Here’s how I arrived in my conclusion. In 2018, when Nagi opened, the price of their original King was $13.95. The price was probably middle of the pack back then.
In January this year, their original King was $14.95- a $1 increase over 6 years including a period where inflation was absurdly high in the last 3 years.
During the last 3 years, I have seen many noodle shops raise their prices from low teens to high teens. For example, the pho joint opposite of the Los Altos Whole Foods was $18 for a bowl of pho either earlier this year or late last year. It was low teens a few years ago. That place has no ambiance whatsoever. So if you compare Nagi, the quality of its food, its ambiance to a generic no ambiance noodle joint, $14.95 I thought is a steal.
There is this ramen place on Cal Ave whose name I’ve forgotten. Its ramen tastes worse than Nagi, and its more expensive than Nagi (earlier this year).
Of course, these are Bay Area prices. Someone from Japan can rightly point out that even the great ramen places over there is only 1000 yen a bowl, which is about USD $7 a bowl, but then its apples to oranges.
So they sell meals to outsiders? Counter order service?
There is a senior home in Palo Alto that I have at some point wondered about their food and whether I should give it a try. Glad I am not the only who has, ahem, non-mainstream, thoughts like that.
