Open until 3am seven days a week, this Midtown East restaurant is basically a perfect izakaya. Various masks of Japanese characters look over a steady crowd of regulars in work clothes, and solo diners eat ramen at the slightly sticky bar. You could just as happily bring a small group and leave a table full of empty bowls and bottles behind you, though.
Of the classic izakaya offerings—takoyaki, donburi, and gyoza—prioritize the Hakata-style ramen. There are nine options, and we usually go for either the “white” version, a thick tonkotsu broth with chashu, or the “red,” which adds a good punch of garlic and heat. The only thing holding Nishida Sho-ten back from being actually perfect is that the beer comes in bottles rather than on draft, though the servers will pour out your Sapporo, Asahi, or Orion into chilled steins.
video credit: Will Hartman
photo credit: Will Hartman
photo credit: Will Hartman
Food RundownTakoyaki
These, like most takoyaki, are served at a temperature that’s about as hot as the rocks in a sauna. Take care not to burn your mouth, and your patience will be rewarded with pleasantly sweet chunks of octopus, a gooey center, and savory katsuobushi.
Katsu Curry Don
A hearty rice bowl, though we wish the katsu stayed a bit crunchier after it gets drenched in the warming Japanese curry. If you come here a lot and always get ramen, this is a worthy main course to switch things up with.
Red Ramen
Our preferred bowl here. The broth is rich and genuinely spicy. (We often find ourselves sweating just a little bit when we eat it.) Meanwhile, chashu is charred and tender. A winning bowl of ramen.
White Ramen
If you aren’t in the mood for heat, no worries, the white bowl is a worthy option.
