What I Ate: January 8, 2010 (Kasa Indian Eatery, Ramen Santouka)

Lunch: I ate lunch with Papa at Kasa Indian Eatery (4001 18th Street, San Francisco, CA‎ - (415) 621-6940‎). Kasa serves kati rolls (flatbread wrapped around fillings like curry, paneer, egg, etc.). I got their lunch special ($7.95) which gives me two rolls and a fountain drink. I chose Chicken Tikka Masala and Gobi Aloo as well as paid an extra $1 each for Unda style (with egg inside).

Dinner: I headed back down to South Bay to try Ramen Santouka (675 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose, CA‎ - (408) 255-6699‎) in the Mitsuwa Japanese Marketplace. The place closes at 7:30 (because Mitsuwa Marketplace closes at 8:00pm) and there's usually a line. They cut off the line around closing time - I got there at around 7:15pm and was the fifth to last person to be served.

After several days of eating lots of food and a relatively late lunch, I wasn't felling all too hungry, so I ordered a small bowl of ramen. I selected the Spicy Miso (Soybean Paste) Ramen. The ramen noodles were very good - thin and chewy. The broth was rich and tasted of fatty pork and miso with just the right amount of spice to feel the heat but not enough to slow you down. The slice of pork I got was sublime - melting in my mouth and full of pork flavor (without any of the off tastes that pork loin can pick up after roasting). It maybe that the only differences between eating at Ramen Santouka and eating in Japan is that you don't get to eat sitting on a stool with your back to a freezing cold, busy sidewalk after ordering from a push button vending machine. This place is going on my list of places to eat the next time I'm in the Bay Area.