Real “Niboshi Ramen” at Shinjuku Golden Gai

One foot into Golden Gai, you will be drawn in to the special charm of this area.

In the midst of this fascinating district, full of hidden bars and izakaya, there is one beloved ramen shop.

It is no other than “Sugoi Niboshi Ramen Nagi”!!!

Said to be the birthplace of original and finest rich niboshi (small dried sardines) ramen by loyal fans, it still continues to captivate the hearts of many.

When I arrived at around 6:00 pm, there was already a long line in front of the restaurant. Many customers even come here in the morning to enjoy their ramen breakfast.

The anticipation grows as I wait in line for about 20 minutes…

It doesn’t look like a typical ramen shop. I go up the stairs and on to the second floor.

It is a rather small restaurant. There are only about ten seats by the counter.

First, I get my shokken (ordering ticket). My choice of ramen is Sugoi Niboshi Ramen, naturally. Then I picked the thickness of the soup, the hardness of the noodles and the spiciness. I went with san-kara (spicy level 3).

The staff took me to my seat, which was by the window.

Each ramen bowl contains 50 little niboshi. The savory flavor has invaded the whole restaurant!

My ramen arrives five minutes after being seated.

My first niboshi ramen in a long time looks… delicious!

Some niboshi topping in the middle.

First, I will try the soup.

I can taste the rich flavor of niboshi! Spicy food being my specialty, the san-kara wasn’t too much at all. The spiciness made it better than the original. The soup kept its perfectly calculated flavor even with the added hot pepper.

And here is the wonton (Chinese flour dumpling)!

Its springy texture harmonizes superbly with the rich niboshi soup. The delicious wonton has many fans of its own!

I asked for the wavy yellow noodles to be a bit harder than regular. I don’t think I could get tired of eating these smooth and light noodles.

The customer beside me ordered a second serving of noodles. Guess he liked them too!

Although the soup is thick, the ramen turns out quite light. I think you won’t have a problem finishing it even with a small appetite.

The chashu (roasted and sliced pork) is very flavorful and not overly greasy. Yum!

If you want to change things up a bit, try doing this!

Add some lemon vinegar to make it refreshing. It will no doubt boost your appetite!

There is no way any other restaurant could recreate this special ramen! The noodles, toppings and of course the rich niboshi flavor. Nothing happened by accident in creating this super-calculated first-rate niboshi ramen.

The smiles of the staff definitely add to the terrific experience here. This place won’t be in any shortage of customers anytime soon!

Lastly, I would like to thank Sugoi Niboshi Ramen Nagi for a wonderful time!

writer：Tanna♡