I thought. I had enjoyed my natto first—it had come out perfectly foamy and warm; I thought maybe this was just a very fatty cut of pork. I leaned in to smell my bowl, and it was unmistakable but benefit of the doubt for a place that had delivered such quality won out. I ignored the slightly fishy, very stale smell and took my first taste of the broth. It tasted like freezer burned meat instead of the creamy broth I had come to love. I’m not not one to complain, so it took some encouragement from my partner before I walked up to politely let them know their food today was not on par with what I had had before. “No returns” was the only response. That’s fine, I thought. I had just come to let them know something had changed. I went back to my seat after considering buying another meal at the other stalls, but the smell was overwhelming and nothing seen so appetizing as what I had wanted to order and eat in the first place. I took the bowl back and asked if there were no returns, then maybe could I have the bowl remade. The whole kitchen watched as I approached, I felt ogled. The person at the counter had already sneered when she said no returns but when I asked if they could at least look at the bowl themselves and see if it was to their own standards she asked for the chef. The man came out and mocked me. Literally, he took on a demanding tone and started mimicking me when I’d pause. I came with an apologetic tone because don’t like to complain and do like their food, but I had to remind him that I was being polite with him and deserved the same. In the end he asked what I wanted them to do about it,”. He refused to smell or taste the broth, saying pork is pork. He wouldn’t change out the ramen but he said he’d replace the pork. I told him if we could just get a new pork and broth I’d be fine. It was only that much more disappointing though when the new pork and broth didn’t have the same smell as my bowl did. I tried to move the noodles over to new broth but the stale flavor had already worked itself into the noodles. Normally it’s a great ramen spot, but the one experience I’ve had of it being less than perfect was one of my worst customer experiences ever.

BIG PRICE INCREASES!!! Food is fine (good but nothing amazing) but portions are pretty small unless you order the Large size. It's insane but after the price increases, it's more expensive to have a ramen and side dish at this food court joint than it does for 90% of the sit down ramen restaurants in LA!!!! Now a large ramen plus side item combo plus tax and tip at this place is now about $30!!!!! Thankfully most of the other food court options haven't gone crazy but this time I did notice that the food court was noticeably quieter... Without a lot of service labor, dedicated seating, zero renovations, and a high margin food category, one would think they could have kept costs under control. Perhaps the ower sold the business or a child or relative has taken over and totally misjudged the market.

Ordered take out for 2 ramen orders and when I got home, one didn't have the noodles. Just check your to go orders before you leave.

Used to be pretty reliable. Lately the food is mediocre and the service slow. Better options.

I've ordered from each place here, and this has to be the worst food option without a doubt. Santouka for me was: late, didn't call my number, and got my order wrong. It was also the most expensive meal I've had at the marketplace ($17.43) for the one large bowl. Ordered it spicy, which the order guy repeated back, but it was the normal, not spicy ramen. Pork was grey and chewy in a bland way, doubt I've ever made pork belly anywhere nearly that sad at home. It also took so long my group ordered at the same time and finished their meals before my ramen even came out.

This place used to be amazing pre covid. I just tried it again after 5 years and it feels like Mc Donalds for ramen. The quality of food has fallen off the cliff. Maybe they changed their owner? They used to have a long line in front of them every-time I ate there back in the day. Not anymore.

Sep Dehpour

This place used to be amazing pre covid. I just tried it again after 5 years and it feels like Mc Donalds for ramen. The quality of food has fallen off the cliff. Maybe they changed their owner? They used to have a long line in front of them every-time I ate there back in the day. Not anymore.

The quality of food used to be good enough to Ignore the bad customer service, but now the broth tastes flat, the pork smelled freezer burned and fishy, and the toppings tasted like they've been sitting on a shelf 3 months too long. That's not worth sitting in a grocery store food court for. There are better food stalls all around that food court

Not as advertised, processed ramen, mediocre taste, if you want good ramen don’t come here! *Fake Ramen Warning*⛔️

We were in the airport, on a short layover between flights, and needed something quick to tide us over. A bowl of soup sounded great, but that would have involved a wait for them to prepare it, and more time to consume and savor it. So I opted instead for a pre-packaged spicy-tuna sushi roll. Big mistake. I opened it at our departure gate just before boarding, and found that it must have been at least 2 days old. It was completely dried out and virtually tasteless. I was able to partially rehydrate the tuna portions with soy sauce, but the flavor was way off. With a bottle of sparkling water, tax and a modest tip for the pleasant cashier, I ended up paying more than $20 for this disgusting dish. Beware!

I stopped going because of the manager Koji!! He mistreated me in a discriminatory way and he also seems to abuse the kitchen staff.

I’ve eaten at this Ramen restaurant for 10+ years. Today I was told they are no longer going to provide Ramen spoons for their Ramen. There’s no point in going to this restaurant with this tiny spoon that they’re providing for Ramen. … if Managment can’t order proper spoons for Ramen be considered a Ramen restaurant. …. See photo below. 😂

Thomas P

I’ve eaten at this Ramen restaurant for 10+ years. Today I was told they are no longer going to provide Ramen spoons for their Ramen. There’s no point in going to this restaurant with this tiny spoon that they’re providing for Ramen. … if Managment can’t order proper spoons for Ramen be considered a Ramen restaurant. …. See photo below. 😂

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka has completely fallen off. The broth was salty and the pork smelled off. They handed me a cheap plastic spoon that made the broth taste worse because the plastic component along with hot broth mess up the broth taste and it is not good for your health. It’s clear they’ve stopped caring about quality. Even the staff couldn’t be bothered the person taking my order was glued to their phone and looked like they’d rather be anywhere else.

Worse place ever I went to get some soup and this girl at the counter kept could not understand what I was saying I kept repeating myself while the cooks laughed In the back while I would give her the #s of the soups I wanted and the girl kept telling me that’s what I am Saying. It was not. They are so rude. She finally game me the order told me she got the order right and I went home with the two soups I ordered. I get home and she had put the wrong order in my bag after paying over 30 dollars for it the least you can do is get the order right but they don’t give a flying crap . I’m pretty sure she did this on purpose. She was pissed all along because I could not hear her and understand her. I will never order from here again. Worse customer service ever. This place sucks!

gloria soto

Worse place ever I went to get some soup and this girl at the counter kept could not understand what I was saying I kept repeating myself while the cooks laughed In the back while I would give her the #s of the soups I wanted and the girl kept telling me that’s what I am Saying. It was not. They are so rude. She finally game me the order told me she got the order right and I went home with the two soups I ordered. I get home and she had put the wrong order in my bag after paying over 30 dollars for it the least you can do is get the order right but they don’t give a flying crap . I’m pretty sure she did this on purpose. She was pissed all along because I could not hear her and understand her. I will never order from here again. Worse customer service ever. This place sucks!

J J

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka has completely fallen off. The broth was salty and the pork smelled off. They handed me a cheap plastic spoon that made the broth taste worse because the plastic component along with hot broth mess up the broth taste and it is not good for your health. It’s clear they’ve stopped caring about quality. Even the staff couldn’t be bothered the person taking my order was glued to their phone and looked like they’d rather be anywhere else.