Hokkaido Ramen Santouka Harvard Square

Santouka’s Harvard Square restaurant on Bow Street centers its ramen on a slowly cooked pork-bone broth. The Japanese chain began in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, with just nine seats and shio ramen on the menu. That salt-seasoned bowl, recognizable by its small pickled plum, remains a good introduction to the restaurant’s approach.

The broth gets a long, gentle cook before vegetables, dried fish and kelp join the pot. Even the thick ramen bowls were designed to hold heat, a welcome detail when you have come in from a Cambridge winter. This branch serves lunch and dinner and does not take reservations. Check the Harvard Square location’s menu and hours before setting out, especially for a later Sunday dinner.