Do you want to know how to judge a particular Japanese noodle shop by its �cover? Go to their website and scan through their history section, as every good noodle shop should have a good history behind it and plus you cannot go wrong if they have multiple franchises all over the world. A shop that began with 9 seats in a modest setting in Japan back in 1988 has now expanded to over 30 shops all over Japan and almost 20 shops all over the world. Not bad for quite humble beginnings.

Besides the checklist above, come visit their Jakarta venue located in Plaza Indonesia, 5th floor to be exact, during lunch hour, and you will see Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is the one with the longest queue. Their specialty is the Tonkotsu Soup and Noodles which has been getting all the rave in Jakarta right now. Who wouldn�t enjoy a big bowl of pork or chicken broth that has been simmering for over 20 hours?

Their house specialty is the Shio Ramen which is the simplest ramen dish as salt is the only seasoning added to the rich stock. The saying that 'less is more' is definitely spot on here as unlike their other ramen dishes where they incorporate either miso, spice and even soy sauce, the Shio is the one where you can really taste the essence of the signature broth. The ramen is served with 2 slices of steamed pork back ribs, ear jelly and our favorite, bamboo shoot.

A side from their ramen, we recommend that you try their roasted pork cheek which is served in a mini grill. Just in case you are wondering we do not mean the butt cheeks, we mean the face cheeks, where if you are lucky you can get a maximum of 300 grams per pig. The pork cheeks are one of the most delicate, succulent and definitely most delicious part and their light sweet and savory marinade makes it even better.