This has been the trend for some time now … same reason you no longer find dungeness crab for $2.99/lb
@LAFoodiePanda that’s an epic looking dinner collab. I most likely would have keeled over midway 
Laurent told me that the portions were bigger for some dishes on the first night (11/08). What we got was already paired down some, but it was still too much food. I basically took one bite of each dessert and threw in the towel. LOL
It was a wonderful experience, especially seeing how intricate some of Yu Bo’s dishes were. The pacing was fine, but with 9 amuse, 12 mains, a cheese course and dessert, the dinner ran about 4 hours 15 minutes. We started at 6:45pm and finished around 11pm. The dinner from the night before started at 7:30pm and ended at 1am.
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Yeah, China started importing spiny lobsters from California around 20 years ago, when Australia couldn’t keep up with the demand.
We went to the event the day before (Nov 8th). My impression was the same as yours. Both chef were at their best with dishes using identical ingredients. Chef LQ’s dishes were at his best as expected. As I have not had Chef Yu Bo’s style of Sichuan cuisine before, I was completely bowled over by what was presented. Dish after dish and course after course of exquisitely crafted food that tasted pure of the ingredient, artfully and intricately presented, but flavorful at the same time. Every one of chef Yu Bo’s dishes is a masterpiece.
I also agree that there were way too much food for everyone to enjoy.
My final comment is that Sichuan spices, while tasty in and of itself. But, in my opinion, no matter how delicately applied, it’s tongue numbing quality is totally incompatible with the transcendent aroma of white truffles offered for the occasion. My palate were too numbed to detect any trace of any truffle essence that were present. And there were white truffles aplenty.
You don’t really taste white truffles on your tongue, it’s all aroma.