About a 7-8 minute walk from the south exit of Shinjuku Station, the nearest station is Nishi-Shinjuku Station on the Odakyu Line. I often pass by here but I had overlooked it. The exterior is like a hidden gem bar, and the interior is just like a bar. The light above the counter illuminates the dishes, making them look even more delicious. I was drawn to the special soy sauce, which was elegantly and artistically presented. In the center, there is a large bamboo shoot, with three types of char siu on the left, and seasoned egg and green onions on the right. This presentation was new to me. The soup is a blend of a flavorful "Japanese" broth with a slightly tangy taste from a hint of animal-based ingredients. The noodles are thin and straight, but they are different from typical Chinese noodles. Perhaps they are more like udon noodles? The three types of char siu include thinly sliced premium shabu-shabu-like char siu, thick and tender char siu, and low-temperature seared chicken char siu. All of them are excellent. The large bamboo shoot has a crispy texture and a perfect amount of saltiness. The seasoned egg has a bright yellow, almost lemon-colored, creamy half-cooked yolk that is very sweet and delicious. The slightly spicy lingering green onions added a nice touch. As I started eating, I stopped caring whether it was ramen or udon. This taste can only be found here. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

It was my first visit. I ordered chicken white broth with seasoned egg added, as I had eaten Chinese ramen the day before. The menma (bamboo shoots) was quite impactful, it surprised me at first sight. I tried the soup first, and the chicken white broth had a nicely balanced salty flavor and a rich soup, which I enjoyed. The noodles were soft and slippery, but they mixed well with the soup, showing good coordination. However, personally, I prefer normal menma, so I felt that the menma was too close to bamboo shoots. Overall, it was delicious, but it left me feeling satisfied occasionally. I would like to eat it again when it gets colder. Especially the chicken white broth seemed like a flavor that women would enjoy!

I visited this restaurant for the first time on a holiday afternoon and was able to get in without waiting. I ordered the Special Soy Sauce Udon for 1540 yen. Although it looks like ramen, it is actually udon. The soup had a rich Japanese flavor, and the thin noodles did not contain kansui, making them more like udon than ramen. Adding pepper to the dish made it taste more like ramen. The special toppings included low-temperature cooked chicken and pork chashu, simmered pork in a rich broth, and a delicious egg with a distinctive yellow yolk. Overall, it was a delicious meal at one of the top udon shops.

- Located about a 5-minute walk from Shinjuku Station, I had lunch at Nara Seimen. I arrived at 11:45 and luckily didn't have to wait in line. - I ordered the Special Soy Sauce Ramen (1540 yen). It came with 3 types of chashu, extra-large menma, seasoned egg, and green onions as toppings, making it look like a complete ramen dish. The noodles were thin for udon, so it felt more like ramen. The balance of broth, noodles, and toppings was excellent and incredibly delicious. Highly recommended. Thank you for the meal!

It's a cool 10-minute walk from Shinjuku Station, easy to find on the first floor. The exterior looks stylish and the interior is clean. I've tried the hot, soy sauce, salt, and chicken broth ramen before, but this was my first time trying the cold version. The hot ramen features slightly softer noodles, but the cold noodles have a firmer texture that pairs well with the cold soup. I'm glad I tried it.

Located right near Yoyogi Station and a 15-minute walk from Shinjuku Station, this ramen shop has a charming exterior and stylish interior. I ordered the limited special chicken white broth ramen (1840 yen). While it is on the pricier side for ramen, the quality and attention to detail are evident. The soup is rich with chicken flavor but not too heavy, making it easy to finish. The topping of bamboo shoots is a unique touch. The thin noodles pair well with the soup. There are three types of meat: thinly sliced chashu, thickly sliced chashu with a savory soy sauce flavor, and lean chicken breast. It's a great way to enjoy a variety of flavors. The seasoned egg is not the typical soy sauce-based one, but seems to be marinated in a white miso. It's creamy inside and quite large. Since the soup is not heavy, I was able to finish it easily and left the shop feeling satisfied. I'm curious about trying their soy sauce ramen next time.

