For more details, please visit the blog: https://tokyo-tabearuki.com/santouka-asahikawa 1 What is Ramen Santouka? Ramen Santouka opened in Asahikawa, Hokkaido on March 10, 1988, in the central part of the city along Midoribashi Street. The name of the restaurant is derived from the wandering haiku poet Santoka Taneda. In 1994, the restaurant expanded to Tokyo with the opening of the Ebisu branch. The chain later expanded to have over 50 stores in Japan. The soup is rich and flavorful, without any taste variation often seen in chain stores. As of 2022, there are 12 stores in Japan, but the brand is more focused on international expansion. Santouka has 49 stores in 9 countries and regions outside of Japan, with 80% of its sales coming from overseas. 2 Exterior, Menu, and Atmosphere of Ramen Santouka Asahikawa Main Store Located in Asahikawa, the second largest city in Hokkaido, the main store is easily accessible from Asahikawa Station. The exterior of the store is modern and inviting. The interior is spacious with around 24 seats and a cozy atmosphere. The menu offers a variety of ramen options, with the Shio Ramen being a popular choice. The store has a jazz piano playing in the background, adding to the stylish ambiance. 3 Shio Ramen at Ramen Santouka Asahikawa Main Store The Shio Ramen at Ramen Santouka Asahikawa Main Store is served in a black lacquered bowl, giving it a touch of elegance. The ramen is topped with chashu (pork), naruto, green onions, wood ear mushrooms, sesame seeds, and the signature red umeboshi plum. The creamy and mild soup is the highlight of the dish, served piping hot and full of flavor. A delightful and satisfying ramen experience at Ramen Santouka.

- Ordered item: Salt ramen - Dish: Santouka - When I was in Tokyo, I used to see Santouka all over the place, but the main store's milky pork bone salt soup was full of flavor. However, it lacked a bit of impact and overall, I thought it was just an average salt ramen. Maybe the miso ramen would have been better?

I tried it for the first time. The menu was a small-sized salt ramen and a negi-don with less rice, totaling around 1200 yen. It felt a bit expensive. I usually don't like salt ramen, but I was able to enjoy it this time. The chashu was thick like braised pork, and I had it with rice.

No matter which store you go to, I think the quality is consistently high. This shows how mature the kitchen operation is. I received a different impression from the main store's dignity than the usual Santouka, and it was delicious. However, the girls in the hall are too noisy. I haven't seen this much in branch stores. It's a shame that if they also consider customers who come all the way to Asahikawa to eat at the main store, it could be even better.

When you go to Asahikawa, skip the hotel breakfast and head straight to the original Santouka Ramen store when it opens. It's best to go around 11 am to avoid the long lines during lunchtime. While the salt ramen is recommended, I personally prefer the spicy miso ramen. The spicy miso ramen, accompanied by onigiri and gyoza, is absolutely delicious.

This is my favorite ramen shop!! I used to come here 2-3 times a week in the past :(；ﾞﾟ'ωﾟ') Now after a long time, I was excited to visit again when they opened at 10 am. However, to my surprise, there were already about 4 groups of customers! What! I made the effort to come right at opening time! Feeling the popularity, I sat down and ordered the salt ramen, which is always my go-to choice! When you think of salt ramen, you might imagine something light, but the salt ramen here at Santoka is incredibly rich and flavorful. It's so delicious that I can't get enough of it! The slightly thin, curly noodles are a perfect match with the soup. Ahhh (;´д｀) I can't resist it! I personally love the addition of wood ear mushrooms in the toppings. If you ever visit Asahikawa, be sure to try the salt ramen at Santoka! Enjoy! (⁎⁍̴̆Ɛ⁍̴̆⁎)

