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    Santouka Back Bay

    4.1 (843 reviews)
    ModerateRamen, Soup, Noodles
    Open 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Order Santouka Back Bay Takeout or Delivery

    Santouka Back Bay Photos

    Business Info

    SANTOUKA BACK BAY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Santouka Back Bay

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    Shio ramen and Kara Miso ramen
    Jennifer H.

    Santouka really hits the spot when you're craving ramen, but dare I say that the California locations taste better? This location in Back Bay is very tiny, and though hot ramen on a cold day is winning combo, I don't know if it's worth the wait outside. Thankfully, I stopped by right when it opened on a weekday and was seated promptly with no wait. The Tonkotsu Kara Miso Ramen has a great punch of spice, with a nice creamy broth from the miso and pork bones. I'm always a big fan of the menma (bamboo shoots) and wood ear mushroom toppings that give the meal a great crunch. This is the type of place I would wait no more than 25 minutes for in bearable weather if I was in the area, but I wouldn't make a special trip out for it. Still delicious!

    Exterior
    Eric B.

    This was a really delicious ramen experience in Boston! Be aware, though, that the interior is very small and cramped. You will very likely be sitting shoulder to shoulder with other diners. Service was very attentive and friendly. I had the large chasu ramen (you can choose from several sizes) which came with a choice of several smaller plates (I went with chasu rice). Everything was delicious!! The broth was flavorful, and the noodles were perfect. The pork was tender, and the small side of rice was delicious and not overly salty. I recommend Santouka for ramen in Boston!

    Black garlic mazemen
    Lena L.

    My favorite ramen spot in North America! I've been going to santouka in Vancouver since high school and super excited that they expanded to Boston. My go to is the shio toro niku. It's made with pork cheek and it's so tender it almost melts in your mouth. I also like how you can order a small for $1 less, since I always end up too full with normal portions. Second favorite is the Negi Namban, which is their spiciest shio while the broth remains light. They come out with special items like the one I had today which is black garlic mazemen. It's served room temp and topped with shallot crisps making it a great dish for a hot summer day. There's usually a line out the door but service and turnaround is quick. Do prepare to share a table!

    ..(R) Cha-shu Karamiso
    Kirtana S.

    My favorite place to go on a cold day. This location to me tastes better than the location in Cambridge. They're so quick with managing the line.

    ..(R) Mazemen ..(R) Toroniku Shio
    Kevin W.

    As someone who loves ramen, Santouka is arguable the best ramen in Boston. My go to is the toroniku ramen. While the tonkotsu broth isn't the most flavorful and tastiest i've had, it is consistent across all locations I've been to and definitely still the best in Boston. Noodles look to be packaged by sun noodles who are a large distributor for ramen noodles. That said, the pork tonoriku is very well made, pork is extra soft and a melt in your mouth feel. Restaurant is tiny so expect to wait and potentially share a table

    Georgette P.

    So damn good! Just coming back from Japan I have been craving some authentic ramen and this was it! I don't eat pork so my only option was the vegetarian which I wasn't sure about because I'm picky about tofu, but this did not disappoint. Absolutely incredible. The place is small so you may have to wait outside but services quick and friendly so you will be happy you waited.

    Toriniku bento
    Lori I.

    Location: Boston, Back Bay Seating: 2 tables of 6, and 6 bar seats for total 18 seats. If you want to be seated faster, break your party up into smaller groups. The parties of 2 jumped ahead of us. Reservations: NO. Must wait in line Food: the ramen tonkotsu broth is good. You can ask for small or large portions. If you have a student ID, you can get the larger size for free at this location. They do not have GF ramen, so I ordered the Toroniku bento. The pork jowl was cold and rubbery, and nothing like what it should be. I probably should have ordered the charsiu bento instead.

    Magda C.

    I didn't get the ramen but my friends said it was very good, it is a small place, wait was 15 min for lunch.

    Sheldon C.

    Friendly and efficient service. Nice location. Good outdoor seating options. Delicious broth! Got the black garlic ramen and it was super tasty. The salmon roe rice was also delicious. Would definitely come back again when craving ramen in Back Bay.

    ..(R) Shio and Aji-Tama
    Haliena H.

    after the longest day of walking, me and my friend wanted a filling meal and so many people had recommend this ramen shop and we saw there was a huge line so we checked it out. the shop is very small given so that could have attributed to the long wait/line. the service and staff is very quick so we got our food fairly quickly however was a bit disappointed with the meal. we are originally from an area with lots of great asian cuisines especially ramen so maybe our standards are slightly raised but overall i felt it was slightly lacking in terms of flavor. i ended up adding quite a bit of chili oil and powder to my dish which u never do when eating ramen! Shio Ramen - 6/10

    Kylie B.

