Sansotei Ramen — Restaurant in Ottawa

So for starters, the reason I am making this a 1 star review versus a 2 star is because Sansotei serves excellent ramen, the waitresses are mostly friendly and work very hard, but unfortunately customer service can be questionable at times and people need to be aware of what can happen.

I am going to detail my experience which happened at the end of lunch time (around 1pm) on Friday November 23, 2018.

I purchased a bowl of miso black ramen (with thick noodles, an extra egg) and an order of dumplings. The dumplings arrived first and were fantastic. I waited about 20 more minutes after this for the ramen.

When the ramen arrived, the only issue was that the extra egg was not there. Unfortunately the waitress had took off at this point and I did not want to wait until she arrived again.

When I was ready for the bill, another waitress came and I explained the situation with the egg. I told her that I had ordered an extra egg, but since the rest of the meal was fine, I wanted this noted and for the egg charge to be removed from the bill.

The new waitress finally came back with the bill. She explained to me that they removed the egg charge, but that I should have informed them right away about the problem. She said to me that 'I don't want to accuse you, but we can't verify whether you simply just ate the extra egg).

This is a serious problem when you're accusing your customers of stealing a tiny extra to be added on to their meals. I've been to Sansotei many times and to think I'd have to argue about a $1 charge on a $20 meal (which I am confident that the staff are pushing orders out so fast that they don't actually verify what's being served) really gives you a bad vibe about the establishment in general.

Oh and in case anyone is wondering - despite all this, I did leave a $4 tip for the waitress as she did apologize for the other one and was genuinely trying hard to get orders to all the customers in...

I’ve been coming to Santosei Ramen for the past five years, and it has consistently been one of my favorite spots in the city. The fact that I keep returning says everything — the quality here never wavers.

The service is always quick, easy, and welcoming. Whether dining in or grabbing takeout, the staff make the experience smooth and enjoyable. Even on busy nights, they keep things moving efficiently without ever sacrificing friendliness.

The food itself is what keeps me coming back. The ramen is consistently delicious, with rich broths, perfectly cooked noodles, and toppings that always taste fresh and thoughtfully prepared. Every bowl has that comforting balance of flavors that makes ramen such a satisfying meal. I’ve tried different menu items over the years, and I’ve never been disappointed — it’s clear that they maintain a high standard across everything they serve.

One thing I especially appreciate is how great the ramen holds up as leftovers. The broth tends to “solidify” a bit once it cools, but I’ve found that adding a splash of water when reheating brings it right back to life. It tastes just as good the next day, which is rare for many restaurant dishes.

Overall, Santosei Ramen is reliable, flavorful, and welcoming — the kind of place you can always count on for a great meal. After five years of visits, I can confidently say it’s one of the best ramen spots around....

We showed up at around 6:30PM on a Saturday evening. We waited about 15 minutes for a table, which wasn't bad considering the length of the lineup. Once it was our turn, the hostess asked us if we minded sharing a table. We definitely didn't mind, but it was thoughtful of her to ask since that might not be to everyone's liking. Even though we were sharing, there was plenty of room between us and the other group of people.

Service was incredibly fast. From the time we sat down,it was only about 15 minutes before our food arrived, and it probably took us 5 minutes to decide what to order.

We ordered The Spicy Tantan, the Miso Black, Seaweed Salad, Gyoza (pork dumplings), and Zangi (deep fried chicken). Everything was excellent. The Zangi was one of the best sides/appetizers I've ever had.

The Spicy Tantan was just the right amount of spicy for me. If you don't like too much heat though, it might not be for you. All of the toppings were delicious and cooked to perfection.

The Miso Black was absolutely fantastic. The mushrooms were a great addition to the ramen, and the broth was easily the best I've ever had.

Everything came to just under $50, which we thought was pretty reasonable for two people to eat (too much).

Overall, I was really impressed with Sansotei Ramen. If I lived in Ottawa, I would definitely be coming...