Located about a 5-minute walk from JR Asahikawa Station North Exit, on the 1st floor of a building along Midoribashi Street, is the restaurant "Ramen Santoka Asahikawa Main Store". I visited this restaurant during my trip to Hokkaido in early September. "Santoka" is a well-known ramen chain with over 50 stores nationwide and overseas. I have always made it a point to visit when in Asahikawa, but I found out that they had moved from the building next door. There were lanes set up on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant for lining up, but there was no line during the lunchtime opening hours on this day. However, when I passed by the restaurant at night, there was a long line forming. The interior of the restaurant has a total of 24 seats, including counter seats and table seats. I was seated at the counter. I looked at the menu on the table. On this day, I ordered the "Shoyu Ramen" (950 yen) and added the rice ball set as it was during lunchtime. The ramen was served without much of a wait. The noodles in the "Shoyu Ramen" were medium-thin curly noodles, and the toppings included chashu, menma, seaweed, green onions, and sesame seeds. I tried it right away. The pork bone-based soup looked thick and muddy, but it had a deep and rich flavor with a refreshing aftertaste, which was addictively delicious. The noodles had a nice chewy texture that I like, and they paired well with the soup. The chashu was tender and tasty, but I personally felt that it lacked a bit in volume, so I thought about adding extra toppings. I finished every last drop of the soup. It was a delicious meal. Thank you.

I visited the Asahikawa main store of Yamagatake, famous for cup ramen. The store has moved next to the previous location and the interior is very clean. I ordered miso ramen (with seasoned egg and chashu toppings) and negi rice.

Santoka Ramen is a popular restaurant known for selling cup ramen at convenience stores. The store is clean and well-organized, with separate entrances and exits to ease congestion. It is always busy. In Asahikawa, salt ramen is the most popular choice. While everyone orders salt ramen, I decided to try the spicy miso ramen. It looks very red, but the spiciness is mild. The soup here is smooth and well-balanced, without any sharp flavors. Although I think salt ramen is the best, sometimes I feel like rebelling and trying something different.

Today, I visited Ramen Santoka Asahikawa Main Store near JR Asahikawa Station. I ordered the miso ramen for 950 yen, with a seasoned egg topping for 150 yen, and also a highball for 450 yen. It has been a while since I last tried Santoka's ramen in Ebisu. The soup, noodles, chashu, and seasoned egg were all really delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I was surprised by the transformation of the main store after a long time. It had become a stylish and trendy ramen shop. The Green Bridge Building brought back memories. There are many inbound customers, and they come in groups, making it difficult for the staff to manage seating. There is always a line of about 10 people waiting outside. Since I was alone, I was quickly seated at the counter. I ordered the salt ramen and the limited edition negimeshi. The taste was just like the original store, with a consistent sweet and salty soup and tender pork chashu. The negimeshi consisted of white rice topped with soy sauce dressing, okaka, and plenty of green onions. It tasted just like it sounds. I tried to change the flavor by adding a little bit of ramen soup, but it was better without it. I would definitely visit again when I come to Hokkaido.

Hmm... This was my first time at Yamagata Ramen Santoka, including the main store. The rice in the complimentary rice ball at lunch was cooked perfectly. I enjoyed every last drop when I mixed it with the soup, but I ended up leaving over half of the ramen. Should I have ordered the salt flavor instead? But the chashu was really good... #Asahikawa #Ramen #I feel like I have to visit the main store again #I really meant to go to Aoba #sad #Hokkaido

Mountain Tohaku is a well-known figure! Since I came to Asahikawa, I tried the unique Asahikawa ramen with soy sauce base and the salt ramen with all the toppings. The salt ramen was undeniably delicious! It was so hot that I almost burned myself (^_^) The Asahikawa ramen, with a bonito broth soy sauce base, was also incredibly tasty! I might even prefer this one. We went during the weekday opening hours, so it was not crowded, and other than us, everyone else was foreigners!

This is a ramen I had when I returned to Asahikawa. I had the shoyu ramen at "Santoka Asahikawa Main Store" located at 348-6 1-jo, 8-chome, Asahikawa City (950 yen). I also received a free rice ball as a lunchtime service. The ramen had green onions, bamboo shoots, chashu, and naruto. The store recently moved to a new location in April 2020. The interior has counter seats and table seats. You can pay with various credit cards and mobile payment options like PayPay. The menu includes shio ramen (950 yen), shoyu ramen (950 yen), miso ramen (950 yen), spicy miso ramen (1000 yen), and fatty pork ramen (1260 yen). The side menu offers salted fish roe bun (380 yen), green onion rice (350 yen), egg miso rice ball (200 yen), grilled mackerel rice ball (200 yen), and yellow mini curry (350 yen). The rice ball is a limited quantity lunchtime service item. The noodles were delicious with the Asahikawa-style low hydration noodles and Santoka's creamy tonkotsu soup. I enjoyed it and would like to try the shoyu ramen next time.

