Santouka Back Bay

The ramen is worth the wait. With a tiny dining area you'll most likely share a table with strangers but they also have some outdoor seating. We quickly ordered after being seated and the ramen came out soon after. I got the shoyu ramen which is flavorful but a little on the salty side. Definitely get the agitama egg which is soft boiled and marinated. The noodles are al dente and all ramen come in three sizes.

Great service and they are sooo friendly! Boston is a great city to have Ramen/Udon and you'll find many days where the weather is perfect for thisWe got two small bowls but should have gone with a medium.. the small bowls are tinyStudent also get to upsize for free!

I almost never give 5 stars but this was super interesting. The pork cheeks were tender and softer than the usual pork slices at other ramen spots. The flavor was tasty and rich but not too oily. Noodles cooked nicely with some chew. Try to go when they first open for lunch to avoid long lines.Great location too as you can go shopping on Newbury after!

I have been coming to Santouka Back Bay and the Harvard square location for years. I love this place! I've taken pretty much all my friends here and they've all enjoyed it as well. The restaurant is super small, but so charming! It can get very busy with a long wait outside due to not having lots of seating. But I would say the wait is worth a delicious bowl of hot ramen! Drinks/apps: I don't usually get anything particular to drink, sometimes I will indulge in a strawberry calpico but I stick to water. Note that alcoholic beverages are not served here. For apps I like the rice with pork (if you're feeling particularly hungry) and edamame. I tried the nato gohan (fermented soy beans) which I did enjoy but I think these might be an acquired taste and people tend to be turned off by their bitterness. Entrees: I love the shio ramen which comes with the egg noodles, bamboo shoots, a fish cake, and pork pieces. The broth is so hearty, warm, and perfectly salty. I tend to get the regular size because the large is pretty big. My bf tried the miso ramen which was also flavorful and he ordered an egg to go with it which I recommend!TL;DR: This is one of my favorite places to grab a bite to eat in Boston. Over the years it has definitely gained popularity have gotten busier, so I would advise going at a less busy time (like before dinner time?) My recommendations are the shio ramen, get the egg add on, and a rice of your choice if you are starving. You don't need to order a lot here, the portions are big and you will be super full from the ramen!

Expect to wait in a line outside. That's how you know it's a good place. We didn't wait long, maybe 20 minutes. It was the weekend of the Boston Marathon so the streets were busier than normal. We were seated at a communal table. Most if not all were like this so they can fit more people. Fortunately my friend and I were seated right at the window so we only had people on one side. This is a no frills restaurant, which means don't dilly dally. You never feel rushed, but the atmosphere didn't make us feel like we should stay beyond what we needed to enjoy our ramen.Speaking of, we both got small sizes. It may look tiny, but we were both very full when we finished. Broth was creamy, thick, and savory without being salty or over powering. Noodles were perfectly cooked. I loved the menma and the ume on top. It was the perfect meal for a busy Boston day of walking around the city.Don't sleep on this place!

This is a tiny little location in Back Bay that usually has a long line to get in. Got lucky on a weekday lunch and was seated instantly. Service was very quick and food came out super fast. I ordered their special cold ramen and the noodles weren't really cooked all the way. They were super al dente, which I don't always mind but they took a while to chew. Also, serving was kind of small for the price. This bowl of cold ramen was around $20!

Solid ramen if you're in a pinch or rush. My son and I found this place while walking around Back Bay. He had a craving for ramen from SoCal and lo and behold, this is the same chain that we have in San Diego. The ramen is tasty and the meats are fresh. Price can't be beat in this part of town either!

A tiny restaurant that serves some delicious ramen. I had bookmarked this restaurant for my Boston trip and coincidentally it was the same restaurant my friends whom I was visiting wanted to take me to. So it speaks for the popularity of this restaurant. I am happy to say it lived up to the expectations.I went for the Kara Miso Ramen and my husband tried the Shoyu Ramen. I found both the flavors to be distinct and comforting. But, I did notice that their quantity of noodles compared to the broth was more than what I have seen at other ramen restaurants nonetheless it was well cooked. I went for the medium size and the quantity was perfect for me. The restaurant is quite popular and my friends who brought me here said there is always a line. However, the line was moving fast and the smaller the group you have, the faster you will get seated. I think we just had to wait 10 minutes apprx for a table of 4. Their service is quick and the server was very pleasant. They have family style seating so you may end up sharing your table with other groups.

This felt like being at home in NYC. Very good ramen served in a very cozy spot off the main thoroughfare, with a bit of a line to get in. Once inside, service is quick and friendly and the food is top notch. This is Hokkaido style ramen, which is probably the most familiar style to most people. Santouka's broth is very good, and the noodles had an exemplary texture. Possibly my favorite part was the side of cha-shu gohan that came with my lunch set--a delicious little dish of rice with scallions and pork belly on top, drizzled with a little hot broth. Fantastic.It's worth the line to get inside and try this, and nice to know it's possible to get such delicious ramen in Boston.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is my favorite, if not one of my favorite ramen spots. I used to go to their location in Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater, NJ so I was very excited to see they have several locations in MA. Santouka Back Bay is a very close walk to the Back Bay T station. The restaurant has a few countertop seats and 2 tables. The few times I have been here, I shared the table with other groups. There is a queue to wait outside if the restaurant is full, but usually I go close to opening and never had to wait. Service is always very quick from ordering to serving the food. They need the quick turnover since the restaurant is not big.Anything you order from the menu, you can't go wrong. Their ramen broths are delicious and toro-niku/cha-shu are smooth and tasty. I highly recommend visiting Santouka Back Bay and taste their ramen dishes.