Not worth the price, even in the special cut leaded crystal sipping cups. It was the best cognac I've ever had, but not nearly the best brandy, and I don't even like brandy that much.
Now the wagyu, that was absolutely worth the price. 48z for $190, so about $4/z, pre-cook weight. I had about $15 worth, one mouthful, and I would have been willing to pay for what I got if it wasn't free.
But the Louis XIII at least satisfied my life goal to eat something aged longer than I am old.
Frozen green beans from Costco. They were contaminated with listeria--there was a recall--and I was one of the lucky ones that got to have a stay in the hospital. The CT showed that the blood was just because the constant shitting had stripped the lining out of my colon. The hospital never got a culture, just gave me a bunch of antibiotics, so the law firm that was handling the recall told me to fuck off with my hospital bills.
Lobster probably. Ocean cockroaches have the perfect texture to put flavored butter in your mouth. Particularly love lobster rolls with some nice herbs. Crazy how we like ocean roaches so much we've made them expensive.
When I lived in coastal New England in the early 2000s, a lobster roll was a hot dog bun with some random lobster chunks and a little bit of mayo, and you could get it at Stop & Shop for five bucks if the lobster catch was doing well.
I live in the Bay Area now and if you see an item called "lobster roll" here it's probably $25 and it's on brioche or something, and it's not even good.
If you live in lobster town, eat lobster rolls. If you live in taco town, eat tacos.
In the summers in New England you used to be able to get live lobster for 6 bucks/lb. Not sure what it's up to these days but I'll never order it in a restaurant. It's one of those things that you and a professional chef can get the exact same result by boiling it for a few mins. Plus at home you can get completely messy and hose yourself of immediately afterwards.
As a kid I liked to chew random stuff, (and tbh as an adult too, but I control myself by chewing socially acceptable stuff!) and I once chewed on some fancy curtains were pretty big and covered a big bay window, and my parents had to replace them. I don’t know how much they were but it couldn’t have been cheap.
As far as dollar amount, probably some meal with my girlfriend. We don't do fancy but usually have one nice meal on a vacation.
But as a percentage of my income - something called Bonzai Chicken I ordered for $70 on my honeymoon back in the 90s. I made $7/hr at the time. I didn't know it had curry in it or that I was allergic to curry. I spent the remainder of my honeymoon sick as a dog.
That sounds like an 80s movie plot though. Half the movie was you on the toilet while everyone else got up to some epic shit. All because you had to order the Bonzai Chicken.
The figgy pudding was waaaaay too much. A very American sized serving. Could have done with with a few spoons of each pudding and icecream and been perfect. Instead i forced it all in and hated myself later.
Best beef I ever had. Not worth it though. I didn't realize how loaded my friend was when she suggested it to me, so I ended up reserving for 4 people before checking the prices.
I did spend 700$ eating sushi one time though. That time was worth it. For any sushi lovers planning a Japan trip - Stay out of the main cities and go for the coast. The best sushi is far from Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka.
On a business trip, a local colleague took me for the (reputed) best Peking duck in Hong Kong - it was somewhere in the Central district, on the island itself.
I can't remember how much it cost, but I know my colleague had to book three weeks in advance, and confirm 48 hours in advance that we were indeed having the duck.
It was fantastic. As an Aussie, I never truly appreciated properly cooked duck until then.
The most expensive thing I've had that was really notable (as I'm sure I've ordered something pricier and thought nothing of it) was half an A5 wagyu steak from Wegmans. I think it was originally around $250/lb but it was on a manager's special sale. I think it was around $80 for a ½lb, which is genuinely insane to me knowing that manager's special means it's the last chance to buy something before it goes bad.
Anyway, it was really good. A very odd experience though because afterwards I kinda stopped craving/ cooking/ ordering beef for a couple months. It was like I achieved some superlative thing and was just done with the concept of beef for a little bit. A strange reaction to such a positive experience, that said I do still eat beef occasionally.
We bought 1.5 kg of A5 wagyu for dinner on my brother's birthday, and then we ate the leftovers on bread for breakfast the next day. It was about $400. Don't think I'll ever get tired of eating beef. The thing about wagyu though is there's a lot of fat in it, so you'll be full quickly. I later ordered 100 grams at at restaurant and didn't need any more.
Yeah, the marbling is crazy, you can cook it and cook it and you'll never run out of fat in it. I only did a couple minutes on each side though so it was extremely rich. Even a ¼lb was probably a little too much when I had it. Non-hamburger beef is more of a treat to me at this point, I think I enjoy it a lot more when it's a rarer occasion.
