Getting stronger in NEO: The World Ends With You is a simple process but one rather unique to the franchise. Instead of relying entirely on experience points gained in battle, you improve your stats temporarily by equipping cool threads and permanently by eating trendy food found all over Shibuya.
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When visiting a restaurant, every character must be allocated some food and when the party gets collectively full they must work it off in battles. Each character can consume 1,000 calories before becoming completely full and it's useful to know what the best foodstuffs are for boosting your stats. To that end, we have some useful shopping lists for the cost-conscious and the calorie-conscious.
NOTE: If a particular food does not turn up on a shop's menu then it is the reward for completing that shopkeeper's Social Network quest. This will require eating three meals at that shop and then unlocking the new food in the Social Network menu in exchange for FP.
Boosting HP
| Food | Shop | Location | HP | HP per 1000 Yen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon Onigiri | Moyai Mart | West Exit Bus Terminal | 5 | 35.7 |
| Pickled Plum Onigiri | Moyai Mart | West Exit Bus Terminal | 4 | 34.8 |
| Potato Chips | Moyai Mart | West Exit Bus Terminal | 3 | 27.8 |
| Freedom Fries | Justice Burger | Scramble Crossing | 6 | 25 |
| Fried Chicken | Moyai Mart | West Exit Bus Terminal | 4 | 22.2 |
| Between-Act Bento | Moyai Mart | West Exit Bus Terminal | 7 | 17.5 |
| Hero Hamburger | Justice Burger | Scramble Crossing | 4 | 14.8 |
| Shoyu Ramen | Suzu Slurpz | Dogenzaka | 10 | 14.7 |
| Anko Dango Skewer | Kyoto Sweets | Shibuya Hikarie | 8 | 14.5 |
| Cheesy Champion | Justice Burger | Scramble Crossing | 6 | 14.3 |
| Food | Shop | Location | HP | HP per 1000 Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon Onigiri | Moyai Mart | West Exit Bus Terminal | 5 | 25 |
| Grilled Alligator | SBY BBQ | Tipsy Tose Hall | 28 | 23.3 |
| Pickled Plum Onigiri | Moyai Mart | West Exit Bus Terminal | 4 | 22.2 |
| Freedom Fries | Justice Burger | Scramble Crossing | 6 | 20 |
| BLT Sandwich | Hachiko Café | Scramble Crossing | 8 | 19.5 |
| Anko Dango Skewer | Kyoto Sweets | Shibuya Hikarie | 8 | 17.8 |
| SKO Sandwich | Hachiko Café | Scramble Crossing | 8 | 17.8 |
| Whole Hog BBQ | SBY BBQ | Tipsy Tose Hall | 16 | 17.8 |
| Toyosu Seafood Bowl | Donburi Town | Center Street | 12 | 17.6 |
| Matsuzaka Beef Bowl | Donburi Town | Center Street | 12 | 16.7 |
HP may be one of the less important stats in this game, more important is your ability to dodge attacks. For those who are watching their wallet, it seems that Moyai Mart is well-stocked with cheap, health-boosting delights — especially the onigiri. On days where the West Exit Bus Terminal isn't available, those seeking HP boosts will want to pay a visit to Justice Burger.
For those for whom money is no object, onigiri is still the most efficient choice. It turns out that this popular rice dish is just perfect for boosting someone's health up. That and alligator, apparently. Overall, though, a simple trip to the West Exit Bus Terminal is the best bet for any player in need of some HP.
