Tokyo’s Priciest Ramen Noodles Top $100 a Bowl
- 14 years ago
Ramen is going upscale at a Tokyo restaurant, where a bowl of gourmet noodles go for 10,000 yen, or over $100.
The piping hot ramen at Fujimaki Gekijyo takes three days to prepare, blending Chinese soup stock and tom yum, as well as over 20 ingredients.
Owner Shoichi Fujimaki says the high price, over 10 times normal menu fare, stems from seeing the noodles as cuisine, not fast food.
[Shoichi Fujimaki, Owner,Fujimaki Gekijyo]:
"If there's a ton of them everywhere, of course, the price will go down. Here is the only place in the world that people have this soup. I believe that this is indeed the No. 1 noodle soup in the world."
Fujimaki initially priced its ramen at about $30, but later created an even higher-class bowl, with dining only possible by reservation.
Ramen restaurants dot Japan, but this has only encouraged customers such as Hideko Furusawa to splurge on Fujimaki's luxury noodles.
"Ten thousand yen is certainly expensive, as normal ramen shops cost a thousand yen or even less. However, I think that's sometimes better to come here and spend ten thousand than to go to another place and spend a thousand ten times."
Fujimaki plans to expand his business overseas, with a Los Angeles-area restaurant eyed for August.
But he says the price will be under $100, keeping Tokyo with the ritziest ramen around.
The piping hot ramen at Fujimaki Gekijyo takes three days to prepare, blending Chinese soup stock and tom yum, as well as over 20 ingredients.
Owner Shoichi Fujimaki says the high price, over 10 times normal menu fare, stems from seeing the noodles as cuisine, not fast food.
[Shoichi Fujimaki, Owner,Fujimaki Gekijyo]:
"If there's a ton of them everywhere, of course, the price will go down. Here is the only place in the world that people have this soup. I believe that this is indeed the No. 1 noodle soup in the world."
Fujimaki initially priced its ramen at about $30, but later created an even higher-class bowl, with dining only possible by reservation.
Ramen restaurants dot Japan, but this has only encouraged customers such as Hideko Furusawa to splurge on Fujimaki's luxury noodles.
"Ten thousand yen is certainly expensive, as normal ramen shops cost a thousand yen or even less. However, I think that's sometimes better to come here and spend ten thousand than to go to another place and spend a thousand ten times."
Fujimaki plans to expand his business overseas, with a Los Angeles-area restaurant eyed for August.
But he says the price will be under $100, keeping Tokyo with the ritziest ramen around.