Hokkaido Santouka Ramen @ Pavilion Review

Ramen outlets have been sprouting in the KL food scene. Before this ramen craze started, I have never liked ramen because those served in Japanese restaurants are not good at all. Surprisingly, I have occasional ramen crave especially on rainy days. What better than slurping  into  hot bowl of ramen?

I am sure some of you have heard of Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, a ramen placce located in Pavilion's Tokyo Street. This ramen place is quite popular actually on the internet so I know I need  to try it. Maybe I will find the best ramen here in KL?

I like how they have the Japanese curtain thingy at the front of the restaurant to give more privacy to customers eating inside. Like most ramen places, this is a non-halal place.  Lol obviously right? The broth itself is already pork broth. Of course, there are Muslim friendly halal ramen places in Klang Valley which I will post reviews in the near future. Hmm.. The Japanese characters are like Chinese ones saying San Tou Huo (mountain head fire) on the curtain thingy. The black colour scheme of its interior design gives the whole place a classy feel.

Salmon Roe Rice Bowl

My mother who is not really keen on ramen had the Salmon Roe Rice Bowl which was a sub-par dish. It is a ramen place after all. So do not expect too much from their rice bowl.

You know what I really appreciate about Hokkaido Santouka? The choices of having a small, medium or large bowl of ramen. I always find it a struggle to finish up my bowl of ramen in most ramen places. The portions are just a little too overwhelming. But this is not the case with my boyfriend who finds their portion to be just right. So having the choice of size is really a plus point. I don't like wasting food. Also, they offer a choice of set with small bowl of ramen and also rice bowl. Hmm... Why didn't my mom just order this? I guess she is just not a ramen eater. LOL

Miso

My dad had this Miso ramen which tasted really creamy and Miso-ish. I love how the soup really highlights the Miso flavour without being too salty as most Miso soups can really really REALLY salty. One thing though, the broth is a little oily.

Char Siu Ramen in  Kara-Miso 

Since I like something more than just a Miso broth, I chose the Kara-Miso which is spicy version of the Miso. Char Siu ramen just comes with more char siu pieces by the way. The bamboo shoot here taste quite subtle which I prefer over bamboo shoots that are strong in flavour. I am not really a bamboo shoot fan.

Santouka definitely nailed the art of cooking noodles to perfection. I love how springy the noodles are. Sad part is that the spiciness of this broth is pathetic. I almost forgotten that it was supposed to be spicy. Not sure if it is due to my tolerance to spiciness that has leveled a thousand times after having the Samyang Spicy Ramyun a couple of times.

What I am most upset about is that their ramen DOES NOT come with the Tamago egg! I am always looking forward to eat my egg when I have my ramen. Having to order it at RM4 for one whole egg separately is definitely a NAY! 

Tamago Egg (RM4.00)

Okay. I did order the Tamago Egg and it was quite worth it. I would not say that this is the best ramen but it is one of the better ones around town. Furthermore, the ramen here is a little pricier than other ramen joints. I still love Menya Musashi's ramen the most. Sorry Santouka, you didn't manage to steal my heart away.


Will I revisit? Perhaps not.


Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Lot 6.24.03 Level 6
Pavilion KL, 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
+60 3 2143 8878