The “toppest” sushi place I ever went to was Yasuda in its Heyday, and only for a leisurely lunch (albeit pricier than my lunches tend to be) — so I can’t speak to the Masas and Mitsus and Nakazawas — but I was neither bored nor broke afterwards, and still greatly enjoy good sushi/sashimi. It’s a rare treat for us worth savoring 
It must be a fine position to be in when one is easily bored with food literally nobody’s forced to eat 
This is how I feel about restaurants these days.
“But as I sat looking at my $900 bill (for two), I had some serious buyer’s remorse.”
From a comment on that article.
Insanity. But we’ve been there.
I cook most meals at home, and we barely go out to eat where we live. Traveling & our summers in Berlin are another story, of course. We’ve found favorites over the years / decades (while discovering new ones every summer) that are fun & worth it for us. Certainly not at those outrageous price tags, however, and minus roughly the 15-20% one’s supposed to tip stateside 
As someone who has travelled minimally, I guess I assume those gratuities are built in to the price.
The only time I had a bill over $1000 is when a group of more than a dozen of use took my dad out for his birthday and that was at a Jean Georges Vongerichten restaurant. I can’t imagine a situation in which I would ever have a $900 bill for two. I also could never afford to even consider a meal like that.
I’ve mentioned it more times here than I care to count, but dining out in Germany is significantly cheaper than in the US, and that’s not just bc we don’t have that silly tipping culture.
OMG!! That would feed Sunshine & I for almost 6 months!!
I don’t think I was asking about Germany, but thank you for repeating that. I guess I was thinking of the world at large.
Yeah. That’s about where I am.
I never claimed that you were, however, most of my personal dining experience is in Germany, so that is my main reference point / comparison.
I’ve also had cheaper (and often far better) food than in the US in Thailand, Greece, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Turkey, Poland, Portugal, France, Austria… etc. etc.
For reference, the old thread:
Naturally it devolved over the course of the discussion, but it was interesting nonetheless. For a bit 
Yes it makes sense that places with lower costs of living would generally have lower cost foods. Places with different legislation, oversight and fees. It’s not a huge mystery and I imagine there are places everywhere you mentioned with comparable priced meals and meals that are more expensive than ones you can find in the United States. I’m glad you have enjoyed the meals you have eaten around the world and believe them better than anything available in the United States. I know you have mentioned that before as well. Thanks for your input!
I’ve never made any such claim, but I’m not interested in a pissing match about this. I’ve had enough nastiness on this site today. Time to shop for our dinner.
Hope your mood and overall disposition improves!
I was replying to this: “and often far better) food than in the US”
I have not eaten in nearly as many places. Maybe they are better. I don’t know.
I ate at Jewel Bako and 15 East back in the day–both were absolutely memorable meals.
I loved my lunch at Yasuda, and I remember it well despite it having been a decade ago, at least.
Even if it wasn’t $450/person 
[…] $900 […] buyer’s remorse […]
I would tend to think this is just a writer suddenly coming to grips with the idea of diminishing returns. The difference between ‘acceptable’ sushi and ‘really good’ sushi is easily noticeable, and the price difference is commensurate with that degree of improvement.
The difference between ‘really good’ and ‘excellent’ is less noticeable, and the price difference doesn’t measure up to the increase in quality for many consumers.
If $900 gives you buyers remorse, maybe that’s an indication that past a certain point, it’s not about quality, or even ‘the experience’. It’s bragging rights and conspicuous consumption. And if that isn’t important to you, a $120 omakase will probably be a great splurge special dinner at 1/8th the price.
Me too, though I was definitely surprised how quickly I was in and out of there.
We spent a good 1.5 hours. It was leisurely, and Yasuda kept the good things coming. Like fish guts 