Boosting ATK
| Food | Shop | Location | ATK | ATK per 1000 Yen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spicy Miso Ramen | Suzu Slurpz | Dogenzaka | 9 | 9.1 |
| Fried Chicken | Moyai Mart | West Exit Bus Terminal | 1 | 5.6 |
| Chocolate Soft Serve | fluffy 'n' sweet | Miyashita Park | 3 | 5.1 |
| Pani Puri Plate | Asia Fantasia | Tokyu Plaza | 3 | 4.3 |
| Holy Mole Tacos | Tacos y Más Tacos | Shibuya Stream | 4 | 4.1 |
| Topsy-turvy Noodles | Glutton 4 Gluten | Center Street | 4 | 4.1 |
| Dark Dandan Noodles | Glutton 4 Gluten | Center Street | 4 | 4.1 |
| Super Spicy Noodles | Tacos y Más Tacos | Shibuya Stream | 3 | 3.8 |
| Bowl of Oden | Moyai Mart | West Exit Bus Terminal | 2 | 3.8 |
| Dark Chocolate Dream | Udagawa Parfait | Udagawa Backstreets | 4 | 3.6 |
| Food | Shop | Location | ATK | ATK per 1000 Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hachiko Blend | Hachiko Café | Scramble Crossing | 1 | 12.5 |
| Spicy Miso Ramen | Suzu Slurpz | Dogenzaka | 9 | 10 |
| Pani Puri Plate | Asia Fantasia | Tokyu Plaza | 3 | 7.5 |
| Holy Mole Tacos | Tacos y Más Tacos | Shibuya Stream | 4 | 6.7 |
| Super Spicy Tacos | Tacos y Más Tacos | Shibuya Stream | 3 | 6 |
| Grilled Alligator | SBY BBQ | Tipsy Tose Hall | 7 | 5.8 |
| Bubbly Berry Blend | somedrinks | Shibuya Stream | 2 | 5.7 |
| Topsy-turvy Noodles | Glutton 4 Gluten | Center Street | 4 | 5.6 |
| Chocolate Soft Serve | fluffy 'n' sweet | Miyashita Park | 3 | 5.5 |
| Dark Chocolate Dream | Udagawa Parfait | Udagawa Backstreets | 4 | 5.3 |
Attack is possibly the most important stat in the game for finishing fights quickly, so if you feel like boosting this stat a lot, take a trip to Dogenzaka for some Spicy Miso Ramen. It's both cheap and efficiently filling.
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A good cognitive shortcut you can use for improving attack is remembering that tacos and chocolate are great for attack boosting too. The min-maxers out there will also be making lots of coffee runs to the Hachiko Café for that brilliant efficiency.
Boosting DEF
| Food | Shop | Location | DEF | DEF per 1000 Yen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superhero Soda | Justice Burger | Scramble Crossing | 2 | 9.5 |
| Justice Juice | Justice Burger | Scramble Crossing | 2 | 9.5 |
| Potato Chips | Moyai Mart | West Exit Bus Terminal | 1 | 9.3 |
| Banana Tigim | Asia Fantasia | Tokyu Plaza | 3 | 6.3 |
| Sweet Potato Swirl | fluffy 'n' sweet | Miyashita Park | 5 | 6.3 |
| Farm-Fresh Cream Cone | fluffy 'n' sweet | Miyashita Park | 3 | 6.1 |
| Fearless Fish Sandwich | Justice Burger | Scramble Crossing | 2 | 5.6 |
| Avocado Toast | Vegelovers | Tower Records Shibuya | 4 | 5.3 |
| Between-Act Bento | Moyai Mart | West Exit Bus Terminal | 2 | 5 |
| Cheesy Corndog | Asia Fantasia | Tokyu Plaza | 2 | 5 |
| Food | Shop | Location | DEF | DEF per 1000 Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iced Café au Lait | Hachiko Café | Scramble Crossing | 2 | 16.7 |
| Iced Cold Brew | Hachiko Café | Scramble Crossing | 1 | 12.5 |
| Justice Juice | Justice Burger | Scramble Crossing | 2 | 9.5 |
| Avocado Toast | Vegelovers | Tower Records Shibuya | 7 | 8.7 |
| Ice Cream Float | Hachiko Café | Scramble Crossing | 4 | 8.7 |
| Roasted Tuna Head | SBY BBQ | Tipsy Tose Hall | 18 | 8.3 |
| Orange Tea | somedrinks | Shibuya Stream | 1 | 8.3 |
| Superhero Soda | Justice Burger | Scramble Crossing | 2 | 8 |
| Açai Smoothie | Vegelovers | Tower Records Shibuya | 2 | 8 |
| Veggie Soup Special | Vegelovers | Tower Records Shibuya | 6 | 8 |
Getting your Defense up as high as you can is the key to surviving the really difficult battles that NEO: The World Ends With You has to offer. To that end, it seems that cold drinks are the way to go, with iced coffee and sodas being topping the charts in both cost-efficiency and calorie-efficiency.
