Hokkaido Ramen Santouka Allston

Santouka’s Allston restaurant centers on tonkotsu ramen, made with a pork-bone broth that the company cooks slowly in each restaurant. Shio is its signature preparation, seasoned with salt, while shoyu, miso and spicy miso give you other starting points. Add braised pork belly or choose toroniku, the pork-cheek version, if the meat is as important to you as the noodles.

There are smaller dishes to share, including karaage fried chicken, gyoza and edamame, plus rice bowls if someone wants a change from ramen. The menu also lists a vegetarian bowl with a soy-based broth, mushrooms and wheat gluten. This branch is at 169 Brighton Avenue and does not take reservations. Use the Allston hours when planning a visit; Santouka’s other Boston-area locations keep their own schedules.