Recommended bowl: Niboshi 24/7/365

Master Ikuta-san's flagship shop sits hidden down a narrow alley in Golden Gai, the famously well-preserved section of Shinjuku where over 200 tiny nomiya and bars are packed into the space of a single city block. Originally, Ikuta-san was only able to offer his ramen one day a week, selling it from the back of a Golden Gai bar that he rented on Tuesdays. He later won a ramen competition that awarded him the space to operate his own shop in Tachikawa for a limited time. He soon managed to parlay his growing popularity into his first permanent shop in Shibuya. Eventually, he returned to Golden Gai, where his ramen career got its humble start. Today, Ikuta-san owns and operates a large group of shops in Tokyo and more overseas, in locations such as Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the U.S. He's even launched his own noodle factory in the Shinjuku area.

Naturally, the O.G. Golden Gai spot is the most iconic branch of Nagi. The soup is a heavy, almost bitter niboshi shoyu (dried baby sardines). It packs a potent flavor punch but retains a smoothness that makes it totally drinkable. The noodles are handmade by Daruma Seimen, the noodle company run by Nagi. The bowl comes with onions and other choice toppings. Company stablished in 2006, Golden Gai branch open since 2008. Open 24/7/365.