On a chilly night, nothing is more comforting than a bowl of noodles in broth. And while udon, beef noodle soup, and pho are all on that list, there’s something special about the art of ramen. It’s fast food in Japan, but it’s an art form that requires a flavorful rich both and springy noodles. The Black Knight and I went on a Saturday evening at 5pm, waited 15 minutes for a table of two, but it’s packed!  This is supposed to be the best place in Seattle for ramen.

garlic ramen – a flavorful broth without being too heavy, firm noodles, and a thin slice of cha shou make this an excellent ramen.

gyoza – lots of flavor packed into these fried pork dumplings, not too greasy either

There isn’t a lot of meat in the ramen, but the gyoza made up for any need of protein. The broth as I mentioned, is flavorful without being too rich which can be difficult to achieve. Among ramen places, I still prefer Jinya, perhaps because they do have an extremely garlicy and rich broth with slightly softer noodles. Jinya feels more commercial like a chain with other interesting items for those who are looking beyond ramen though, while Santouka feels more authentic. Ramen is a personal choice, depending on how you like your noodles, broth, and condiments.  I say try them both, and see which one you like better.  Third place goes to Kukai lest you think I forgot about them!

SUMMARY
Overall: happily ever after
Highlights: ramen, gyoza
Footnotes: there will be a wait since the place is pretty small, so go earlier in the night; they do not take reservations