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Once again, here is another segment of the Gaijin Gourmet where you can find a delcious healthy meal in the world’s most expensive and crowded city for under $5 (USD)!

I have written below about my two most favorite soba chains in Tokyo: Shin Shu Soba and Yude Taro. But there are several chains that are much more ubiquitous in Tokyo that I must address. One of them is the 800-pound gorilla in the soba kitchen and that just has to be Fuji Soba. http://fujisoba.co.jp/

As of July of 2013, Fuji Soba has more than 100 shops in the Greater Tokyo area and also Chiba, Saitama, Kanagawa as well as some shops in the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Fuji Soba’s sales point is that each shop makes their own soup so the taste of the soup broth varies from shop to shop and each shops uses fresh soba. Also, it is a good place (like most soba chains) to pop in and have a beer or a High-ball at a very reasonable price.

Fact of the matter is that I have been to Fuji Soba most probably more than all the other soba shops put together. For years, after my daily radio show ended, I would go there with my friend and we ate Fuji soba everyday!

I really do like it. And, while you might have a bit of a problem finding a soba chain restaurant nearby you, Fuji Soba shops are everywhere!

Like many of these sorts of shops in Japan, one must purchase a meal ticket at the entrance of the restaurant. In many cases, the ticket machine menus are NOT written in English… So, you can purchase something that does have a photo, or….

….Or you can ask one of the restaurant staff to go outside with you and you point to the item you want and then the staff will show you which ticket to purchase. Sure, sometimes, these ticket machines might seem like a hassle, but they save you money and it’s better when the people handling the food are not touching money because money isn’t very  clean and we do not want the people touching our food to be handling money!

As, usual, a clean kitchen is a must for all restaurants for the family and the Gaijin Gourmet. At all Fuji Soba shops, one can see clearly into the kitchens and the Gaijin Gourmet is confident you will see a spic and span, clean operation!

Excellent value for the price. Bowl of soba with some boiled spinach and sea weed? ¥380! (about $3.16 USD at the exchange rate as of the writing of this post). Healthy, low calorie, fills you up and cheaper than any western chain hamburger shop!

This is the standard plate of cold soba that the Gaijin Gourmet always prefers. This is the large “Toku mori soba” (¥480) (about $4 USD at the exchange rate as of the writing of this post) and a side order of boiled spinach (¥100) (about $0.80 cents).

Fuji soba is a bit more expensive than my two favorite chains, but Fuji soba has many more shops and is much more convenient because of it and also because Fuji Soba shops are always right by the train stations.

Fuji Soba is great for the entire family.

4 stars out of 5. Excellent!

NOTE: Pretty soon I am going to make a Top ranking for all these shops so stay tuned. In the meantime, I do have to be fair and introduce all of them to you. As I mentioned before in a previous post, soba shops inside of the trains stations are usually pretty bad. Sure, I say they are “pretty bad” but, folks, it’s a pretty fair statement for me to make when I say, “Any soba shop in Japan is a better deal, with a more reasonable price and MUCH more healthy for you and your family than ANY western fast food chain like McDonald’s or KFC…

No comparison.

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Looking for a delicious healthy meal in Tokyo, the world’s most expensive and crowded city for under $5 (USD)? Here’s a bunch of them linked below!

Gaijin Gourmet: 「モンスターMOGULLA！東京の地下からこんにちは」 robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-「モンスターmogulla！東京の地下からこんにちは/

マイク・ロジャース!「ザ・外人グルメ」！のぐるなび ippin(イッピン)の新しい記事がアップされました！robot55.jp/blog/マイク・ロジャース「ザ・外人グルメ」！のぐる/

Gaijin Gourmet! The Best, Most Delicious Soba Restaurant in Shibuya and Shinjuku robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-the-best-most-delicious-soba-restaurant-in-shibuya-and-shinjuku/

Gaijin Gourmet – Hamazushi! Tokyo’s Best Robot Sushi! robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-hamazushi-tokyos-best-robot-sushi/

Gaijin Gourmet – Sukiya! Japan’s Best Gyudon (Beef Bowl) robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-sukiya-japans-best-gyudon-beef-bowl/

Gaijin Gourmet Advice for Foreign Gentlemen Living in Japan!
http://robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-advice-for-foreign-gentlemen-living-in-japan/

Gaijin Gourmet – Best Soba Chain in Tokyo？Yude Taro and ¥220 Draft Beer?! robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-best-soba-chain-in-tokyo？yude-taro-and-¥220-draft-beer/

Gaijin Gourmet: The Best Premium Salad Bar in Tokyo? – Sizzler in Setagaya robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-the-best-premium-salad-bar-in-tokyo-sizzler-in-setagaya/

Gaijin Gourmet! Great Cheap and Delicious Soba in Gaienmae on Ginza Line! robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-great-cheap-and-delicious-soba-in-gaienmae-on-ginza-line/

The Gaijin Gourmet: The Best Salad Bar Deal in Tokyo at Big Boy – My Favorite Rock N Roll Diner!! robot55.jp/blog/the-gaijin-gourmet-the-best-salad-bar-deal-in-tokyo-at-big-boy-my-favorite-rock-n-roll-diner/

Tokyo’s Best Cheap Sushi is in Okachimachi!? 東京の一番安くて美味しい寿司屋？御徒町にあるの？ http://robot55.jp/blog/tokyos-best-cheap-sushi-in-okachimachi/

The Gaijin Gourmet: Soba Wars At Hanzomon Station in Tokyo robot55.jp/blog/gaijin-gourmet-soba-wars-at-hanzomon-station-in-tokyo/