Nara Seimen is an udon restaurant located about a 4.5-minute walk from Yoyogi Station and a 7.8-minute walk from the Shinjuku Station New South Exit. It is known as one of the top udon restaurants in Japan. The restaurant uses kansui, which is typically found in ramen, to make their udon noodles. The interior of the restaurant is cozy and welcoming, and despite its small size, it has a charming atmosphere. The menu offers a choice between soy sauce or salt-based broth, and I decided to try the special soy sauce broth. The dish arrived promptly, featuring a variety of high-quality ingredients including Kagoshima bamboo shoots, Yamanashi slow-roasted chicken chashu, Hokkaido dreamland pork belly chashu, Miyazaki pork shoulder chashu, Tochigi seasoned egg, and Tochigi white negi. All ingredients are additive-free and free from chemical seasonings. The soup was elegant and clear, and each ingredient added depth and richness to the overall flavor. The noodles were unique, not quite udon or ramen, but they were delicious and paired well with the broth. The trio of meats were all flavorful and not overly fatty. The seasoned egg had a subtle yolk, which was interesting. The bamboo shoots provided a satisfying crunch that I particularly enjoyed. Adding some pepper towards the end of the meal enhanced the flavors even more. Overall, it was a delightful dining experience, and I look forward to revisiting to try the special salt broth next time!

The special chicken broth for 1840 yen was delicious with chewy and smooth noodles. The cozy counter-only restaurant had a lovely atmosphere with dim lighting. If you visit as a udon connoisseur, you might be surprised at first by the udon specialty.笑

It looks like ramen, but it's actually udon. I ordered the special soy sauce and added a level 1 spiciness topping, along with egg over rice, and as usual, a cola. When I took a sip of the soup, it was incredibly delicious. This must be ramen. The noodles were soft, like udon. The bamboo shoots were tender and tasty. The rice my friend ordered looked so delicious that I had to order the egg over rice. The egg had a pale yellow color like a lemon. The rice was tasty, and the soy sauce was delicious. The cola came in a bottle, poured into a glass with a large round ice cube. The best udon I've ever had, even compared to ramen. I definitely want to go back.

Udon's Top 100 Stores - Narasenmen On Sunday evening around 6 pm, we were able to enter without waiting. The interior of the restaurant is dimly lit and stylish, with only a counter for ordering. I ordered the special soy sauce udon, which looks like ramen. When I tried it, I found the noodles and soup to be gentle on the body and delicious. The noodles are thin and healthy, made without kansui. The soup is a gentle soy sauce flavor, very tasty! There are three types of chashu - chicken, pork, and thinly sliced braised pork in the middle. The flavors were rich and delicious. Thank you for the meal.

◆Popularity．．.★★★★☆ ◆Taste．．．★★★★★ ◆Atmosphere．．★★★★☆ ◆Customer Service．．．★★★★☆ ◆Cost Performance．★★★☆☆ ◆Recommendation Level.★★★★★ ◆Difficulty of Reservation.★★☆☆☆ ◆Average Price: 1,000 to 2,000 yen ◆Analysis: Located in an area with not many people between Yoyogi and Shinjuku, the restaurant has a small yet clean interior. Despite being able to be selected as one of the top 100 restaurants on Tabelog, there is usually a line to get in. This time, I ordered the special soy sauce ramen for 1,540 yen! At first glance, it looks like ramen, but the noodles are homemade and have a udon-like flavor! The thickness of the noodles determines the name, changing from somen to hiyamugi to udon. So, is it not udon? The soup is a clear and light chicken-based broth that is delicious and soothing! The chashu includes three types of meat, including pork and chicken, and the distinctive bamboo shoots are a nice touch! Next time, I want to try the chicken broth as well. It was a bowl that impressed me after a long time. Thank you for the feast.

Nearby there is a cozy hidden gem of a shop with convenient coin parking. The interior is dimly lit with 8 seats, creating a nice atmosphere. They provide hand towels and chopsticks in a drawer at each table. The soy sauce ramen is quite light, with straight noodles that are delicious. The toppings are especially tasty! The soup is also light enough to finish drinking, making it a perfect match. Very delicious!

I usually go to this restaurant around 5 pm, and I'm usually the only customer at that time. I come here because I don't have to wait in line unlike at Udon Shin. Udon Shin is always crowded, so I only go there when there is no line. This place is called Udon, but they actually serve ramen, haha.

A few minutes' walk from Shinjuku South Exit towards Yoyogi direction, there is a hidden gem udon restaurant. It looks like ramen, but they actually serve udon without using any kansui. This place has been selected as one of the top udon shops. This time, I tried their special salt udon! I preferred the salt flavor over soy sauce from my last visit. The dish came with a huge bamboo shoot, three types of chashu, a flavorful seasoned egg, and a sparkling soup. The noodles have a unique taste with a bit of chewiness and a smooth texture. The soup was incredibly delicious. The lighting in the restaurant is perfect for taking photos. It was so delicious that I even ordered an extra serving. A bit pricey, but totally worth it. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

