Is it even difficult for two people to spend 2,000 yen?　The one with the highest satisfaction is… Kurazushi x Saizeriya x Gusto “Senbero Championship

How much satisfaction can you get for 1,000 yen per person?”…… undercover interview!

Prices are high. When I go out for a drink, Shibasaburo-san leaves my wallet and Eiichi-san, who just came in, is gone before I know it. It’s like a part-timer who quits soon. I wish they would work a little more patiently.

Perhaps out of concern for their financial situation, recently chain restaurants such as family restaurants and fast food stores have been “turning into drinking establishments. It is true that serving alcohol and snacks increases the price per customer, and the customers can drink at a lower price, so it is a win-win situation.

So, I went undercover to investigate how satisfied I could be with 2,000 yen for two people (1,000 yen per person) at three popular chain restaurants that are said to be inexpensive. I usually go solo, but since I can eat twice as many kinds of food and sushi comes out in two portions, I decided to go for two….

Gusto: Be careful with mobile ordering!

The first restaurant I visited was Gusto. It was Saturday in the middle of the day, so high school students were studying. Young people are working hard to overcome their problems for a bright future, and middle-aged single women are trying to avoid dying alone. I feel uncomfortable slurping sake next to them, but I hope that my admonition not to become such an adult will be a tailwind for their studies.

I managed to order a Kaku highball and a not-so-sweet lemon sour. The snacks include kimchi, a little pizza, and fried chicken.

Food items include three kinds of snacks, snack oyster fries, a little bit of fried potato, and fried young chicken. The mobile ordering system allows you to check your bill right away, which is great for me since I had 2 math scores in high school.

The waiter who showed me to my table left a line like “Water and soup are self-serve,” and I went to the self-serve corner saying “Soup?　I went to the self-serve corner and found that there really was soup that I could drink as much as I wanted. I went to the self-serve corner and found that they really do have all-you-can-drink soup.

While we were making do with the soup, a human, not a cat-shaped robot as rumored, came to bring it to us. It is a mystery under what conditions they use a cat and a human. I wonder if they are simply asking for the one who was near the kitchen and seemed to be free (I don’t think he is free).

This is what happens when you don’t order a hamburger steak at Gusto

Kaku highball: 340 yen
Non-sweet Lemon Sour: 340 yen
340 yen for 3 kinds of snacks
Oyster fries 440 yen
A little bit of fried potato 290 yen
Fried young chicken 370 yen

Total price: 2,070 yen (1,035 yen per person). It is cheap, but the hamburger set with rice and drink bar costs about 1000 yen, so eating meat at Gusto may still be more cost-effective.

The lemon sour is so thin that it makes you want to ask, “Is this non-alcoholic? One glass is not enough. The highball also contains a lot of ice, so I don’t think I could get drunk with just one glass.

As a side note, I think fries express a restaurant’s stance. When you get a Mosu-style fry that makes the most of the potato’s texture rather than a McDonald’s-style fry that absorbs a lot of oil, it makes me think that the restaurant is a bit more conscious of its business.

And the fried oysters were excellent. The crispy batter and most importantly, the tartar was delicious. The tartar is said to be homemade. The texture of the egg is still there, and the crunchy Japanese pickle-like pickles underneath accentuate the taste.

The fried chicken is a bit tough on the outside and has a strong salty taste. It may be meant to make your drink go further, but ordering another round of drinks would go over our budget…and as I ate the fries and other snacks, I gradually grew tired of the taste (laugh).

So I decided to change the taste by dipping the tartar into the fried bean curd, the ajitama, and the fries…oh, it was delicious!　Delicious. This tartar is a by-player that changes the atmosphere of the place. I see, this is how Gusto is a place to have fun.

Hmmm…?　Wait a minute (in the style of Aiseki Diner). What do you mean by “Chochi-ni-kiri set”?　Fried young chicken and a highball for 650 yen?　And there’s also a “small fries and draft beer set” for 600 yen?

It’s not like I automatically get a discount because I ordered fried chicken and a highball…. Hey, hey, hey, tell me when you order.

This is the pitfall of mobile ordering.

How much fun can you have at Kura Sushi with “Sushi Bound”?

Kura Sushi is known for its cheap price, starting at 125 yen per plate (115 yen in some areas). Kura Sushi is also known for its large side menu, but recently it has been promoting itself as a bar by offering a small drink menu.

Of course, you can also order by mobile phone. I was surprised to see that when the food I ordered was ready, it automatically flowed to my seat (how unfamiliar I am with kaitenzushi).

Sashimi, corn kakiage (deep fried corn), and fried octopus were all on the menu to go with the sake, but since I had to go all out, I decided to try Senbero, the “sushi-bar” and see how much sushi I could enjoy for 1,000 yen per person!

This shochu is very strong, which is a complete change from Gusto’s shochu!　I wonder if the waiter put too much alcohol in today.　I got drunk with one glass of shochu. We are thankful for that.

Sea urchin, salmon roe, sea eel…all for 1970 yen!

