Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Japan｜Tokyo Aburagumi Sohonten Nishi-Shinjuku

My favorite noodles, ever. Came at lunch time and wasn't too busy. The interior is small but the wait was less than 5 minutes. For those who may be confused in the ordering (there isn't English on the machine) you select from 3 sizes (regular, large, extra large) and they are all the same price. These are in order so just select the middle one if you aren't sure. The large had good enough portions to have us satisfied. Then you can select set A or B. B is the spicer version so go for that if you like a nice kick. It's not overly spicy and we preferred B. Then you put in cash and you'll get tickets to hand to the staff and they will direct you to your seats once open. Personally I didn't need to add any extra vinegar or oil but you can definitely experiment with it. The additional onions were okay to add but also not necessary in my opinion. The default noodles are flavorful as it is!

Love the abura soba! I recommend ordering the soba plus the complete toppings. Well, without the topping is also good but your noodles will look a little lonely. How to eat: when you get your noodles, add the vinegar and the oil (the 2 bottles with liquid in front of you) and mix quickly. Taste and add more vinegar/oil if needed. The ticket machine is in Japanese but they do have a piece of paper with English mapping of the buttons if you ask the staff. Also, regardless of noodle portion, the price is the same (go Large!).

Staff here are very friendly. Everyone is offered a paper apron so you can slurp away without worrying about staining your clothes. Noodles have a great texture and you can customise to your taste with all the free condiments at the table