It took me a couple of days after the Benkei ramen experience to get Matt to pick up a pair of chopsticks again, an just in case, we picked Santouka as the next destination. It’s also a chain but, named for a poet, their style of ramen making borders on beautiful. To get the broth perfectly meaty and creamy, they simmer the pork rib for 2 days. You can see them all in process, boiling away.
Again had we had gyoza, followed by a Shio ramen for me and a Miso ramen for Matt, and when we saw that Santouka also offers toroniku (fattier pork jowl) as well as leaner pork meat, we both decided to treat ourselves.
The gyoza was excellent but the ramen was unparalleled. The broth and noodles are served separately from the meat and other ingredients, so that the meat doesn’t cook up and fall apart before you’re ready to eat it. But it also provides an opportunity to taste the broth on its own without any additional flavours. This is a very rich soup. The extra time boiling creates a creamy broth that doesn’t separate and combined with the pork jowl, was an interesting overlap between comforting and decadent. At the first slurp I may have gasped at the deliciousness of it, but by the end of the bowl it proved to be a bit much for every day. Combined with the lean meat, it would be exquisite.
Leaving with smiles and sloshing bellies, I almost wanted to end “Ramen Week” right then, but there are still a few neighbours on Ramen Row…
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Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
1690 Robson St, Vancouver
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Ahh, I was waiting for your assessment of my favorite ramen shop in Vancouver. Hokkaido is where some of the best ramen is (and where I enjoyed the best ramen I’ve ever had)! We’re still trying to track down what it was called.
Thanks so much for doing this Degan. Looking forward to who’s next (and if you’ll cover the places in Richmond that I’ve only heard about).
I didn’t go to Richmond on this jaunt, but what are the ones you’ve heard about? I’d love to check them out.
G-men (Joe’s going to write about this one) and there’s a mobile one that travels around (heard about it on CBC Radio 1), started by a guy from Tokyo.