Santouka Hokkaido Ramen

Santouka Hokkaido Ramen is a popular ramen chain from Japan and now it finally arrives in Harvard Square, Boston. Before Santouka became a ramen chain, it began as a single ramen ship Hokkaido in 1988. Founder Hitoshi Hatanaka was inspired to open a ramen shop after watching the Japanese movie Tampopo, a comedy about a Japanese woman opens a ramen shop. Santouka began with jsut one item on the menu - the Shio Ramen and twenty seven years later, they are all over the world. 

Santouka is known for its signature Shio Ramen and the simple broth is the highlight of a meal there. the broth has a rich depth but wasn't overwhelming in its saltiness or spice level and guests love the flavors of the creamy, elegant broth with the thin noodles. Even though there are people thinks the broth is too salty, but it is a salt broth after all. 

Because it's popularity, there is no surprise that there are many waiting in sanouka. The 58 seat eatery does not accept reservations. However, the shop does employ a texting system to alert customers that their table is available. guests now can shop around Harvard Square while waiting. 

Snappy Ramen

Home to the former snappy Sushi, this restaurant became a Ramen Spot overnight. It has become one of the most popular ramen spot in the Boston area. Snappy Ramen offers more varieties of broth than other shops in the city and it is the only place in the city that serves Tuskemen- style Ramen, the noodles and vegetables are plated separately from the broth.
If a hot bowl of ramen is the choice for you to cheer up during the freezing winter in Boston, Tuskemen is the savior for all the ramen lovers on a hot summer day. Unlike Ramen that always served with hot broth and other toppings together, Tuskemen is being served with a cold noodle separated from the sauce. The way to eat Tsukemen is very simple, just take an ample amount of noodles then dipped it in the sauce that is usually placed in a tone bowl to preserve the right balance of heat and maintain the firmness of the noodle. Want to have a bowl of ramen but it is too hot during the summer? Tsukemen is your solution because it is much easier to eat without immersing tongues into a hot meal.
Just like I mentioned Snappy ramen is the only place in the Boston area that serves Tsukemen, and if you love ramen and have never tried tsukemen before Snappy ramen is the only place to go.
Beside the Tsukemen, Snappy Ramen also serves great ramen. the broth is silky and rich but not overly rich in a heavy sense. The Ramen noodles have a slightly firm texture. The chicken and pork is very flavored and moist. Snappy ramen has its own style and I definitely think it is the one of the best place to go no matter in the cold winter or hot summer.

wagamama

Wagamama is a British headquartered restaurant chain, serving Japanese food in the style of modern Japanese ramen bar. There are many Wagamama in the Boston area and they are very easy to find. In my opinion Wagamama is a very commercial restaurant because all the Wagamama taste the same and have no characteristics just like all the McDonald or KFC. 

Food is not very good compare to the other ramen spot in Boston. Their pork ramen was very disappointing. There was not much pork, or noodles, and their broth does not taste like it has been made properly, it tastes like it was made from a packet seasoning powder. Broth from Nissin's instant noodle is better than Wagamama's.  The pork I think it has been pre cooked because I has lost a lot of flavor. The ramen was that that good, but I enjoyed the side dish quite well. there were many options, even though not much of Japanese style, they were creativity. I did not try anything from the curry and donburi section because they look they are very americanized. 

Because it is a commercial restaurant, it's location and environment are always good. You can easily find a Wagamama in downtown Boston. The interior is simple, but modern. the floor and table is always clean. Waiters are nice and attentive. It is not a ramen spot I recommend, but if you are in downtown and have no idea where to eat and do not want to eat any fast food Wagamama is not a bad choice to go

sapporo

Sapporo is very similar to Pikaichi, a places serves ramen noodles, curry rice, and other Japanese dishes. Before I found out Pikaichi, Sapporo was my first choice when I want to eat both curry and ramen. it is not because pikaichi makes better ramen and curry, pikaichi has better services and environment. Sapporo makes really chewy ramen noodles with perfect texture, very good toppings but the broth is kind of bland. Sapporo also serves very good curry rice and other appetizers. Fried dumplings and pork buns are always good idea. All the food are really good and suit my particular tastes just like pikaichi. even though it is a really good ramen spot, it does not have a good location. Every time I went there, there is always a very long line in front of me and I have to wait for more than thirty minutes. The place is not private and tables are very close to each other.

