High-end sushi bars get most or all of their fish from Japan, which is very expensive. They typically have a handful of seats and only one or two seatings per night. One place I went had 12 seats, one seating Tuesday through Thursday and two on Friday and Saturday, so only 84 covers a week. Service has to match the quality of the food so the ratio of staff to customers is high. To avoid losing money, that kind of place has to charge $200-250 per person. To charge $400, a place has to provide an experience that connoisseurs will consider worth the extra costā¦
Personally I wouldnāt pay $400 because I donāt have the experience to appreciate the difference. And if Iām going to spend $200 on a Japanese meal, Shibumi is more my style.
Your first two posts were:
$400?? My god.
$400 is ridiculous unless this is like the last meal of your life.
So then why even bother to respond? Just so you can project sh*t on to other people (I can engage in possibly erroneous mind reading just as easily as you can)?
Iām engaging in a discussion b/c issues of communication and social justice/equity are literally things that I do for a living. Just like some people like to spend $400 pp on a meal, I think the things I mentioned above are fascinating.
So when BYB mentions on when thread that the chef of Holbox (which aināt cheap, last time I checked) is making food āfor the peopleā (which is totally laughable) but then blanches at the idea of a $400pp meal and then keeps on going on about it and then blames people for bullying them, that reaction is completely ridiculous.
If youāre not interested in a discussion about that, thatās fine. But donāt cover it up by trying project your stuff on to me. Itās probably just easier for you to mute me since you apparently donāt engage in conversations. ::shrug::
But, BTW, you never did point out where posters said (or even implied) a $400 pp meal was ānormal.ā
āSo when BYB mentions on when thread that the chef of Holbox (which aināt cheap, last time I checked) is making food āfor the peopleā (which is totally laughableā
To a lesser extent at Holbox than Chichen Itza, anecdotally I consistently see blue collar workers from construction jobs, etc getting food at both places for lunch during their breaks. Thereās nothing laughable about it.
What makes you think theyāre on lunch break from construction jobs? Those guys typically have short lunch breaks and eat what they brought from home or buy from food trucks on site, which donāt charge $5-8 per taco.
No skin in this game. Personally, I think its crazy to spend $400 on a meal. But thatās just me and I certainly make no judgement on those who do. After all, Iām the same guy who values golf and is in the process of shelling out for a ritzy CC. Or others, who are definitely ānormalā people who spend $400++++ to go to a sporting event or buy a purse / pair of shoes. Itās like my wifeā¦ she is the most thrifty person ever, but when she goes on vacation, she insists on staying at a really nice hotel or sheād rather not go. And her point is I donāt buy purses, shoes, clothes, etc., so so what if I want to splurge on a hotel. To each their own!
Ummā¦ because of what theyāre wearing lol. The two times I went, most were getting rice and beans platters not tacos if thatās your gripe.
And if that other poster is really trying to compare Chichen Itza to this omakase placeā¦ good luck with that debate lol. Chichen IS food for the people but we can discuss that in another thread if necessary. This is about $400 omakase.
āPersonally, I think its crazy to spend $400 on a mealā
Yup! That was my only point.
Iām sure if I wrote the ^^ point though itād be seen as judgmental around here even though that was never my intention and words were just inserted into my mouth lol.
I think itās crazy to spend money on a private plane (compared to letās say first class) as an example. Regardless it is just my opinion.
I guess on this board itās odd to say that $400 is a lot to spend for a single meal, but ask 19 out of 20 people in everyday life and Iād put money they would say the same. Just how I was raised! Congrats on being able to afford that for those who can.
Would it help at all to think of it as ādinner and a showā? With a bit of vacation and tutorial included. Iām just curious about your perception of what a $400 omakase meal is actually like. Itās about so much more than only the food, and if you look at the videos for Sushi Noz, youāll see that this is precisely whatās intended. When I go to Hayato, I know that Iām going to be settling in for four hours of exquisite food and the best floor show in town; I will feel like Iāve taken a welcome respite from the world in an unnameable other place and time; and after talking with Chef Go about the food and its preparation, I will leave knowing and appreciating more than when I came in. Now, my idea of a good time is idiosyncratic, and lots of people would rather buy tickets to see āHamiltonā or a rock concert and have a modest dinner before or after, and Iām not saying that one is going to spend $400/person for that, but Iām trying to get across why there are people who think that $400 for a particular type of meal is money well spent, whether itās once in a lifetime or once a month. And, FWIW, I do think Iām crazy sometimes, spending that much money, LOL!! But sometimes I do it anyhow.
The whole experience (youāre right happycat, itās more of an experience than just a meal) at Hayato resonates so authentically to me that I feel that I āgot my passport to Japan stampedā after every meal there. All this, without having to spend the bucks on airline tickets to actually go to Japan.
This leads to another point: There are lots of everyday people who used to commit a certain portion of their budget for vacations. But with travel restrictions during the pandemic, a significant portion of them are using up their travel funds by dining out locally instead (either more frequently and/or spending on higher-end meals)ā¦ So thatās an observation.
āItās none of your fucking business, so keep your mouth shut.ā
Whoa, easy there. I just quoted what fattydumplin said Robert. Isnāt that what this thread is about? Donāt need to get so personal and angry when weāre having a discussion amongst us, dang.
