Santouka Ramen of Costa Mesa CA: Probably The Best Ramen You’ll Ever Have
Last night I think I just had the best ramen ever outside of Japan at Santouka Ramen of Costa Mesa. I read about the hype on the internet and was not disappointed. Hopefully you won’t, too.
Santouka is a little ramen house tucked away in the middle of the food court of the Mitsuwa Japanese marketplace. But, if you can’t read Japanese script you wouldn’t even know which eatery is which unless you asked. Or, you can just memorize this picture to the left. I’m told those are the characters for the name of the restaurant, but all I see is the phallic symbol on the right. Anyway, I digress. 
We chose the miso and the shio ramen, both of which were outstanding. The broth alone was a thick, creamy and complex soup with the right balance of salt and flavorings. Yes, it was on the saltier side ... but if you're watching your sodium you have not business eating out anyway. The noodles were perfectly cooked, not too tough yet not too soggy. However, we can't dismiss the toppings. Perhaps the most outstanding item was the pork, which just melt away in your mouth like, for lack of a better analogy, butter.
If you're in the Orange County area (or even if you're not!) be sure not to overlook this gem. Sure, parking is shitty, but it's worth it.
Santouka Ramen 665 Paularino Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 434-1101
http://www.japaneserestaurantinfo.com/santoka/
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