Very good ramen noodles, curry rice and other side dishes.

con: exposed in public very noisy, very crowded, to much waiting.

A place worth to go
rating 3.5/5

Totto ramen

Many people have been to Totto Ramen at New York and left with a memorable experience. Even though I have never been to the Totto Ramen at New York, I had a really high expectation. When I visited the Totto Ramen at Boston, it kind of disappointed me. When I first saw the menu, there are so many topping options, which is good, but it can be overwhelming and every addition is an added cost. The ramen is ok, there are way too many toppings but not that many noodles. the broth is a little oily and bland. the way they make Chashu is kind of interesting, it was heated or cooked by a fire gun, but it does not taste that good, chashu was dry and has no flavor. The taste and texture of Ramen noodles were really good, but they serves so few of them. Totto Ramen is not a bad place to go, but there are always some better choices than this place. BE AWARE this place is CASH ONLY, so bring some cash before you visit.


rating 3/5
con: too many toppings, broth is a little too oily, Chashu is dry and bland but OK, CASH only and there is no to go box


pro: good ramen noodles, bamboo shoot is delicious

Pikaichi

Pikaichi, a ramen spot that has the highest rating online in Boston area and it is a place that I definitely recommend to go. The first time I went to Pikaichi, I had a little trouble because it is behind a food court. But there is a really big restaurant in front of Pikaichi, it makes parking so much easier.  Pikaichi is not all about ramen, there are many are different food you can get such as fried chicken, curry, Don, teriyaki pork, octopus ball, and other delicious Japanese dishes.











The first time I went there I ordered a spicy miso ramen and curry chicken Katsu. The price was so cheap the spicy miso ramen only costs me nine dollar and same as the curry chicken Katsu. the spicy miso ramen is very flavorful and fillings for the ramen are well prepared and plentiful, if it is not enough you can add one dollar for extra noodles. You can also order a bowl of ramen and add a side of curry rice, curry rice is one dollar cheaper with ramen.

rating 4/5
good ramen, curry rice and appetizers. good services and friendly environment. very cheap and allow take out.

Yume Wo Katare

When people ask me to take them to the best ramen place in Boston, I would always take them to Yume Wo Katare in porter square, Cambridge. Yume wo Katare is the most special ramen place I have ever been to. what makes it is so special? everything.

Yume wo katare located next to a Dunkin donuts and it is so small that only allow eighteen people to eat at the same time. It is a place only opens at night from 5:00 p.m to 10:00 p.m. However, if you are planning to eat there, you better be there before 4:30 or you can wait in line almost an hour. there was once I arrived at 4:40 and I did not eat until 6:00. The line can be really long, some times it will block the entrance of the dunkin donuts.What do people love that restaurant so much and are willing to wait in line for hours? 

super tasty Ramen is not the only reason that drives people to wait. Yume Wo katare  is a restaurant with zealous atmosphere. The theme of the restaurant is dream and people who go there are not afraid of public shaming, they are willing to share their dreams with everyone else in that small room. When there is someone who is willing to share, everyone in that restaurant will stop their conversation listens and claps in the end.

Yume Wo katare makes the Best ramen in the Boston area. There are many Japanese restaurants make ramen by using noodles from cup noodle and soup with miso powder. But in Yume Wo Katare, the chief cooks in front of you and you can see all the process of how he cooks. even though everything is prepared, you can still tell that their noodles are homemade and soup is braise with flavored pork. 

there are not many choices in Yume Wo Katare, you can either get a ramen or buta ramen and the only difference is the numbers of chashu. The last time I went there, they got a spicy ramen on their menu, but I am not sure whether it is time limited or not. A regualr ramen costs 12 dollar and the buta ramen costs 15 dollar. From my personal experience they are very cheap because each serve has more than half pound of noodles. I have been to a Japanese restaurant in Newbury street, their ramen are made by cup noodles and miso powder and there was no chashu, and it cost me twenty dollars. 

Yume wo Katare's noodles are just perfect and you will never go back to anything but these. The Chashus are so flavored and juicy, it just works out perfectly with that bowl of ramen. The ramen is just amazing, big and bold, lots of meat, lots of flavor, salty and oily. If you are a fan of ramen that live in boston and you have not been to yume Wo Katare go there tomorrow, it will become your favorite too.

Rating 4.5/5. very good noodles, creative decoration and friendly environment. lot of noodles and lot of meat.