I was taken to a very expensive steak restaurant once, and while others got more expensive cuts I got a 10 oz California sirloin aged 8 years in house.
I love steak, I loved steak, I will always love steak, but every steak from that day has to measure up to that one and never will.
I’m so glad I had the experience, but I don’t have $280 to blow on steak each time I want it lol.
I've been to several Michelin places, usually around $300 - $400 per person without wine. Definitely worth it for the quality, creativity, and experience.
I've already had A5 Kobe at around $60 an ounce, and caviar around $250 an ounce. Both worth it for an occasional splurge.
I also had a glass of a 1967 Bordeaux (don't remember which one) that I didn't pay for and it was good, but nothing better than some $50 bottles I've had before. Granted I'm not a wine expert or anything so maybe it's quality was lost on me.
Was part of a team that was sent to Boston for a project. While we were there, the company announced they were changing the meal expense policy from reimbursement for submitted bills to a fixed stipend.
But that policy change was a couple of days away, so the whole team went to this fancy expensive restaurant for dinner, and we ordered expensive food and wines as one last hurrah.
I don’t even remember where or what I ate or drank.
Some dinner at a fancy restaurant my fiance took me to for my birthday. I did my best to be respectful but I hated everything about it. The food tasted no better than a cheaper restaurant and everyone was so insanely pretentious. Would never choose something like that on my own. All the people with money I know love the place, but I would honestly be happier going to an Applebee's than throwing my money into the garbage like that and have to have stuffy unrelatable conversations with strangers.
I can't think of a time I've deliberately eaten something expensive (as opposed to out of convenience), except for the kopi luwak, which was a gift.
It was from a relief worker I knew well, who had gotten it from a friend of his in SE Asia who collected the wild beans as a hobby. At market prices at the time I think the little cup I had worked out to around 40 dollars, and this was some time ago.
Anyway, was it worth it? It was a normal cup of Joe, except it had no bitterness to it at all. The cat's gut apparently takes all the bitterness out of it without touching the flavour much, At a similar price to normal coffee I'd buy it, but as an uber-luxury I'd say it's in no way worth it, unless you're just consuming conspicuously.
Most expensive thing I bought was wagyu that I seared and ate with a side of parmesan steak fries with rosemary and a glass of red wine. It was well worth it, but if you're expecting a steak, that's not what it is. It's somewhere between butter and meat, and almost like a separate type of food all by itself. The fat isn't greasy or stringy, the flavor is strong, sear it medium rare with just salt, no oil.
Most expensive food I've had was a fancy company dinner at a french style restaurant. Half the food I wasn't really sure what it was exactly but even simple things like the eggs were cooked perfectly. The final dish was tenderloin and it was cooked perfectly medium rare. 10/10 dinner and well worth it, but I'm glad I didn't have to foot the bill
I think some kind of exotic wagyu meat. Very good, but very small portion and not worth the money. I think it was 140€ or something like that. With a drink included.
On our honeymoon, we went to this 5 star place in Scotland so I could "wine and dine" my new wife. I think the meal ended up being $150 back in 2000 so about $260 now. We both had the lamb and vegetables, the lamb was under cooked and the vegetables were practically raw. The dessert, on the other hand, was delicious and we got drunk on a bottle of wine. We had more fun listening to the group of older guys one upping each other with tales of their yachts. They were also very welcoming to a couple of young kids who were clearly in a place far above their income bracket. So, in all, it was crap food but we enjoyed ourselves.
I was at a restaurant in Hawaii, on the menu was surf and turf.... Wagyu and lobster from 'the least inhabited Island on the planet'.
I wasn't paying so I got it. It was spectacular. I had Wagyu again at a Gorden Ramsey restaurant in Vegas and it wasn't as good. Wagyu steak isn't a great way to consume it imo.
A lobster roll in Boston dripping with hot butter on an amazing roll. Not the most extravagant “most expensive” thing in this thread, was like $70, but was amazing nonetheless and absolutely worth it.
We did this tasting menu once at this restaurant that is only ten seats and 17 courses. It was 185 per person with 75 dollar wine pairing. It was absolutely stunning in every way though. Menu: https://www.thepinecollingwood.ca/menu
There's a bunch of ritsy restaurants on the waterfront, $200 plates and seafood, steak, desserts, etc. Tastes just the same as any other food. High priced food is just stupid people tax.
