Apart from the (EXCELLENT) Ippudo Shiromaru Base we hunted out in central Shibuya, we just took a chance on all the others and we didn't have a single bad bowl of ramen. I don't even know if it's possible! Ramen bars in Tokyo aren't places to linger - you order your noodles, usually via a clever vending machine by the door, sit down (or stand, there are lots of standing ramen bars!), grab a glass of water and then slurp down your ramen. The louder the slurping, the better you're doing it; apparently that's the best way to cool the noodles down as you eat them and you should be able to finish a whole bowl in about 4 minutes!
The shopping in Shibuya is also pretty awesome. There are big outposts of H&M and Zara and a mammoth 6-floor Forever 21, but in terms of Japanese stores, make sure you go to Loft for cool stationery, design gadgets and everything you could possibly need for the home. We also liked Parco for cool, mid-priced Japanese designers and a 6th floor mecca to manga and the Muji superstore for everything you knew they sold, plus furniture, bicycles and a cafe! There are also three 109 stores dedicated to teen fashion; it's pretty overwhelming and noisy - an awesome experience if you've never been before - but we decided to completely bypass it on this occasion!
One of our absolute favourite stores in Shibuya is Village Vanguard, possibly the world's most random shopping experience. The main branch is open until midnight, making it a slightly surreal place to do some late night shopping (Darren 'forgot' that we spent over an hour scouring the manga section for a specific comic and requested - obliviously - to go back the next day...). They have everything - art books, comic books, novels, hipster backpacks, vintage American memorabilia, Moomin everything (the Japanese are obsessed with the Moomins), fancy dress costumes, snacks and so on, so if you ever have an hour or so to kill, Village Vanguard is your place!
In neighbouring Omote-sando, shopping is a much more luxury affair and slightly more relaxing, with plenty of designer boutiques for window shopping. I love the attention to detail in Japanese shops - the staff are so on point and everything is thoughtfully designed for the best shopping experience. Niko and... is one of those places; I love the industrial-inspired shop displays and the cute coffee bar inside makes it a destination as much as a place to shop.
Although the shopping might be expensive, you're never far away from a cheap eatery in Tokyo! Two of my favourites, Harajuku Gyoza Lou and Oreryushio Ramen, are just around the corner from Niko and... Unsurprisingly, the former is a gyoza joint serving up cheap and fresh dumplings. They come fried or steamed in plates of six for ¥290 (about £1.60!) so you can eat your fill for not very much money, but be prepared to queue. The second was one of my favourite bowls of ramen of the trip, with thick, creamy broth and plenty of toppings - you can see how happy I am!
If you've never been to Tokyo, then Harajuku's famous Takeshita-dori is a must. It's famous for spawning Gwen Stefani's 'Harajuku girls' stage as it's where a lot of teenagers hang out, dress up and go crazy for cute stuff. We generally avoided it this time around, choosing just to quickly stroll through it to get to Meiji-jingu, one of Tokyo's biggest and most famous temples.
I was so grateful to have my friend Ayumi show us around as she took us to plenty of her favourite local haunts. She's been my best friend for 15 years, but living across the world from each other we obviously don't get to see each other as much as we'd like! Her and her boyfriend were the perfect hosts, taking us to everywhere they could imagine that we would like. One of those places was a standing bar in Shibuya - I'm afraid I have no idea of the name, but it was the most unlikely spot for super fresh sashimi and cheap drinks.
You know when you take a nice picture and someone spoils it? Thanks for that one, Darren! Afterwards, we went to a place called Niku Yokocho and I'll say it again, Japan will never cease to surprise and amaze me. Like many Japanese eateries, you really have to hunt for it in unexpected places; in this case, on the upper floor of what looks like a weird office block/department store. This retro-style food court is a meat-lover's paradise; choose a vendor, sit down at a rickety table and order thinly sliced meat to grill on your own tabletop cooker. My friend told us afterwards that we were actually eating horse...thanks dude. But, y'know, immersing ourselves in the culture and all that. After raw chicken, I'll try anything!
Very cool post. I managed to find the gyoza place on a work trip to Tokyo last year and tried pretty much everything they had. Amazing. This post makes me want to go back.
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