Shibuya Ramen Crawl Worth the Food Coma

Some days we are normal; other days we’re in Japan and, at the last minute, decide to go on a Shibuya ramen crawl and end up tasting 12 different bowls of ramen after already having dinner. This is the story of that very night.

Hokkaido Sapporo Noodle

Our first stop was Hokkaido Sapporo Noodle, a short walk from the onigiri place where I had a quick, greedy, unnecessary but absolutely delicious early dinner just an hour before.

Hokkaido ramen is built for winter. It’s heartier, heavier, designed to warm you from the inside out. It feels robust and rustic. The noodles are usually thicker and slightly curly, made to hold onto that rich soup. You’ll often find toppings like butter, bean sprouts, and chashu. It might sound simple, but it makes total sense once you taste it — the butter melts into the broth, making everything even more comforting.

The shop is small, and we had to bypass a few patrons and make our way upstairs, climbing one of the narrowest staircases I’ve ever seen in a restaurant. I loved it immediately. Upstairs was warm and not crowded. We each chose two bowls and suddenly had four different types of ramen in front of us.

Our Shibuya ramen crawl officially started with shio ramen. Light, clear, and the simplest bowl of the night — it stayed my favourite. It felt clean and soothing, reminding me of Amma’s soup in winter. I had a runny nose, and somehow this bowl felt medicinal. Comforting without being heavy. After finishing it, I wanted more — but stopped myself. This is dangerous, I thought. There are still many bowls ahead.

The miso ramen was savoury and comforting. The miso flavour was deep but not overpowering, and the broth was thick enough to satisfy without knocking me out. At this point, I was still confident. Still optimistic. Still thinking, “Yes, we can definitely complete this Shibuya ramen crawl.”

Then came the shoyu ramen — dark, bold, definitely saltier. The soy sauce flavour was stronger, with a slight peppery edge at the end. This was Fafa’s favourite. Not surprising. He loves anything intense and punchy.

The last bowl we shared here was the spicy miso ramen. The spice was subtle — not the kind that makes you sweat immediately, but a steady heat that builds as you keep eating.

Eating Hokkaido ramen feels like wrapping myself in an invisible coat. Filling, warming, deeply satisfying — the kind of bowl you want when it’s snowing outside, and you have nowhere to be except right there with your soup. By now, I was starting to slow down, quietly calculating how much stomach space I had left. But we must move.

Hokkaido Sapporo Noodle address: 2 Chome-10-3 Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0043, Japan.

---

Nagi Butao

Nagi Butao is on the other side of Shibuya, closer to the tall office buildings and away from the main shopping chaos. According to our ramen guide (yes, we had a ramen guide), this is Pink’s favourite spot when she did her own Shibuya ramen crawl, apparently. I don’t know why, but this random fun fact made me more excited — a good motivator after four bowls of ramen and three onigiris.

I loved the décor, especially the huge white daruma floating in the middle of the restaurant. It reminded me of our own small blue daruma from Dazaifu on New Year’s Day, still waiting for me to paint in one eye and commit to our Bali wish.

Nagi Buato plays in Fukuoka-style tonkotsu territory. Creamy pork broth. Rich. Confident.

When people talk about ramen from Fukuoka, they usually mean Hakata-style tonkotsu. The broth is made by boiling pork bones for hours until it turns cloudy and milky. It’s not subtle. When done right, it’s deeply savoury, silky, coating the mouth with every sip.

We started with the Original King — thick, creamy broth with extra pork fat floating on top. It sounds heavy, but it was surprisingly smooth. I tasted the pork and fat, but not greasy. The thin, straight noodles balance the thick broth, making it satisfying without being too dense.

Then came the “why is it green?” bowl — Green King. The colour comes from pesto, and yes, it tastes slightly Italian. Herby, fresh, different. It shouldn’t work, but it does. At this stage, I appreciated anything remotely refreshing. Apparently, pesto ramen is trending in Japan and on social media, and honestly, it’s worth the hype. My favourite at Nagi Butao, and my second-favourite of the entire Shibuya ramen crawl, after that first shio ramen.

Black King was jet black from squid ink and burnt garlic oil. Bold, earthy, smoky. Not subtle at all. But I loved it. Squid ink umami plus garlic? Say less.

Red King was creamy tonkotsu loaded with chilli oil. Spicy, slightly sweet, flavourful. The heat builds slowly, giving that familiar comfort of spicy noodles. By bowl number ten, I was realising that a Shibuya ramen crawl sounds romantic in theory. In reality? It’s a sport; I needed some pacing. It’s teamwork, I looked at Fafa mid-slurp and asked, “Why did we do this to ourselves?”

Heavy, soup-based Fukuoka ramen — the kind I crave on cold nights — was a lot at this stage. But worth it. Also, if it’s good enough for Pink, it’s good enough for the Kween.

Nagi Butao address: 3 Chome-7-2 Shibuya, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0002, Japan.

---

Wagyu Ramen Goku

Our final stop was Wagyu Ramen Goku, a bit of a walk from the second shop. The walk was welcome. I was already full but also too ambitious not to finish what we started.

Tucked in a small residential lane, this place would’ve been hard to stumble upon by accident. It’s known for its wagyu ramen, which is still considered a rare, luxurious type in the ramen world.

We started with the OG Wagyu Ramen, made with 100% wagyu beef broth. Rich, creamy, very beefy. Luxurious? Yes. But hard to fully appreciate after eight bowls. Even if I had tried it fresh, I’m not sure I would order it again.

Then we switched gears with the Wagyu Maze Soba — thick noodles coated in a rich, savoury sauce with beef and a hint of seafood. Heavy and intense, but somehow this revived me. I found my appetite again and finished half before passing it to Fafa. My favourite at this shop is my third favourite of our Shibuya Ramen crawl that night.

Next was Yuzu Wagyu Ramen — the same wagyu broth but with yuzu added. The citrus aroma was beautiful and cut through the richness. At this point, I was grateful for anything refreshing.

I purposely saved the Koshin Wagyu Ramen for last because I knew I could always finish a spicy bowl. Same beefy base, but with extra heat. Still creamy, still rich, but more flavourful for me. And with that final bowl, I silently thanked it — and all the bowls before it.

Wagyu Ramen Goku address: 1-12-12 Shibuya Miyamasuzaka Tohoyo Estate 101, Shibuya 150-0002, Tokyo, Japan.

---

By the end of the Shibuya ramen crawl, I wasn’t just full — I was in a food coma. Zero regrets. Each bowl had its own personality. Some gentle and comforting. Some bold and loud. Others were rich enough that it required a mini pause. Most of them were completely new to us — and that’s what made it fun.

It’s also the memories. Laughing between slurps. Ranking favourites. Realising I will almost always choose the lighter, cleaner bowl (that first ramen bowl of shio miso stayed at the top), while Fafa will forever chase the darkest, saltiest option on the menu.

Would I do the Shibuya Ramen Crawl again? Yes. But maybe we will do Shinjuku next time.

Would I smarten up and skip dinner next time? No. Probably not

For now, I’m just proud we made it to the last bowl — even if I had to roll back to our hotel and cancel my onsen plan that night because I was completely, absolutely stuffed.

Follow me on Instagram @KultureKween for more recent updates.