Introduction
This is GOK from Daily Shinjuku.
For summer eating in Shinjuku, soupless noodles shine: quick to slurp, easy to customize with vinegar and chili oil. From the full list, here are 8 edited highlights across abura soba and mazesoba.
Editor’s Shortlist — 8 Essential Bowls
1.Tokyo Menchintei Honpo, Yotsuya 4-chome
Signature: Tokusei Abura Soba (¥1,000, reg.). Springy noodles with menma, nori, chashu, soft egg, negi. Clean profile; house garlic sauce is the power move.
Access: 5 min from Marunouchi Line Yotsuya-sanchome.
2.GACHI (Aburasoba Specialist), Akebonobashi
Signatures: Kamatama Abura Soba (¥950), GACHI Abura Soba (¥1,040). MENSHO group shop; generous tabletop condiments for on-the-fly tuning.
Access: ~1 min from Akebonobashi.
3.Musashino Abura Gakkai, Waseda
Signatures: Musashino Abura Sob (¥660 reg.), Tokunō (¥880 large). Classic, value-driven bowls; stamp card offers a free bowl after five visits.
Access: ~1 min from Toden Waseda.
4.Menjii Abura, Waseda
Signatures: Otoko no Abura Soba “Black” shoyu (¥980) / “Red” spicy miso shoyu (¥630 reg.). Wavy noodles catch sauce; color-coded menu, busy at lunch.
Access: ~1 min from Tokyo Metro Waseda.
5.AburaSOBA Zuboshi, Waseda
Signatures: Abura SOBA (¥850 small), Special Kara-Shibi (¥950). Two kinds of sansho in the meat miso; optional free back fat softens the heat mid-bowl.
Access: ~3 min from Waseda.
6.Kirinji Takadanobaba
Signature: Zenbu-nose “all-in” (¥1,080). Straightforward, light finish; unusual side favorite is karaage.
Access: ~4 min from Takadanobaba.
7.Nikutama Soba Otodo, Shinjuku 2-chome
Signature: Nikutama Mazesoba (¥850). Sweet-savory pork belly “yakiniku” on top; Mondays boost the pork by 1.5×.
Access: ~3 min from Shinjuku-sanchome.
8.Meny a Sarusuberi (Hyakka Hin) — “Meny a Hyakunichikō,” Shinjuku 3-chome
Signature: Mazesoba (¥950). Lemon accents make it bright and summery; located in Keio Frente B2.
Access: ~1 min from Shinjuku-sanchome.
Pro Tips
Go vinegar first, then chili oil. Add minced garlic or black pepper sparingly. If heat spikes, cut with vinegar or a raw/onsen egg where offered.
Looking for the original article in Japanese?
See the full Japanese round-up on Daily Shinjuku.
https://daily-shinjuku.tokyo/2024/06/30/shinjuku-aburasoba-mazesoba/
