There’s been a lot of buzz about this Japanese ramen chain’s first stand-alone location in the U.S.—in Bellevue. Open now for a few months, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is the sort of place people line up for, and that’s just what we did this weekend. The crazy weather had caused power outages the previous night, leading to a limited menu (only ramen and rice dishes), but we weren’t deterred. We had, after all, come for the ramen. They’re best known for their tonkotsu (pork) broth, and after my friend ordered it with cha-shu (twice the amount of meat, which includes braised pork belly), it was obvious why. The creamy, salty broth had a wonderful burst of umami flavor and the pork was incredibly tender. But I also really enjoyed my bowl: In the tonkotsu kara miso ramen, served extra-spicy, the bonito-flavored pork broth gets a hit of miso paste. Both bowls of soup came with bamboo shoots and seaweed sheets. The noodles here are superlative, with just the right chew. There’s a reason why we voted it Best Ramen in Seattle this summer.

nsprinkle@seattleweekly.com