Conveyor-belt sushi with a full lineup of non-sushi items, high-cost-competitive Saizeriya… Conclusion on the most cost-effective restaurant chain menus
The Best Restaurant Chains: Part 2
The “Four Wise Men” who know the industry inside and out thoroughly discussed and decided!
It is no exaggeration to say that the wave of inflation has swept over restaurant chains, and menus that can be satisfied with a one-coin price are almost extinct. So, what are the supreme cospa gourmet dishes that can be eaten for less than 1,000 yen?
The “Four Wise Men”-food industry producer Mitsuhiko Suda, B-grade gourmet explorer Kyubei Yagyu, food journalist Junnosuke Nagahama, and food analyst Takao Shigemori, all well-known for their FRIDAY Business Report projects-discussed the answer to this question.
In the first part, they thoroughly discussed rice bowl chains such as Yoshinoya and Nakau, hamburger chains such as Burger King, and Chinese restaurants such as Gyoza no Ousho, but in the second part, they will discuss conveyor belt sushi chains and family restaurants.
Conveyor-belt sushi for 1,000 yen
–The conveyor-belt sushi industry is in the midst of a price hike, with Sushiro raising the minimum price to 150 yen per plate at its urban restaurants. Is it indeed difficult to enjoy it for 1,000 yen? ……
Shigemori: Although there are only a few restaurants that offer this sushi, Kappa Sushi’s lunch set “12 pieces of nigiri with popular items” is a great deal. You can enjoy 12 pieces of nigiri, steamed egg custard, and miso soup with aosa seaweed for only 1,000 yen. Moreover, you can order it until 4:00 p.m.
Yagyu: Kappa Sushi is also particular about its ramen, and the “Authentic Ramen Series” in collaboration with famous restaurants has now reached a total of more than 30 series. Although the ramen series has its ups and downs, it is worth a try.
Nagahama: Even if you are not satisfied with the ramen at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, the damage is small because the portions are small. The ramen at “Hama Sushi” is not a hassle. Ramen at famous restaurants nowadays costs over 1,000 yen. It is nice to be able to eat ramen for only one coin. Even at Sushiro, if you eat two or three plates of sushi with ramen as your main dish, you can keep the price within 1,000 yen and be highly satisfied.
Eel bowls at Kura Sushi are also delicious. If you go to a specialty restaurant, the price is 4,000 to 5,000 yen, but at “Kura Sushi” it is only 780 yen and you can order one or two additional plates.
If you want to enjoy seafood, we recommend “Sugitama”, an izakaya (Japanese style bar) operated by “Sushiro”. The prices are high at night, but lunch is very reasonable. The “Funazari-don,” a bowl of rice topped with eight kinds of fish such as tuna, hamachi, salmon, and salmon roe, is only 990 yen with red miso soup.
Yagyu: You can have a large bowl of rice for free, too. However, it is limited to 10 servings. ……
Shigemori If you can’t make it to “Funazari-don”, the lunchtime nigiri “Sachi” is 1000 yen with red miso soup. The rice is made with a combination of balsamic vinegar and black vinegar, and is excellent.
–What do you think about family restaurants?
Nagahama: “Saizeriya” is probably the best restaurant under 1,000 yen. I recommend the “Arrostichini” (two grilled lamb skewers, 400 yen). Add “sauteed spinach” (200 yen) and a glass of red wine (120 ml/100 yen), and you’ll only pay 700 yen.
Yagyu’s lunch menu is also very reasonable. A combination of “100% beef hamburger steak” (600 yen with rice and soup) and a “lunch drink bar” (100 yen) is still only 700 yen.
Suda: However, the most cost-effective menu item at Saizeriya is the “Milanese Doria” (300 yen). No other restaurant in the world, let alone other companies, can offer a dish at that price that combines the delicious flavor of the meat sauce and richness of the cheese with a very satisfying eating experience.
In conclusion, the happiest menu item is…
— let’s move on to the conclusion. Which combination of menu items would make you happiest with a budget of 1,000 yen among the chain restaurants mentioned so far?
Suda: If you want to eat a full meal, I would still recommend the “Roasted pork cutlet set meal” at “Matsunoya.
Yagyu: The free refills of rice and miso soup are strengths that other chains do not have.
Nagahama My recommendation is “Sugitama’s” “Funazaki-Don,” which is outstandingly gorgeous among the costlier gourmet dishes that can be enjoyed for less than 1,000 yen.
Yagyu: The “Morning Beef Set” at Noya is also hard to beat. The best course would be to eat the “morning beef set” at “Noya” in the morning, enjoy the “funazari donburi” at “Sugitama” for lunch, and finish with the “roast pork cutlet set meal” at “Matsunoya” in the evening. You are sure to be happy (laughs)!
Nagahama: Beef bowls, fish, fried foods, and a good variety of genres, so you won’t get bored. Is this the conclusion of today’s discussion?
Suda, Shigemori, and Yagyu: No objections!
The heated debate among the four speakers lasted for two hours. The rush to raise prices is expected to continue into 2025, but if we take a closer look, we can see that there are still some great deals to be had.
From the January 3, 10, and 17, 2025 issue of FRIDAY
