I went on a date with my wife. The food was delicious, no doubt about that. However, I knew the bill would be shocking, and it truly was. It reminded me of the prices at places like Tour d'Argent or Joël Robuchon.I’m not a fan of wine. I’ve had the chance to drink ultra-expensive wines like Romanée-Conti (always on someone else's tab, never ordered myself). While I can appreciate their taste, I just feel a sense of dread rather than enjoyment. It’s a similar feeling to what I experienced here.I generally prefer distilled spirits, but I can’t help but recoil at such exorbitant prices.I have several bottles of extremely expensive wine at home that were given to me as gifts. I have no idea when I should drink them; they just sit there, and I barely glance at them. I’ve never even felt the urge to drink them.I believe that dining here requires a certain level of qualification.I’ve been invited to places like Kawamura in Ginza, but I always hesitate when I hear the prices, which makes me too nervous to go.I used to frequent Kurogi when it was around JPY 15,000 per person, but I’ve heard the prices have nearly doubled since then. I’ve stepped off that price hike train.I thought it wouldn’t be as expensive as Kawamura, so I decided to give it a try, but I was still shocked by the bill. I hadn’t even drunk that much, yet the total was still high.At one point, I asked for water, and for the first time at a yakiniku restaurant, I was asked, "Sparkling or still?" I confidently ordered the sparkling.For example, a JPY 30,000 bottle of Romanée-Conti isn’t necessarily dozens of times better than a good red wine priced at JPY 3,000.If you think it’s only 1.2 to 1.5 times better, that’s a good perspective. There are people willing to pay for that slight 0.2 difference.I’m not one of them. That’s all there is to it.When I encounter the honey-like nuances of a good Montrachet, it actually terrifies me. It’s deflating. I feel unqualified. I don’t want to drink it.The meat here is undoubtedly good, but it’s comparable to a decent steak at a first-class restaurant. The offal and tongue were particularly impressive.I was amazed by the hassun and beef tongue.However, I find that grand maisons offer a better sense of value for someone like me, who is not a connoisseur, in terms of both price and quality.It’s delicious, of course. There’s no way it wouldn’t be at this price point.To avoid being a nuisance, I’ll give an average score for the restaurant.I prefer meals that cost just over JPY 10,000 and are enjoyable.I think JPY 10,000 for a meal is still considered high-end.I love tonkatsu restaurants.Here are some photos and my thoughts.
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