    I have been dying to try this place as I always see a long line when I walk by on Newbury. Santouka is super small, only two tables so expect to share with other customers and bar seating! I came on a Thursday night and every seat was still taken but no wait. I ordered the Kara Miso Ramen which is one of the spicy options that comes with pork belly. The pork belly was delicious, soft, and salty which I loved. I also really enjoyed the savory broth but did not find it spicy personally. The noodles are on the thinner side but have a great chew. Overall a very classic and yummy bowl of ramen!

    ..(R) Cha-shu Shoyu
    Jaquelin F.

    Very lovely customer service. The host/waiter kept checking in and I was immediately seated (I was only one so maybe that's why.) they don't have that much variety, their only meat consists of pork belly but they do have vegetarian options! Honestly pretty good ramen spot if you're around here but not the best, you know. Still, their little spot was very welcoming and couldn't resist some hot soup.

    Greyson N.

    Small tiny seating area - be comfortable sitting next to someone as if they were in your party. The food is great however and the service was super efficient. I believe we made a reservation and it helps since there is such limited seating and the place can get busy/popular. The ramen was great - the side dishes are limited unless you like fish egg/roe on rice??? I don't so I just focused on the ramen. Very yummy!.

    Limited edition black garlic ramen. Delicious.

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    Page 1 of 22

    Santouka Back Bay Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Santouka Back Bay

    Any vegetarian options I didn't see any on there website?

    Can you get ramen to go?

    Yes & they also partner with delivery apps for delivery

    Do they have bubble tea?

    No.

    Do they have take out menu?

    Yes- they seemed to be actively doing lots of takeout when I was there!

    Easy parking access?

    It's downtown so there's not too much parking nearby.

    Do they offer chicken or beef ramen?

    Nope but they do have a veggie ramen

    Is it paid by credit card?

    Yes. They take cash or card.

    What's the wait time like for a Saturday night?

    30'

    Do they have a vegetarian broth?

    They do, however the noodles are made with egg if you're looking for vegan.

    Does this location offer gluten-free noodles?

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    4.4(940 reviews)
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    Came to Boston for a work trip and really wanted to eat something light and healthier. I loved it…read moreso much I came back twice! I came during lunchtime on a Monday. It was adequately busy but still had seats open. The lunch menu is very affordable! If you can, I'd highly recommend going for lunch instead of dinner. Service was really quick! Received my meal in like 5-7 mins after ordering. Fish was super fresh and I really liked the different textures in the Hoseki Don. I also added in negitoro. They gave me a big clump of it! The second time I went back, I ordered take out so I could eat it at the airport for dinner. I ordered the Sake Maguro Hamachi don, added ikura and negitoro. Again, so impressed with the quality of the fish and the size of it. They didn't skimp out and really enjoyed the thickness of the sashimi despite it only being 3 pieces. It was a very satiating bowl. Cant wait to come back next time again!

    absolutely adore tora! one of the few places i'd always recommend in boston! fish quality is pretty…read moregood and they have a good variety on the menu! i'd recommend the aburi waygu don but also something more interesting is the kani-yaki tama don however that's a bit more if u like imitation crab! resturant inside is pretty casual and service once seated is usually good and quick however resturant itself is very small so wait times on weekends are ALWAYS long but again it's a given for how popular the resturant is! (p.s. i've been here soooo many times times so i'd also say quality has always been consistent)

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    Shōjō-Boston - Popcorn Chicken

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    This place was fun! We sat at the bar and got delicious mai tais in fun cups. For apps we got the…read moreTaiwanese Basil Popcorn Chicken and it was good but could have used more chicken, felt like too many pieces of just fried batter - the green herb aioli on the side was sooo good though! We also got the Sichuan Ribeye Bao which was good but felt too dry - could have used some type of sauce! The environment was fun.

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    RedWhite is a vegan Japanese restaurant on Newbury Street known for it's flavorful ramen. The…read moreambiance inside is pretty cramped and dark, plus our wait time was long. We also had to wait outside since there wasn't room inside the restaurant. Additionally, they have a policy where you must order 1 dish per person or they will not seat you. You order at the front and then are seated with a beeper to pick up your food. The menu is pretty limited, but the dishes was overall seasoned nicely. The Spicy Roasted Miso Avocado Sushi Roll was better than the roasted miso avocado sushi since the best part of the dish was the spicy crumble on top. However, the sushi was oddly sized (too big for one bite, but too small and fell apart for 2 bites). The ramen was also differently flavored. The garlic was too overpowering and the texture of the noodles to other vegetables in the dish was offputting to me. However, all the dishes were presented/plated well. I probably wouldn't go back, but it was conveniently located.

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    Santouka Back Bay - ramen - Updated May 2026

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