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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsIt's Obscene to Pay $180 for a Steak Sandwich--But It Sure Was Yummy
I ate a $180 steak sandwich. Not for me; dont be ridiculous. I did it for journalism.
Lets dispense with the obvious: A $180 steak sandwich is an indefensible purchase. It is a foodstuff strictly for vulgarians, a decadent symbol of 21st-century gluttony and the over-luxurification of everything. To buy it is to wallow in ones privilege, ones shameless indifference to the plight of humankind. Other than that, its pretty tasty.
This $180 Katsu sandwich can be found in lower Manhattan, around the corner from Wall Street, at a hole-in-the-wall establishment called Don Wagyu. Don Wagyu is a spartan place with a small bar counter, a partly-open kitchen and a half-dozen stools. It is visible from the outside thanks to a red neon sign of a cow smoking a cigarette, a nod to the vaguely-illicit goings-on inside.
(snip)
Unlike, say, the beignets at New Orleans Cafe du Monde, the Don Wagyu $180 sandwich seems to be less of a foodies bucket-list experience than a freak-show curiosity: How could a sandwich cost as much as a plane ticket to Florida? This is, after all, the type of thing that makes the rest of the planet think New Yorkers are out of their minds. Was the $180 sandwich a legitimate food experience or some kind of commentary on late-stage capitalism?
I should call the sandwich by its real name: the A5 Ozaki. The A5 is a reference to the summit-grade of Japanese beef, and Ozaki is the farm from which Don Wagyu gets the meat (the only U.S. establishment to receive it, the server says while Im there). Don Wagyu also serves more affordable Katsu sandostheres a $22 off-menu burger, for examplebut the $180 Ozaki is the cleanup hitter at the bottom of the menu. It is served medium-rare.
(snip)
Breaking news: I liked it. Im not a food critic. I hardly know my cuts of meat, and I cannot offer a detailed analysis of why the A5 Ozaki is $100 more of an event than the closest-priced item, the A5 Miyazaki. I will not try to justify paying such an absurd amount for a single piece of food, especially one that can be tidily consumed in the space of five minutes. But the A5 Ozaki was light and buttery to the point of being almost ethereal, as if the sandwich knew the pressure of delivering on its comical price. Which, of course, it does not. There is no sandwich that is possibly worth $180. But thats the thrill (and the crime) of extravagance, is it not? Eating this thing felt right and completely wrongmore like a caper than a lunch.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/its-obscene-to-pay-180-for-a-steak-sandwichbut-it-sure-was-yummy-1534521889 (Paid subscription)
msongs
(67,441 posts)has to eat. what you eat and how much it costs is a choice. the purpose of the deduction is so wealthy people can live high, mention work, then deduct their cost. it's a form of welfare.
question everything
(47,534 posts)He concluded:
When it was done, I exited Don Wagyu and headed for the subway. Hot, clammy and prone to breakdowns, its still a bargain at $2.75.
Midnight Writer
(21,795 posts)MFM008
(19,818 posts)Here has an excellent Fillet mignon cheese sandwich.
One of the best things ive eaten, 25 bucks only.
MissB
(15,812 posts)An expensive meal for us is maybe $80 and thats for two plus a bottle of wine and thats pretty darned rare (like: anniversary.)
I could not spend that much on a sandwich. Just.could.not.
DFW
(54,436 posts)And that's that after the $7 cost of the food is deducted, that the rest goes to the Senate campaign of Beto O'Rourke.