A bowl of noodles at a typical Tokyo ramen joint is cheap — usually around ¥800 — and served in a convenient location. Fujimaki Gekijo, situated between Nakameguro and Yutenji in Meguro Ward, is neither. And the owner and chef, Shoichi Fujimaki, would have it no other way.
His shop is tucked into the first floor of a concrete building at the end of a winding residential road and serves its signature Spicy Castle ramen dish for a seemingly hefty ¥3,000.
"People will pay more for nice things," rationalizes the 40-year-old, sporting closely cropped hair and a white chef's coat pulled over a pink, collared dress shirt. "If I thought it was too expensive, I wouldn't be in this business."