Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan｜Ramen Nagi - Shibuya Tonkotsu

Second visit. Best ramen in Tokyo. You order the noodle outside via ticket and then pick your flavouring once seated inside. Can choose noodle firmness. Level of spice, level of garlic and level of soup base flavouring. Normal for soup base is good as extra heavy is quite salty.

With only a few hours to spare during a layover, I decided to take the train and find a ramen spot in Tokyo. Somehow, I ended up here. Call it fate, but this ended up being one of the best ramen bowls I’ve had! Maybe it was the whole experience, like ordering in advance at the machine outside and getting a ticket. Fumbling with new coins and bills that I was only just getting reacquainted with. There’s a slot for bills but not larger than ¥1,000 and coins. No plastic accepted here where cash is king. I got my ticket and entered the small ramen bar side (there’s a larger dining room via a different entrance). There were 5 or 6 seats. Once I handed my meal coupon over the the pretty cook behind the counter I was asked a bunch of questions in Japanese but had no idea, so she brought out an English info card which allowed me to choose the boldness of the sauce/broth, the doneness of the noodles, and the level of spice/heat. Once I made that choice it took less than 5 mins to get my order. I was here before the lunch rush so there was no one else. I had the option with pork and let me tell you, the portion was more than enough! I could see how this is such a great lunch option. Healthy broth, protein and carbs. I mixed all the ingredients together (the toppings are all kind of separated when you get it). It’s customary to slurp your noodles in Japan. So slurp away… it tastes better that way, they say. Flavours were amazing. Level 3 spice was a little too hot for me so be aware when choosing your heat level. Everything was perfect, the setting, the cute cook, the taste and the price. A great simple joy!

2 of these have opened up in Southern California but I have not had the opportunity to try. Being in Japan, we noticed we had one relatively near us and had to try it. I loved it. It was absolutely delicious. Broth was well developed. Spice was just about right. Noodle texture was al dente. Only thing I wish I had was the gyozas with the meal but they sold out earlier during the day.