I’ve been to Marufuku Ramen in Cupertino a few times on my own, and it’s always been a solid spot for a bowl of ramen. So when Mom got curious about the place after visiting Tokyo Central plaza on Sunday, I figured it’d be the perfect opportunity to take her out and treat her to a meal.
We both ordered the Hakata Tonkotsu ramen, which is Marufuku’s signature dish — rich pork broth, firm noodles, and tender chashu. At $17 a bowl, it’s not the cheapest, but I’ve always thought the price matched the quality.
Things went a little sideways when I got hit with the bill. Somehow, we ended up with two cups of tea, which came to $6 on their own — $3 a cup! I didn’t think much of it at first, but when tax and tip were added, the total came to $50 for the two of us. That’s $25 a person, which caught Mom’s attention.
She enjoyed the ramen but wasn’t shy about sharing her thoughts afterward. “It was decent,” she said, “but not worth $25 per person.” She felt like the food didn’t live up to the price, especially for something we could easily make at home. I could also tell she thought the portion size was bit small.
I can’t argue too much with her. While I appreciate the quality and the experience, I get why $25 for ramen might feel a bit steep (even in the inflated town of Cupertino). In the end, it was fun sharing the meal with Mom, but I don’t think she’ll be asking to go back anytime soon. For her, the price just didn’t match the experience.
PS: suffered yet another CPS confusion spell near the end of the meal. Methinks I ate too fast, too furious.