When I first tried it, I thought it was delicious ramen, but in the food genre on Tabelog, it's listed as udon!? This is a sister store of the nearby super popular restaurant "Udon Shin" (opened in 2011), opened in 2019 by Shinji Narahara. The concept was to make udon with thin noodles, reducing the boiling time from 15 minutes to under 1 minute. They don't use salt or alkaline water for udon (the binder is egg), and the noodles, soup, and toppings are all additive-free. Furthermore, by reducing the boiling time, they prevent food loss from the noodles. The Special Soy Sauce Udon priced at 1,540 yen is also made with homemade noodles, freshly made, freshly cut, and freshly boiled. The homemade udon is like firm somen noodles, but with a chewy texture. It is a blend of Hokkaido wheat varieties "Yumechikara, Haruyokoi, Kitahanami." Since they don't use salt or alkaline water, it's not like ramen noodles, but a unique udon. The soup is made with Shinshu chicken and Oyama chicken thigh meat, wings, bones, Rausu kelp dashi, natural brewed soy sauce, and fresh soy sauce. It has a sweet impression, and the soup is not as salty as ramen. The toppings are also amazing, with seared rare Shinshu chicken, Hokkaido Daichi pork belly, rare pork shoulder loin, free-range fertilized egg ajitama, Tochigi white negi, and crispy Kagoshima bamboo shoots without bitterness. They also offer whiskey and other alcoholic beverages, and the interior has a bar-like atmosphere. It's a unique bowl that can't be found elsewhere, with its sweet soft noodles. Thank you for the meal!

The special chicken broth is 1680 yen... I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the price over 1500 yen. But I decided to try it once, and it turned out to be surprisingly delicious. I thought it was worth the high price. The chicken broth had a rich flavor and was very tasty. It seemed like there was a hint of soy sauce in it as well. It might be a new style of flavor for me.

Udon shop known for its top 100 ranking, serving creative udon dishes reminiscent of ramen. Located about a 6-minute walk from Yoyogi, with a lineup similar to ramen including soy sauce, salt, and white broth udon with special toppings like seasoned egg and chashu. I ordered the soy sauce ramen-style udon with raw egg for 1040 yen. The broth, made with bonito flakes and meat, had a ramen-like flavor, paired with thin noodles that gave a different texture than traditional udon. It was delicious, especially for ramen lovers. However, I couldn't help but wonder why they chose to serve udon in a ramen style. The extra-large menma topping was quite impressive, but perhaps a bit too large. The attention to detail in the interior, tableware, and condiments was also notable. It seems like they even consider the lighting for optimal food photography. Overall, it was a delightful dining experience.

Nara Seimen @ Shinjuku I was looking for a refreshing lunch in Shinjuku and stumbled upon this place. Despite being selected as one of the top 100 udon shops on Tabelog, it looks more like a ramen shop. What's going on here? I chose the Shoyu Ramen for 940 yen. You can customize the noodle cooking time, amount of fat, and flavor intensity. The noodles here have a unique texture that stands out from other shops, even though they are thin. The soup is gentle and refined, causing almost no burden on the stomach. The large bamboo shoot topping is very delicious. I randomly decided to try this place and I'm glad I did. Thank you for the meal. #Ramen #Lunch #NaraSeimen #ShoyuRamen #BambooShoots #Noodles

I discovered and visited a hidden gem in Yoyogi, a place I don't often go to. The exterior of the restaurant was unassuming, but inside, it had a cozy bar-like atmosphere with dim lighting and tables lit by pin spots. There were only about 8 seats at the counter. When I asked for a recommendation, I was told to try their special soy sauce, so I ordered that. The restaurant provided towels and chopsticks in a drawer at each seat. The decor featured different patterns on the curtains, creating a traditional Japanese ambiance. When my udon arrived, it looked just like ramen. The broth was made from animal stock, slightly sweet with a distinctive soy sauce flavor. The noodles were thin and straight, more like ramen noodles, which surprised me since it was supposed to be udon. The toppings included bamboo shoots, three types of pork (thinly sliced, braised, and chicken breast), green onions, and a large seasoned egg. The bamboo shoots added a nice touch, and the pork was flavorful and tender. The egg was large and satisfying. Although it looked like ramen, the udon was delicious enough that it didn't matter. The quality of the noodles was outstanding, and I appreciated the attention to detail in the restaurant's ambiance and tableware. It was a delightful dining experience!

A hidden gem of a shop that is not featured on any signboards. The menu notes that it's not technically ramen because it doesn't contain kansui, but it's more like udon in terms of its origins. However, the taste is incredibly delicious, resembling a rich ramen. I tried the limited quantity chicken white broth. It was rich yet refreshing, with the addition of bamboo shoots, leeks, and chrysanthemum flowers adding a cool touch. Just a heads up, if you don't specify, the order will come without any toppings, so you'll only get to taste the noodles. Thank you for the meal.