Recommended bowl: A shop for the heads

A hard to find, back-alleyway spot nestled in a quiet pocket of Minami Shinjuku. The shop is very raw inside, almost feels like a workshop. A man’s kind of shop. After the ticket machine on the left you’ll see the noodle machine where master Yasuo makes the fresh noodles daily. On the wall behind the machine are various measuring cups and tools. The bowls here are somewhat similar to Jiro style — fatty, salty, shoyu soup with chunks of fat, and slabs of pork. Before you get your bowl you’ll be asked if you want fresh garlic and ginger topping. You also have the choice of thin or thick noodles. Most customers go for the thick, which are massive, almost like udon, and very chewy.