We tried to go to an Indian place we had seen along that strip of restaurants along Bristol, but the parking lot was set up for it in such a way that, despite two attempts, we were still unable to navigate through traffic to get there. Time was running short, so instead we headed to Santouka once again.
Based on GameBoy’s previous visit, in which, he gave me all the fat from his special Kurobata pork, I recommended that he get the regular pork, which was less fatty. I, having tried the regular pork a few days before, stuck to the special pork. This time, however, I branched off from my usual miso broth to the much-recommended shi (salt) broth. GameBoy tried the spicy miso broth.
The shio broth turned out to be a great idea. Though I like the miso broth, the shio broth was so amazing I found myself picking the bowl up to drink the last drop of broth. And anyone that’s ever seen Tampopo, that classic Japanese ramen movie, knows that this sort of broth is the pinnacle of perfection in terms of ramen broth.
GameBoy thought the shio was a bit too salty, but to me it was all juicy pork slurpiness. In contrast, the spicy miso ramen was not bad, but reminded me too much of my college days of instant ramen to be too enjoyable. The noodles, of course, were perfectly chewy, and the pork was delicious. The regular pork isn’t bad, either, but definitely go for the special pork if you can spare an extra buck or two- it’s well worth it. GameBoy, notoriously picky, still ended up trading me some of his regular pork with fat for a no-fat part of the special pork, which he agreed is fantastic.
Santouka is still the best quick lunch in Costa Mesa, hands down. Too bad you have to go through parking hell to get to it.
Date of Visit: 4/5/07
Santouka
Mitsuwa Marketplace Food Court
665 Paularino Ave.,Costa Mesa CA 92626
(714) 557-6699
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