Nishi-Shinjuku is covered with tall skyscrapers, and its streets are full of busy office workers. However, this area actually has many hidden ramen shops(salary men gotta eat, too!) This article will introduce the top 8 places to grab a bowl of ramen in the Nishi-Shinjuku area.

Super-Clear Chicken Ramen: 'Menya Shou'

After a 5 minute walk from Nishi-Shinjuku station, you'll find this shop, located on a quiet road on the inner side of Ome street.

Isn't it beautiful? You can see right through the golden soup to the thin ramen noodles. The bowl shown here is the standard ramen with an egg, priced at ¥800. The toppings include chashu (pork), green onions, red pepper threads, mizuna (potherb mustard) and menma (bamboo shots).

This beautiful golden soup is based entirely on chicken. The chef boiled the broth for many long hours to make this tasty and flavorful soup.

Niboshi Ramen: 'Sugoi Niboshi Ramen Nagi'

"Sugoi Niboshi Ramen Nagi", a famous ramen store that has other branches in Shinjuku and Shibuya. The Nishi Shinjuku shop is located just 2 minutes away from Nishi-Shinjuku station.

At 'Nagi,' you have to try their specialty, the 'niboshi ramen' (dried sardine ramen). The flat ramen noodles used match perfectly with the soup!

One bowl of ramen contains of 60g worth of dried sardine, and has a very rich taste that is unique to 'Nagi!'

■ Info about Take-away

・ Opening time: 11:00 to 20:00

・ Menu: Sugoi niboshi ramen, Sugoi tsukemen, Sugoi soba

Legendary Collaboration Store: 'Hakata Tori Soba Hanami-dori'

Located 3 minutes walking from Nishi-Shinjuku station, 'Hakata Tori Soba Hanami-Dori' is hidden in the basement level of the Shinjuku Mitsui Building.

Here, diners can enjoy a very special bowl of ramen called 'Mizutaki Ramen,' which is the result of a collaboration between the legendary ramen chain store "Ippudo" and the famous mizutaki(ingredients stewed with water) restaurant 'Hanami-dori.'

The mizuna (potherb mustard), chicken, and tori dango (chicken balls) are stewed in a water broth, and the ramen noodles are added, creating an exciting and delicious bowl of ramen!

Rich Salt Ramen: 'Furaikyo'

'Furaikyo' is located 4 minutes away from Nishi Shinjuku Station.

If it's your first time here, you should try their salt ramen! It is the signature item, and is unlike any other salt ramen.

Although salt ramen usually has a very light taste, Furaikyo's take on the dish is a rich and thick salt-based soup that packs a punch of flavor!

Cheap, Big Bowls of Ramen: 'Shouhei Ramen'

Two minutes from Nishi-Shinjuku station, you will find a shop called 'Shohei Ramen.' It is a popular lunch spot among the area's many office workers.

The popular ramen is not only cheap, but voluminous. One bowl has 250g of ramen noodles, yet is only ¥550!!

The rich seafood soup base works beautifully with the soft noodles. This is a great place to go to when you are starving during lunchtime!

Tsukemen Behind the Shinjuku Police Station: 'Menkui Shintaro'

This is not a great place to have lunch if you're a wanted criminal. Located 3 minutes from Nishi Shinjuku Station, 'Shintaro' is located behind the police station!

The above picture shows the 'seafood tonkotsu tsukemen.' You can choose toppings for free, including seaweed, egg, menma (bamboo shots), and chashu (pork).

The ajitama (flavored egg) is very popular, as it matches well with the thick noodles and rich seafood soup!

Addictive Shrimp Ramen: 'Ebi Soba Ichigen'

"Ichgen" is a very famous ramen shop from Sapporo, Hokkaido. However, they have another store located just 5 minutes away from Nishi-Shinjuku station!

You can do a lot of customizing in this ramen shop. First, you choose the soup flavor from miso, soy sauce, or salt. Then, you can choose the level of richness. Lastly, you can choose the thickness of your ramen noodles, so your bowl will be exactly the way you like it!

The red agedama (tempura bits) has a rich shrimp flavor to it, and the crunchy texture is addicting.



For those of you who are eating here for the first time, order the "sonomama ebimiso futomen." This means thick noodles with normal richness of miso-based soup.

Lastly...

I hope you will find this article useful when visiting the Nishi-Shinjuku area or when you're craving some good ramen! Happy eating.