Hokkaido Ramen Santouka Allston — Restaurant in Boston

Santouka Allston is the ultimate destination for ramen lovers in "The Student Capital" of Boston. Here's what sets this place apart from other ramen restaurants, and even other Santoukas in the area, and makes it a must-visit for anyone craving authentic Japanese ramen:

Exclusive Offerings at the Allston location: Deep Fry Gyoza: Here, they take their gyoza to the next level by deep frying them. This method adds an extra layer of flavor and crunch to these delectable dumplings, making them an irresistible appetizer or side dish. Only Location for Karaage: Karaage, the Japanese-style fried chicken, is a beloved dish for many. At Santouka Allston, they have the distinction of being the exclusive location where you can savor this mouthwatering delicacy.

But that's not all! Santouka Allston is giving you a chance to win a 20% discount! Simply like this post and follow both @Santouka Allston and @zackaryeats on Instagram. Three lucky winners will get to savor even more of their delectable dishes at an exclusive 20% discount!

WHAT WE ORDERED: Ramune: To quench our thirst, we enjoyed the nostalgic and effervescent Ramune soda. Yuzu Matcha Kukicha: The Yuzu Matcha Kukicha tea was a refreshing and fragrant accompaniment to our meal. Karaage: We couldn't resist trying Santouka Allston's exclusive fried chicken, and it exceeded all expectations. Crispy, flavorful, and oh-so-delicious! Takoyaki “Volcano”: A fiery twist on classic takoyaki, this dish was an explosion of flavors and textures. Fried Gyoza: The deep-fried gyoza was a revelation – the perfect blend of crispy and savory. Kara Miso + Shiyake (Salmon over Rice): For those craving seafood, the warm Kara Miso with the Shiyake was a delightful choice. Tan-Tan Men (Creamy and Spicy Noodles) + Cha-Shu Combo: The Tan-Tan Men with its creamy, spicy broth paired with succulent Cha-Shu was a flavor-packed delight.

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I brought my mother there on Tuesday night 09/30 because she loves Ramen and it’s one of her favorite spots. Immediately after we were sat, we could tell that there were weird looks given to us by the male server. The female server was lovely, a bit timid but caring and attentive. The male Asian server, on the other hand, never said a word to us but only gave us looks even when we asked for things. I am not sure if it has anything to do with the fact that we are Southeast Asians and he’s of East Asian descent, and he’s playing into the stereotype. However, his attitudes toward us soured the whole experience. We asked for hot oil, he just looked at us and put the set on the table with a smirk, then turned around and started talking to the kitchen in his native language. I have worked in food service ever since I was in high school, and my mother is a generous tipper and a frequent eating out customer since she used to be a chef and owned many restaurants. Even she was like “what exactly is his problem? That’s weird”. I am not the type to write reviews like this, because I used to be working in his same positions, but he caused such a strong reaction within me that I had to write something to reflect the horrible experience that was provided to us strictly by him. At the end of the day, we are paying customers, we deserve respect. I tipped generously over 20% in cash directly to the female server who helped us take care of things. And I double checked, the tips are pooled so all servers have obligations to serve customers; it wasn’t like he wasn’t our server and didn’t care to provide us good service since he’s not making money from us specifically. If supervisor wants to contact, I would love to...

I ordered takoyaki for my appetizer, plus small miso ramen with the sides of ajitama (soft-boiled egg) and butter corn.

Takoyaki tasted freshly made but it wasn't piping hot, which I think is a plus; I don't wanna burn myself. The outside texture had a nice crisp to it and the sauce/toppings are typical but nicely complement it (didnt feel overdone). The inside, however, felt extra wet (not doughy), and I think that's because you get two tiny legs in comparison to the size of the takoyaki (see picture). All of them were like that btw. On a side note and personal preference, opening up the takoyaki and leaving it to cool for 3-5 minutes helped to bring out the flavors more and crisp up the outer texture even more.

The ramen was slightly over-seasoned for me. From the first sip of the broth without anything added, it tasted oily rather than 고소 from the fat. The noodles were thin noodles that tasted well cooked, but had a texture of undeoilrdone than overdone noodles (not in a bad way though?) 꼬들꼬들 would be how I describe it. The bamboo shoot was a little too sour for my liking. Everything else was good and typical-- the green onion was fresh enough that it complemented the dish when you eat it, and the wood ear mushroom was.. there? I tasted it. The ajitama comes out cool (not cold), just fyi.

The others aspects of this place that I like is that you get size options: small, regular, and large. The small is good if you have a small appetite or would like to eat something else too. I also liked the service a lot! My server was kind in letting me know what's going on when I...