Hokkaido Ramen Santouka — Restaurant in Elk Grove Township

My favorite ramen in the whole entire Chicagoland area. The line to this place is always long. Food took long to get ~ 30-35 min but that’s expected for a popular place. They close 20-30 min early because the line is so long and it takes them that long to make the ramen. It’s kinda funny that they have a worker stand in the back of the line with a sign that says they are close 🤭

I got the spicy miso ramen which is what I usually get at this place. When I had my first bite of the noodles I thought it was to myself something was a little off like it wasn’t good anymore but then I had some of the broth and pork belly that came with it and then I realized why this place had the best ramen. The broth and pork belly is so good even my girl who hates the fat from pork belly was able to eat it. She got the miso ramen and that was amazing tooo!!! I got a set box that came with plain rice and soy sauce egg with the ramen (I was hungry). There’s also three different sizes for the ramen. We both got medium.

Service was ok they only gave us one soup spoon for two bowls of ramen but I went up and asked for spoon and the worker happily gave us one. It looked like he was new because people kept coming up telling him they didn’t get their soy sauce egg or didn’t get the water. Can’t blame him though he was doing so much things and fast too. There was an awkward moment because before I ordered I had to stand there for 10 min because they had too much orders in place and needed to serve the customers first before taking new orders. I think he did a great job but other people might get mad thinking why isn’t he taking my order I’ve been standing here for 10 min blah blah blah. Before he took my order he had to ask someone if it’s ok to start taking orders again so you know there’s a reason why he was not taking orders.

After eating their ramen I always leave the food court in a good mood because the food here is...

The thing I really enjoy about Santouka is that it always tastes exactly how I remember no matter how much time passes in-between visits. Before Chicago was filled with endless, delicious ramen options there was Santouka. I recently went back after a few years away. It's like going back home and having grandma's cooking.

I almost always get the Toroniko Spicy Miso Ramen which is essentially char siu with pork cheek instead of belly. It's well worth the extra money and so succulent and flavorful. My last visit they ran out of toroniko but it's just as good as I remember.

I'm happy to report that Santouka is no longer cash only; now they don't even take cash. The lines are still long during weekends and lunch rush. Get there early to find comfortable seating. Menu is easy to read and numbers next to each item make ordering easy. Despite long lines wait time is usually only 15-20 minutes. The spicy miso is rather spicy for your average pallette. Broth is always piping hot, noodles always have a bite to them.

Is it the best ramen I've ever had? Not by a long shot (Strings in Chinatown holds that spot). But they're extremely consistent in taste, execution, and wait time. I always know exactly what I'm getting so I'm never let down. Before the recent supply chain issues they never ran out of any menu items. As far as the northwest suburbs go, this is the place you want to go. Well...

I ordered a regular-sized, miso broth, charsiu ramen. This place has locations all over the world, including Japan - - originating in Hokkaido--, and of course this popular spot in Chicagoland. I probably should have ordered the shio ramen since that's their specialty, which I'd get next time since it's worth another try. This time, however, the ramen didn't meet my expectations.

I had heard only good things about Santouka, and since it's located inside Mitsuwa Marketplace, it has discerning customers galore, so the high rating should have been well-deserved. They promise "a substantial bowl of ramen piled high with a precious amount of pork roasted to the point of falling apart," and there was definitely A LOT of char siu in the bowl. However, having lived in Japan for over a decade myself, I had never had such undercooked and overly-fatty char siu before. It was generous, but not of the quality that made me want that amount. The noodles are firm, which I usually like, but these were a little too firm and actually seemed underdone. The other ingredients were good, however, and the broth - - which is key of course - - was excellent. I finished the bowl no problem, since the regular size is actually not that big, soup and all and felt satisfied.

Next time I'll get the 'oomori' shio ramen without all the extra char siu, and expect that will be a...