It's Obscene to Pay $180 for a Steak Sandwich--But It Sure Was Yummy

[question everything]

I ate a $180 steak sandwich. Not for me; don’t be ridiculous. I did it for journalism.

Let’s 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 one’s privilege, one’s shameless indifference to the plight of humankind. Other than that, it’s 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 foodie’s 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 I’m there). Don Wagyu also serves more affordable Katsu sandos—there’s a $22 off-menu burger, for example—but the $180 Ozaki is the cleanup hitter at the bottom of the menu. It is served medium-rare.

(snip)

Breaking news: I liked it. I’m 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 that’s the thrill (and the crime) of extravagance, is it not? Eating this thing felt right and completely wrong—more 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]

1. when tax deductions for food and drink are gone this sort of thing will vanish. everyone

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]

5. I think that the purpose was to point the absurdity of this

He concluded:

When it was done, I exited Don Wagyu and headed for the subway. Hot, clammy and prone to breakdowns, it’s still a bargain at $2.75.

[Midnight Writer]

2. Just eight months of my Thank You President Trump tax savings and I can eat one of these!

[MFM008]

3. Black Angus

Here has an excellent Fillet mignon cheese sandwich.
One of the best things ive eaten, 25 bucks only.

[MissB]

4. That's a big chunk of my monthly food budget for our household.

An expensive meal for us is maybe $80 and that’s for two plus a bottle of wine and that’s pretty darned rare (like: anniversary.)

I could not spend that much on a sandwich. Just.could.not.

[DFW]

6. I'd do that under one condition only

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.

[LAS14]

7. Fun info (probably depressing info, as I reflect more). But thanks for posting! nt