Santa Ramen

Tonight Ming and I ate at Santa Ramen because we were craving ramen and had heard good things about this place. We also wanted to go do some grocery shopping at Marina after dinner.

We arrived at Santa Ramen at about 6.15p and there was already a line. O.o I knew the ramen was reputed to be good but I wasn't expecting a wait. We put our names on the waiting list and proceeded to wait until we were called. Luckily people ate pretty quickly and we only had to wait about 10 minutes before getting a seat in the 29 seat restaurant. We promptly ordered and waited for our ramen to arrive.

The ramen was very tasty but, as with most Japanese food, was laden with MSG and quite salty. It wasn't enough MSG to give you a headache but it certainly did make me reach for my water cup a lot. The ramen was really good. It was chewy and the broth was really tasty. Both of us had the stewed pork and roast pork in pork broth. mmm... We were lucky that we ordered when we did because 10 minutes later we saw the waitress put up a sign that said they were sold out of stewed pork.

Don't let the name fool you, stewed pork is really good. Stewed pork is really the pork belly which has been braised in a sweet, dark, salty liquid. It is the fatty pork cut of meat, found in "kau yuk mui choi" in Cantonese restaurants.

I couldn't finish all of the ramen so I asked for a to go container. The ramen was $11 per bowl. At $11 a bowl I expected that the restaurant would have some suitable take out container for the remainder of my dinner. Maybe in Japan they don't believe in take out containers (the employees were certainly Japanese and could have been born in Japan -- perhaps even the daughters of the owners) because when I asked for my to go container she came back with my leftovers in a zip lock bag. O.o Yes, my ramen and broth were all placed uncermoniously in a gallon size zip lock bag. Wow, that is the first time I've ever received a take out box that is a zip lock bag -- for broth!

All and all everything was really good and I'd go back again (1)if I didn't have to wait more than 20 minutes and (2) I only order enough so that I finish and don't require a take out container. I have heard that on weekends this place has over an hour for a wait and I'm not sure it is worth that. If you are in the area and are craving ramen, try heading over and see if the wait is short.