Good Stuff: Santouka Ramen
It's in a strip mall. In a food court. Despite the lack of ambience, Santouka Ramen in the Mitsuwa Marketplace near Culver City is one of the not-so-hidden gems of LA cuisine. The line can get unbelievably long and, if you're by yourself, as I was, it can be a challenge to wait in line, find a table, and then keep said table while you get your noodles when your number is called. But, somehow, you manage and the steaming, delicious, broth and perfectly al dente noodles paired with melt-in-your mouth slices of pork make the whole exercise worthwhile.
I hadn't been to Santouka in a while. I've been frequenting Chabuya on Sawtelle for my ramen fix. But, I had to get some ingredients at Mitsuwa and I was hungry. So, the other day, I found myself in line with a bunch of other ramen lovers. Santouka has the classic glass case with plastic sculptures of the various offerings--kinda unnecessary when every bowl looks like...err...a bowl of ramen. Thankfully, there is also a menu with brief descriptions. I went for a regular sized (you can get small, regular or large) Toroniku Miso Ramen. When my number was called, I picked up a bowl of glistening ramen swimming delightedly in a saffron colored broth. The Toroniku is the "special pork" ramen and it is served with pork cheek that has been braised until meltingly tender. The tender slices of pork, bamboo shoots, scallions, seaweed and a slice of fish cake come separate from the soup and you can add as much of these ingredients as you like.
I don't know why this place didn't make such an impression on me the first couple of times I tried it, but it definitely has my attention now. The broth was complex, earthy and, salty with a hint of sweet. I would have been happy just to have the ramen and the broth. With the addition of the pork, scallions and bamboo shoots, it reached a whole different level of awesome. The pork (if you read this blog at all, you must realize I'm a bit pork-obsessed) cheeks were sublime, the bamboo shoots added a nice sense of texture and the scallions provided a nice balance to the salt and oil in the broth. Chabuya who? From now on, this is where I'll be getting my ramen fix.
Santouka
3760 S Centinela Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(I'd provide the website, but it's in Japanese)
*CASH ONLY--No Credit Cards
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