Rāmen Nagi BUTAO Shibuya — Restaurant in Tokyo

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...

Pleasantly surprised with this ramen shop.

Just to preface, I’m don’t normally eat Hakata style ramen but this shop has made me start to really like this type of ramen.

The broth is tonkotsu (pork bone), and the noodles are normally thin and firm. The noodles were amazing. I normally prefer thick cheery noodles but these noodles were perfectly cooked and carried the broth with them very well 👌🏽

You order your ramen outside at the ticket machine. Then when you hand your ticket to the staff, they will ask you if you have any preferences for your ramen. You can choose the following: broth flavor (pork, black, red, green) flavor strength (weak, normal, strong) broth richness (light, normal, thick) garlic (none, little, normal, a lot) with or without chashu spiciness noodle firmness

Note, the green is a basil or pesto flavored broth. Red is spicy. Not sure about black, maybe black garlic?

You can also just say you want it as is, or everything normal. If you do this they wi give you there standard/recommended bowl of ramen.

I went with the standard pork broth with rich broth and extra firm noodles.

I will try to red broth next time for some added spice. I would also like to try to green broth as well! Maybe with strong flavor and extra rich broth next time :)

Thank you for serving really good Hakata...

Okay, so here’s the deal: This was one of the best bowls of ramen I’ve ever had in my entire existence. Like, top-tier, life-altering noodle magic. It is right up there with Yoshimuraya in Yokohama which I also reviewed.

We stumbled across it during a walk that started somewhere I can’t remember and ended somewhere else I can’t recall. Pretty sure we were on our way to Azabudai Hills.

Anyway, we see this place. No idea it’s part of the Nagi Ramen family from Golden Gai—you know, the tiny ramen spot where the walls are basically marinated in umami. Like absolute geniuses, we waited outside at the single-person counter. Pro tip: if you're with someone, skip the awkward sidewalk loitering. There's a door to the right of the ticket machine. Just... go in.

We ordered the Red King and the Black King ramen. And oh. my. tastebuds. The flavors were intense but perfectly balanced—like a symphony of spice, garlic, and whatever magical broth sorcery they conjured up back there. I still don't get why this place only has 3.9 stars. 3.9?! Come on, internet. This was easily five stars in my book.

If you're in the neighborhood, it's a no-brainer. Heck, if you're going to Azabudai Hills, it's still a no-brainer. Just do it. Eat the ramen. Live your best...