Notable dishes here are the Roasted Tuna Head which also improves HP and the Superhero Soda which also gives a little Style boost. This makes it a bit more valuable than Justice Juice despite costing the same amount.
Boosting Style
| Food | Shop | Location | Style | Style per 1000 Yen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscat Grape Crêpe | fluffy 'n' sweet | Miyashita Park | 4 | 8 |
| Mango Boba Latte | Bubblevision | Spain Hill | 3 | 6.3 |
| Very Berry Bouquet | fluffy 'n' sweet | Miyashita Park | 3 | 6 |
| Superhero Soda | Justice Burger | Scramble Crossing | 1 | 4.8 |
| Strawberry Boba Latte | Bubblevision | Spain Hill | 2 | 4.2 |
| Matcha Boba Latte | Bubblevision | Spain Hill | 2 | 4.2 |
| Chocomint Shaved Ice | Cutie Pies | Takeshita Street | 4 | 4 |
| Xiaolongbao Set | Asia Fantasia | Tokyu Plaza | 4 | 4 |
| Muscovado Boba Latte | Bubblevision | Spain Hill | 3 | 3.8 |
| Salty Lemon Ramen | Suzu Slurpz | Dogenzaka | 3 | 3.8 |
| Food | Shop | Location | Style | Style per 1000 Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air in a Can | Vegelovers | Tower Records Shibuya | 6 | 14 |
| Ladies' Night Parfait | Udagawa Parfait | Udagawa Backstreets | 9 | 9 |
| Muscat Grape Crêpe | fluffy 'n' sweet | Miyashita Park | 4 | 8.9 |
| Ruby Chocolate Delight | Udagawa Parfait | Udagawa Backstreets | 7 | 8.2 |
| Dry-Aged Beef Steak | SBY BBQ | Tipsy Tose Hall | 5 | 7.1 |
| Café au Lait | Hachiko Café | Scramble Crossing | 1 | 7.1 |
| Very Berry Bouquet | fluffy 'n' sweet | Miyashita Park | 3 | 6.7 |
| Berry Blend Tea | somedrinks | Shibuya Stream | 1 | 6.7 |
| Mango Boba Latte | Bubblevision | Spain Hill | 3 | 6.3 |
| Chocomint Shaved Ice | Cutie Pies | Takeshita Street | 4 | 6.2 |
Style is an odd stat. You really only need to boost this stat to gain access to the abilities attached to the clothing you pick up — it's not like Bravery in the original game that was a prerequisite to equipping the clothes.
Stylish and trendy drinks are very good for boosting Style. You can't go wrong with a trip to Bubblevision for some en vogue boba drinks to boost your style, but if you truly aspire to the heights of style go pick up some… Air in a Can from Vegelovers. For some reason, that's the best of the best. Udagawa Parfait is another great shop to visit when it's available — the Ladies' Night Parfait is also great for boosting HP, and the Ruby Chocolate Delight improves HP and Attack in addition to Style.
More Great Food
Knowing which foodstuffs boost individual stats the best is useful, but there are some dishes in the game that are great for increasing multiple stats at the same time. Most notable is the Grilled Alligator, which isn't just for HP and Attack, but Defense to boot. For those who wince at the 8,200 Yen price, SBY BBQ also has a Whole Hog BBQ that improves all three combat stats too.
Donburi Town is a great restaurant too. Located in Center Street, it has many dishes that are great at improving multiple stats so it's great for players who don't want to micromanage every aspect of character growth whilst still taking advantage of only the most efficient meals.
NEXT: NEO: The World Ends With You – Blue Noise Guide
