Hokkaido Ramen Santouka Harvard Square

The ramen was extremely rich and delicious, balanced with the toppings. There's a set menu that allows you to cheese different sides, including gyoza, karage, shiyake (shredded salmon) over rice, salad, ajitama(marinated egg). The options for soup is also variable! Shio (salt), shoyu (soy sauce), and various miso (regular, spicy, sesame), and negi nanban (spicy mix of jalapenos, scallions, onions, friend onions). Either way there's tons of options. I highly recommend coming here for ramen. There's different kinds of ramen, I wish I could eat this heavy regularly. Customer service was great, thank you for the welcoming experience.

Santouka山頭火 was introduced by my Chinese group mate. It was so fulfilling to drink this bowl of hot noodles soup under such cold and grey weather. Shio Ramen塩ラーメン: I had not ever seen yellow noodles used in Japanese ramen, but they are in a good bouncy texture. The broth was authentically thick, with the umami of bamboo shoots and fragrance of pork bone. I also appreciate the aroma of sesame oil in a base note. However, the chashuチャーシュー, as a core part, was not wrapped into a roll, and a bit too hard and fat. Aji-tama 味玉: It was authentic too, with the flavor of Japanese shouyu醤油 and katsuobushi鰹節. Liquid egg yolk will always be an enjoyment on the table. p.s. This restaurant refuses any adjustments of taste or texture of ramen served.

It was a delightful ramen experience worth sharing. The atmosphere struck that perfect balance of casual and cozy vibe: warm lighting, friendly staff and that hum of people enjoying comfort food — ideal for a chilly evening or a quick lunch. I ordered the Shio ramen- broth was rich in flavor and umami without being overly salty. The portions are solid.

One of the best ramen spots in Boston. We come here every time we’re craving ramen, we don’t even feel the need to try other places because this one is genuinely that good. The staff are incredibly friendly, polite, and efficient. The food is served quickly, and it tastes great every single time we visit. We usually order the gyoza set and the salmon rice bowl set served with ramen, and finish the meal with taiyaki for dessert. It’s always satisfying and delicious, a place we leave happy every time.

I was drawn in by the high praise, but the ramen was just okay. Tonkotsu broth wasn’t particularly rich or thick, and the charshu was decent but not melt-in-your-mouth. Overall, average ramen compared with places I’ve had elsewhere. The real letdown was the service. A female server in blue gloves delivered water and took our order but didn’t check back or ask if we needed anything. When the bill finally arrived, I left $3 tip (about 6%). I normally tip 20-35% for ok-great service but I really felt like she deserved $0 tip but I still gave her something. The server abruptly took the tablet away and made a dismissive comment about talking to customers, which felt rude and unprofessional. That interaction soured the whole experience. Given the price and expectations, I wouldn’t return.