Why Pay $1000 Per Person for Sushi?
I recently found myself in the heart of the Village, at Kosaka, a highly-rated omakase-style sushi restaurant. For the uninitiated, omakase is the sushi lover’s equivalent of a tasting menu—chef's choice, no substitutions, and usually no mercy on your wallet. Dinner, including a mandatory 20% tip, was $300/per person. It left me pondering: was this decadent evening worth the price of admission?
New York City is no stranger to pricey dinners, but I couldn't help comparing this experience to other sushi adventures. On the lower end of the spectrum, Sushi W on Lexington and E 97th St., straddling the border of the Upper East Side and Spanish Harlem, offers a more frugal feast. The cost for the premium menu was a modest $68/per person, including tip. Then, there’s the heavyweight champion of wallet-busting sushi restaurants: the illustrious three Michelin-starred Masa Sushi, nestled in the Time Warner Building at Columbus Circle, where a meal will set you back $1000/per person including tip. All were delicious and great experiences, so what gives?
As a seasoned chef and restaurateur, I can tell you that the success of any restaurant hinges on five key elements: food, service, ambiance, location, and value. The first four are relatively straightforward, but value—that’s the enigma wrapped in seaweed. It’s the most crucial factor, the one that asks: Is the money I'm spending giving me enough bang for my buck? Let's break down how each element contributes to the elusive concept of value in the world of omakase.
Food: For sushi aficionados, the quality of the fish is paramount. Cheap sushi spots typically serve yellowfin tuna (ahi) from the Atlantic, costing around $20/pound. High-end establishments like Kosaka and Masa serve bluefin tuna from Japan, with prices soaring to $500/pound, especially for the prized fatty belly, toro. At Sushi W, I was treated to a single piece of bluefin toro nigiri. Kosaka upped the ante with a generous toro hand roll. Masa, the pinnacle of opulence, showered me with toro tartar topped with sturgeon caviar, along with several pieces of toro sushi. The message was clear: the pricier the place, the more lavish the toro. Masa didn't stop there, flaunting foie gras, Japanese wagyu beef, and uni (sea urchin) from Japan. Kosaka also boasted a robust selection of Japanese-sourced fish and a hefty helping of uni. However, not everyone shares my enthusiasm for toro (too fatty) or uni (slimy texture), my wife included. While all three restaurants served exceptionally fresh sushi, Kosaka and Masa added a sprinkle of value with their luxe ingredients. But, with Kosaka costing four times more than Sushi W and Masa a staggering 15 times, there must be more to justify these prices.
Location: It's a no-brainer—Masa’s posh digs in the Time Warner Building add to its allure, while Sushi W’s spot in Spanish Harlem might detract from its perceived value. Kosaka’s Village location sits comfortably in between.
Ambiance and Service: These two are the biggest influencers in the value department. In Michelin-starred circles, it’s often the ambiance and service that differentiate a one-star from a three-star establishment. At Masa, the experience is nothing short of regal: a warm reception, stunning floral arrangements, unique plateware with each dish of food resembling a work of art, attentive but unobtrusive service, followed by a photo op with the beaming chef Masayoshi Takayama and handed a wax-sealed signed copy of the night’s menu. The one Michelin starred Kosaka also offers a memorable service and ambiance experience, but to a lesser degree. We sat at a serene sushi bar in front of Chef Yoshihiko Kousaka, also a renown Japanese sushi chef. Most of the details were superb, though compared to Masa, it paled in comparison. I think with Kosaka, the value is focused on your interaction with Chef Kousaka, who was happy to talk to you and answer questions during the meal. In fact, they charge slightly more to sit at the counter in front of the chef than at a table. Sushi W, on the other hand, is the definition of no-frills. We waited in an unadorned room before being ushered to a spartan sushi counter with about ten others for the 6:00 seating, being told upon seating that we had only an hour and a half to complete our dinner. Tap water and a choice of beer or sake were the extent of the offerings. No fuss, just fish. If what you’re looking for is great sushi and you don’t care about service, ambience or location, then Sushi W is your place.
Back to the burning question: why pay $1000 per person for sushi? I posed this to a friend who quipped that rich folks don’t care about money; they simply want to dine where other rich folks dine. While it’s easy to dismiss the price tag as a mere status symbol, I believe there's more to it. Yes, the food at Masa is top-notch, but that alone doesn’t justify the cost. The true value lies in the experience. You don’t have to be rich to dine there, but you must value the overall experience enough to part with a hefty sum for a single meal. I did, and I would do it again. Sometimes, the magic of the moment is worth every penny.