I visited a famous ramen shop in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido, during my business trip. When I arrived at the shop, there was no line. I ordered the Salt Ramen for ¥950. The soup was not clear but rather a creamy salt tonkotsu base. It was not too light, but had a satisfying flavor. The noodles paired well with the soup. It reminded me of the ramen I had long ago, perhaps from Yamakawa. It was not too salty, so it might be good for those who prefer a lighter taste. It made me want rice afterwards. I left the shop feeling full and satisfied. The restaurant was bustling with customers. I thoroughly enjoyed the taste of this renowned shop. Thank you for the meal.

Of course, the ramen is amazing, but I really love the ajitama (flavored egg) at Yamatoukado Honten. It's perfectly runny and packed with flavor... so delicious. The ramen is also really tasty. I had it for the first time the other day and finished every last drop of the soup. This time, I wanted my child to try it too, so we went together. My child took a bite and said, "It's delicious." The bowl may look small, so I thought the portion might be small, but that's not the case at all. It's quite filling. They also offer a larger size. The shop opens at 11 am, and when we arrived, it was already open and about half full. It's definitely a popular spot. I noticed a few foreign tourists as well. The chef practicing saying "gochisousama" (thank you for the meal) was impressive. Thank you for the meal. I will definitely visit again.

I visited the restaurant on Sunday evening, May 14, 2023, just before 6 pm. There were a few customers already there. It seems like this place is popular, even at this time. I ordered the mini salt ramen. It didn't take long for the bowl to arrive. The mini size was just right. I've had similar ramen before in other places, but this one was surprisingly good. Despite being a creamy pork bone broth, it had a unique taste without any strong flavors. I was pleasantly surprised by this bowl of ramen.

First visit to Santouka Honten. I had some errands nearby and was lured in by the delicious smell on my way back. The restaurant is very clean and the kitchen staff are energetic. The servers were polite, maybe they were international students? I ordered the salt ramen, because when you think of Santouka, you think of salt ramen. It was ¥900. My companion got the soy sauce ramen in a large size for ¥1000. The salt ramen looked cute and had a nice touch of pickled plum, both in appearance and taste. It was so delicious that I ended up finishing all the soup, even though I usually try to leave some behind. The soy sauce ramen had a strong fish broth flavor. I will definitely go back again. Thank you for the meal!

They weren't lined up. It's around 3:00 PM. I was prepared to wait in line, but... oh, there's no line. Maybe it's because of the time... or maybe they didn't advertise much, it seems. It's Yomotokari's day. March 10th is Yomotokari's day. If you eat ramen at Yomotokari nationwide, you can get various gifts. In Asahikawa, the main store, Asahikawa Ramen Village store, Asahikawa Zoo Street store, and Asahikawa Airport store are giving out free ramen tickets. The Biei store gave out free ramen tickets on March 10th and 11th. Other regions also gave out various gifts. I arrived prepared to wait in line, but there was no line. It's Yomotokari's day, so I decided to go with the salt ramen. The toppings at Yomotokari already have various ingredients like naruto, chashu, green onions, wood ear mushrooms, menma, and small pickled plums. I ordered the salt ramen with a rich soup. The chashu was delicious, and there were two and a half thick slices of it. The noodles were medium thickness and had a good texture that absorbed the soup well. The soup was rich, although I expected it to be even richer. I received a free ramen ticket for Yomotokari's day, but unfortunately, I made a mistake with the parking fee and ended up paying more than expected.

I was planning to eat miso ramen, but my companion was not in the dugout as expected, which was surprising. Instead, there was a recommendation for "tamaoni" next to me, so I decided to try it. The result was really good, the onigiri was delicious. The toppings were like those from Maeda Honpo. I enjoyed it while thinking about that. These days, Yamakaji during lunchtime is always crowded. Maybe the economy is picking up again... Thank you for the meal!

When the limousine from the airport arrived in Asahikawa, I wanted to eat ramen but found that all the shops were closed. Luckily, Santoka Ramen was still open just before closing time. For those planning to visit at night, I recommend checking the restaurant's operating hours beforehand. Especially in winter, they tend to close early so be careful.