Recommended bowl: Simple chuka-soba

Fukumimi is located 45 minutes down the Keio train line in the rather remote city of Bubaigawara – and it's only open for a few hours over lunch (rough!). Yes, this is yet another destination ramen spot catering to a lucky local community and the devoted ramen head who's willing to travel across one of the world’s most sprawling cities for his lunch. And the limited-access approach seems to be working for them: every time we've eaten at Fukumimi there has been a long line of ramen geeks waiting for a seat.

Fukumimi's offering is quite similar to Hachioji style ramen: dark shoyu soup with thin, homemade noodles. It’s essentially Japanese comfort food – a bowl you can eat every week. There is nothing flashy here but it's put together with incredible precision. The balance in this bowl should give you pause.

It’s a classic Tokyo ramen shop experience – tiny interior, counter seating only and a lone master in the kitchen making the magic happen. The menu is as simple as the ramen: chuka soba and tokusei chuka soba are all that's served. Well worth the long train ride.