All the famous Japanese ramen franchises have a Shibuya store – Oreyu, Ippudo, Ichiran, Menya Musashi, Afuri, and just a cornucopia of deliciousness. While you can find these great ramens elsewhere too, here are some more or less one-of-a-kind Shibuya ramen joints to both satisfy your ramen hunger and thirst for new experiences.
5 Unique Shibuya Ramen Restaurants
These ramen restaurants represent the most varied, unique, and best ramen in Shibuya. You’ll also find, below each item on this list, a link to Google Maps, explaining exactly how to get there.
伝蔵 Denzo Ramen
When you see the Shibuya MacDonald’s, don’t go in. There’s an insanely flavourful miso ramen joint just next to it that you shouldn’t miss. Thicker and creamier than other miso ramens, with a melt-in-your-mouth charred pork topping that puts every other cold cut charsiu to shame.
At this Shibuya ramen restaurant, you can choose between white, red, and spicy miso, as well as toppings, side dishes, and drinks, at the standard meal ticket machine outside. There’s also a pitch black bowl of ramen with squid ink and seafood!
The ramen joint’s name is written only in Japanese, but it’s on street level with big windows, so it’s not hard to find if you know what you’re looking for. Well, Google Maps only shows this ramen place if you type it in Japanese, so we’ve left a link for you below.
Find Denzo Ramen here via Google Maps
It works 24/7, so you can literally go anytime you want. Once you buy the ramen ticket outside, you just sit down and staff comes to collect the ticket. All you need to do is enjoy this miso fit for a king!
Read More: Best Restaurants in Tokyo plus Ramen Guide
Ramen Kipposhi
In my several years of ramen-hunting, I haven’t found a more Instagramable bowl of noodles. But wait, there more to it than a gimmicky blue dye. The dye is natural, possibly made from pea flower but generally kept a trade secret. The chicken broth ramen is light and tasty, worth it even if you take zero photos, even if you don’t have Instagram at all!
And Kipposhi is no one-trick pony either. This Shibuya ramen joint has equally colourful and tasty green muscat ramen and pink ginger ramen.
Then, there’s their peach ramen and Japanese apricot ramen that don’t boast a crazy colour, but have fruit slices in that don’t clash with the savoury chicken broth. Kipposhi has a more traditional creamy paitan chicken ramen, soy sauce ramen, and salt ramen too.
They also often switch up the menu, introducing limited edition seasonal ramen experiments like chocolate ramen for Valentine’s and white chocolate ramen for White Day. Occasionally other fruits get to bathe in ramen, like tangerine, banana, apple and so on. And the ramen master in Kipposhi is probably plotting a new creative ramen right about now.
The small Shibuya ramen shop has been a viral sensation since 2016 and the ramen master says he loves seeing his customers’ surprised faces. Tourists are very welcome, with English menu and signs on the pavement so you know where to turn.
*note that there is pork involved in the chicken broth making process.
Find Ramen Kipposhi here via Google Maps
Shinbusakiya Ramen
Who says ramen can’t be vegan? If it can be blue, it can be anything. Shibusakiya Ramen has created vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and halal ramen, and is one of the most welcoming restaurants in Japan. Even their meal ticket machine has an English interface for easy order.
Apart for accommodating many dietary needs, this Shibuya ramen joint also serves its signature Hokkaido miso ramen that comes in classic or spicy variety, with pork on top. They also have roasted soy sauce dark broth, tsukemen style noodles, rice and dumplings, gluten free chicken and so on.
Find Shinbusakiya Ramen here via Google Maps
Their main store is in Hokkaido, and the Shibuya store is their only Tokyo base.
Read More: A Guide to Ramen in Japan – Everything You Need to Know
Art Masashiya Ramen
This innovative ramen shop gives the classic ramen setting a cafe makeover. Art Masashiya is housed in a former Japanese kissaten (classic coffeeshop), so don’t be confused that it looks nothing like a ramen joint from the outside – or inside, for that matter.
They pride themselves on their mineral-rich healthy broth, highest quality soy sauce from Shodoshima island, and home-made flavoured oil. The noodles are quite an experience too, as they are something between classic ramen noodles and Japanese soba noodles. Their triangle shaped fried egg topping is one of a kind too, accompanied by soft charsiu pork.
Find Art Masashiya Ramen here via Google Maps
Just like a cafe, Art Masashiya only offers lunch, which is ramen. Don’t miss the lunch window, because this elusive shop is only open during lunch time (11:30 to 15:00).
Read More: 15 Must-Read Asian Cookbooks – Make Ramen at Home!
Yaro Ramen
Yaro Ramen takes after the almost cult-like Jiro Ramen franchise. Both Jiro Ramen shops and Yaro Ramen make a delicious monster of a bowl, with piles of toppings that only big eaters can finish (the Megaton bowl is the biggest challenge).
It’s not that Yaro Ramen is only in Shibuya, but it is its most well-known location. Its huge yellow signboard is easy to spot, as well as the lines in front of it.
There’s pork broth, miso, soy sauce – all the favourites. They also do tsukemen style (dipping), dried sardine broth, and all ramen-related side dishes. Then, they get a bit cheekier with ramen salads, sukiyaki ramen, curry with ramen toppings and other surprises on the menu.
As in many ramen joints, you buy a meal ticket before sitting down. You eat at the counter, probably shoulder to shoulder with locals, which is a good thing for authenticity. It’s not like you would want to walk into a tourist trap?
Also: Jiro fanboys, don’t get angry that Yaro is on the list.
Find Yaro Ramen here via Google Maps
The ultimate comfort food, junk food, after-drinking hours food, food of the gods – whatever you want to call it. But we simply call it ramen. The more you eat it, the more you want it.
The more shops open, the more new styles of ramen they invent. So, take this list as a starting point, and keep exploring new ramen flavours until you find the best ramen in Shibuya.
Read More: Japanese Cookbooks for Inspiring Home Cooking
About the authour: Zoria is a neo-Tokyoite and loves all the obvious things: neon lights, coffee, cats, travelling. And concrete. Concrete wasn’t too obvious, was it? She’s a travel writer and photographer, as well as a published poet and her work has appeared in many languages.