Sweet potato shochu with water 470 yen x 2
Negi Maguro Tekka 125 yen
Salmon roe 125 yen
Anago (eel) 125 yen
Furi salt-aged tuna 125 yen
Salt-dressed hamachi 125 yen
Fresh sea urchin 125 yen
Sea urchin 140 yen x 2

All in all, 1970 yen (985 yen per person)!　That’s a lot of sushi! In Kitashinchi, the price would be three times as much.

The sea urchin is sold by the piece, but this amount is made without using alum. Oh, by the way, this price seems to be limited time offer.

The salmon roe is served on top of two pieces of salmon roe, so it might be controversial if two people share it, but we’re adults and we’re supposed to share the larger portion.

The sardine in the foreground is so large that it no longer looks like sushi. Two pieces for 125 yen. It was so fatty that I wanted to eat another plate.

Ah. I knew that conveyor-belt sushi has a strong ally in the form of gari (pickled ginger)!　I have always eaten more gari than anyone else because I am a poor person. It is colorless and looks good for your health. But, of course, I will stop at a moderate amount.

This satisfaction is indeed Kura-zushi. The strong shochu liquor was also a high point.

Saizeriya: A change due to high prices…!

Now, we have come to Saizeriya under the heaven. I have been a Saizeriya drinker for a long time, but I wonder if the amazing cost performance is still maintained in the midst of these price hikes.

Since it was a Saturday night, there was already a group of old men in the restaurant, making it look more like a bar than a family restaurant. Perhaps it was the location of Kyobashi in Osaka.

At Saizer, you order by scanning a QR code with your cell phone, not by using a terminal. I wondered if the mobile wave had reached Saizer, but perhaps it is because many of the customers are elderly that a large sign was posted on each seat saying, “You can order orally. Sure enough, the group of old men seemed to have no intention of going mobile at all, saying, “I don’t know what’s going on, so why don’t you just call the waiter?

But the price is as cheap as ever. A decanter of wine costs 200 yen. I thought I could drink one glass of wine at a time, but there was enough for two people with a glass full of wine.

This is 2,030 yen. God’s cosiness that makes you want to worship him.

White wine (decanter) 200 yen
Chicken diabolo-style: 500 yen
Buffalo Mozzarella Margherita Pizza 400 yen
Shrimp and cod roe cream gratin ¥430
Hot salad with tender green beans 200 yen
Foccacio 150 yen x 2

Total 2030 yen (1015 yen per person). Yay! Moreover, the dishes were not served all at once, but were brought out in order, starting with appetizers. Even though they were busy, such consideration…it was mind-blowing.

In the foreground is the most expensive dish (still 500 yen), young chicken diabolo-style. The garlic is very much appreciated, and the hash browns are also very satisfying. I want rice.

Instead of the Milanese doria for 300 yen, I decided to go the extra mile and try the shrimp and codfish cream gratin. The shrimp were served with a homemade white sauce that tasted like authentic Western food. The cod roe is also rich and goes superbly with white wine.

The pizza is also delivered freshly baked with crispy dough. The cheese is milky and flavorful, thanks only to the buffalo “buffalo mozzarella” imported from Italy.

We ordered one foccacio (round bread) per person, which I like because it is an item that can be played with in many ways. Saise has the strongest “free corner,” so I expected to be able to change the flavor considerably…

After not coming for a while, the free corner has been reduced in size!

I used to be able to use powdered cheese and chili flakes as much as I wanted…. When I asked, they told me that “cheese powder is now offered at an extra charge of 100 yen. The aftermath of high prices is here too. Well, it can’t be helped if it’s so cheap.

Saizeru’s signature EV olive oil is still available, so I soaked the foccacio in it to increase the calories.

I also like it on top of gratin, or with chicken sauce. I think the value of Saizeriya depends on how well you know how to use foccacio.

Now, after comparing drinks at the three restaurants, I took the liberty of assigning a score as follows.

No. 1 Saizeriya
Cheapness … 90 points
Taste … 90 points
Cost performance of drinks…100 points
Hospitality … 75 points

No.2 Kura Sushi
Cheapness … 60 points
Taste…80 points
Cost performance of drinks…60 points
Hospitality … 70 points

No.3 Gusto
Cheapness … 65 points
Taste … 60 points
Cost performance of alcohol … 50 points
Hospitality … 55 points

These are only Nekoda’s criteria. Let me preface by saying that each restaurant has its own strengths and weaknesses, and that the rating will vary depending on the purpose of use (I’m about to get flamed). Everyone has their own good points. Everyone is different and everyone is good.

One thing I learned this time…it is a terrible fact that “it is quite difficult for two people to spend 2,000 yen at Saizeriya” (laugh). It is the result of tremendous corporate efforts.

On a really unimportant side note, Saizeriya has never been in my home city, but it is finally opening in January. Now people are talking about it, “If Saizeriya opens, that road will be jammed with traffic! I’m talking about it now. How rural is this place?

All prices are as of the time of the interview (early December 2024, Osaka City) and include tax.