To the perky tourists and the cool-as-milk-tea residents, Hong Kong is always one amazing congregation of cultures and experiences in every aspect. The people, the clothes... just about everyone from everywhere, in the big brew abbreviated simply as HK. Of course, food isn’t an exception in this symphony of everythings. There are all kinds of restaurants and cuisines scattered like sand across a beach. Of course, some of these places may not be the best- sometimes rice could be soggy, the soup would be as thick as a brick, or the main course would drive you out of the restaurant. But recently I got to dine at one of the choicer eating places.
On a Sunday night, my family traversed the bright unknown regions of iSquare, to find a place unfamiliar to our eyes (and taste buds), SANTOUKA, a Hokkaido-style ramen kitchen. The restaurant itself is loud and bright, but in an agreeable, friendly way, as if you were somewhere familiar. They put their decorations and trinkets around, and they come together like wasabi, tuna and rice, especially the wooden bear statue above our table.
As for the food it was, put simply, satisfying. Only simply, though- it should be put in more words than that. It was a set; all of us had sets. I started with eggs and cabbage; where the eggs were interestingly chewy, and succulent. The cabbage wasn’t what you would put the blue ribbons on, but it isn’t horribly similar to plastic (like some of the tasteless rubber that comes out in some soups). The salmon with rice, doused in soy sauce and merged with enough wasabi to burn the mouths of an unsuspecting foreigner, was mild, pink, and tender, akin to a newborn kitten in terms of cats. The rice itself was plump and happy already but with cooked salmon, mushroom, turnip sprouts and fried egg they came together to form a mantra of flavor. The noodles were like the eggs; not like the weak, almost dead, overcooked stuff, but the springy, elastic strings with a healthy yellow noodle color. It goes down like butter on pancakes with the perfectly-salty shio soup. Though each family member had a different menu, we were all happy with it.
The price for this better-than-good meal was relatively tolerable, though a tad overpriced with sets for five at HK$450 and tax.
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