That's just because you're paying for the location and not the food. It's why, by and large, tourist centres have shit food despite being twice the price.
Go somewhere that is about the food and not the location and you get what you pay for. Flavour.
To drink would probably be Sam Adam’s Utopia (2014 or earlier). Not to my liking and very disappointing honestly. It was rich but not beer like at all. Much more like a liqueur, which I’m generally not a fan of.
To eat is probably whatever I had at The Blue Door in Miami. High brow modern food. Think it was the duck. It was good but the experience itself was worth it.
To contrast, the best meat I’ve had is Ostrich. That was just amazing meat. Not cheap but not the highest priced either.
Tbh I dont usually spend that much on food i.e meal or just the entre. About the most expensive thing Ive had was a 100+ dollar meal i.e crab, lobster, some sickeningly sweet mango cocktail etc. And I also found out that I am not really a fan of the way the roasted brussel sprouts were prepared. (They drizzled a sweet sauce on them that wasnt just due to carmelization and I cannot stand the resulting flavor profile) Overall the meal was good but not worth the cost at all.
Ive spent 50-60 bucks on the ingredients for a meal Ive prepared at home that I enjoyed more than that.
At some point Id like to try real wagyu beef but I am pretty sure the level of fat will not be to my liking as I normally pick fairly lean cuts but a large part of that is because most fatty beef doesnt really have great marbling throughout the cut. Its mostly separate and just gags me with the texture of it.
for what it's worth, you can get bad wagyu beef - it literally just means a particular breed of beef, but nothing about the quality of the meat. What you're probably thinking of is A5 graded wagyu beef. And you definitely should try it!
Had it and found out it's not my thing is very tender, almost 'slice with a knife' like. However I prefer my steak to have a modicum of chewyness. Don't like the filet mignon either, I prefer an entrecôte.
Almost half this entire thread is people thinking overpriced steak is fancy food, rather than just yet another way to part Americans from their money 😂
A5 beef in Japan... I don't regret trying it, because it was really good, I'm not a meat expert, I rarely eat beef anyway because of how bad it is for the environment, but as a once in a lifetime experience, it's one of my favourite meals of all time.
Salmon roes, or "fake caviar". There's a whole story about that, involving going to country A to neighbouring country B through country C just to smuggle stuff, while the driver (my then girlfriend) was drunk as a skunk.
It tastes fishy, a bit salty, but I liked it. It pops on your mouth. I'd rather eat deep-fried roes though.
Worth noting that plenty types of roe are edible, not just the ones that can become caviar-like. Some are really good when breaded and deep-fried, although they spill a lot while frying.
I live in the southern parts of Brazil. Salmon itself isn't cheap here, as it's imported from Chile, and AFAIK local fish is not suitable for caviar. (I was travelling to Argentina through Paraguay. Weird route due to booze and smuggling. The caviar was something that she bought on a whim alongside the whisky.)
Also, note that with the equivalent of US$7~8 you can buy a whole kilogram of good quality beef here. So two tablespoons of something for the same price is still, well, expensive as fuck.
I went to two high-end restaurants in Vegas and ordered $80 steaks. No sides, no seasoning. Just a slab of meat on a plate. There wasnt even salt n pepper on the table. I was disappointed. I've done better steaks in my airfryer.
I then went to a theme pub on the strip and ordered a steak dinner. Same cut of meat but seasoned and cooked properly. Came with a plate full of sides for $40. Very much enjoyed it.
I can't even remember, (very) expensive food is wasted on me. I enjoy a quality meal, but the top tier stuff just doesn't make any exceptional or special impression with me. It's just good food.
I was sent to German countryside once for work and had to eat at a restaurant. The cheapest meal was already totally expensive. Some potatoes and green stuff. Not worth it.
A meal at a fancy small restaurant near us. I would say yes worth it for the service more than the food. Each dish he put before both of us to share, got to try so many interesting foods. I liked it enough to say yes worth it but wouldn't do it even once a year.
Probably a $15 subway footlong. Meatball sandwich with shredded cheddar and whole mozzarella and bacon plus like some other shit I think. I can't remember it's been a while. Good ahit tho, probably clogged my arteries.
I don't understand the appeal of the meatballs in Subway, I mean I ate it once and it was the worst Subway sandwich I recall eating, is it an American thing? The whole meatballs thing, even Italians mostly don't have meatballs in their spaghetti