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Singapore Food: japanese food very expensive in singapore hor

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- CommentAuthorCaramelCorn (CommentTimeMar 26th 2008)
the price is chopping board here.. for the same price i can get better quality meals in japan.. inakaya can charge 200 per head for robatayaki..
- CommentAuthormacadamia^n (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
well if singapore had cheap authentic japanese food(or any other regions food) here then it will defeat the purpose of travelling and trying the real deal there. i doubt that u can find cheap and reallyh good/authentic singaporean dishes(whatever it is) at other countries. those authentic/good restaurants in sg charge a bomb bcos they are offering food equivalent to the quality u get in the respective countries they originate from..and u dnt have to pay for an air ticket. its a once in a while experience. maybe its possible to find an establishment serving up reasonably priced authentic food..for me i have yet to try quality jap food( im the kind who finds sakae sushi good enuf) so i wont go off paying over 80/100 for japanese food but honestly for something really good then why not.

one example is here 1 prata will set us back like what 80 cents-1.20. but in the states/canada i heard they can go up to 2.00+ per prata.esp the good ones. beats them having to take a 2000+ flight to sg to try the same thing.
cloudgal, crunchychoconut, caniggia
- CommentAuthorcaniggia (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
Posted By: macadamia naddz... one example is here 1 prata will set us back like what 80 cents-1.20. but in the states/canada i heard they can go up to 2.00+ per prata.esp the good ones. beats them having to take a 2000+ flight to sg to try the same thing.
cloudgal,crunchychoconut~
MN, nice citation... when i was in down under. back then exchange was: AUD1.00 : SGD1.18
1 simple bowl of wonton noodles: AUD6.00
1 tiny bowl of dao-suan (dessert): AUD3.00
1 simple plate of dried rice: AUD6.50
1 bowl of laksa (no hum): AUD5.00

i guess that explains how i eventually discovered my hidden gift of cooking... cos eating out is not pocket frenly (especially since i was studying - no income)
- CommentAuthorcloudgal (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
In the first place, Jap rstnts here need to import the fresh seafood. And generally the good rstnts tend to import from Japan. So, everything adds up. Also, jap food is not native in SG. So, since its not the norm (compared to food like chicken rice/char kway teow/nasi padang, which is native here and closer to home), prices generally will be higher. Its just like going to the European countries to eat Chinese food.

In Japan, jap food is native. Their staple. You turn 1 full circle, still see all jap rstnts. Besides the sprinkling of other cuisines. Since its their staple, and fresh seafood is easily available (no need freight charges), how will it be more expensive then? A matter of demand and supply too.

So, in a nutshell, if one can't stand the exhorbitant prices here, then just don't eat. V simple right? Its either you make do or not. :)
ice
- CommentAuthorice (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
lucil and all: I am a jap food snob...so I think i better stay out of this discussion....

I'll just give my poor away...
- CommentAuthorcaniggia (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008 edited)
Posted By: cloudgalIn the first place, Jap rstnts here need to import the fresh seafood. And generally the good rstnts tend to import from Japan. So, everything adds up. Also, jap food is not native in SG. So, since its not the norm (compared to food like chicken rice/char kway teow/nasi padang, which is native here and closer to home), prices generally will be higher. Its just like going to the European countries to eat Chinese food.

In Japan, jap food is native. Their staple. You turn 1 full circle, still see all jap rstnts. Besides the sprinkling of other cuisines. Since its their staple, and fresh seafood is easily available (no need freight charges), how will it be more expensive then? A matter of demand and supply too.

So, in a nutshell, if one can't stand the exhorbitant prices here, then just don't eat. V simple right? Its either you make do or not. :)
ice
CY, i think u've quite a legit thought on the subject, bt i have to correct u on few minor details.

jap fishing corporations/ consortiums park their processing vessel in open waters, all fishing thrawlers (within the company) send their catches to this processing vessel to have their catches deep frosted in nitrogen, and they're transfered to seperate vessels to despatch them to different ports in the world to supply. technically, the prices auctioned at the fishing ports are not much different from the prices back in their own ports.

the reason the authentic jap food @ jap restaurants in sg r pricier, is partly due to; the crazy rental of the restaurant (notice, jap restaurants in sg noticeably occupy more space than most other local type restaurants), the impressive salaries of the sushi chefs (regardless local and/or jap), the equipments for cold storage in the restaurants & everything else adds up.

i've also visited very expensive jap restaurants (no, they're not boutique restaurants... just normal looking) during my work stints there. fortunately, my suppliers/vendors picked up the tab... i suppose, there's afterall a cup of tea that suits everyone's tongue & pocket.
- CommentAuthorCaramelCorn (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
the economics is why spend more $$ on food that you can get at a higher quality in japan.
- CommentAuthorcloudgal (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
thanks for the added info, i did not know this. :)

well generally, irregardless of whether it is jap / french / italian food for that matter, there is this 'branding' image where such cuisine are placed on the pedestal (aka expensive). So besides the rental, salaries and capital equipment, the 'branding' image makes a difference to the marked up price too. Just like buying branded items mah. Before the brand is imprinted on the item, the item is very cheap. But after its imprinted, erm, the price is in another category altog.

Yes i agree that there are expensive rstnts in Japan. Basically, sure to have the range from cheap to expensive food in any country. SG also have v expensive chicken rice or fried rice.

Thats y i summarised in my earlier post that if don't like the price, just don't eat and save the money lo. Its a matter of choice. :)
caniggia
- CommentAuthorcaniggia (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
Posted By: Lucilthe economics is why spend more $$ on food that you can get at a higher quality in japan.
good qn, but how do we discern if its better or inferior to the ones available from its country of origin? unless one has tasted to compare from both local & the ones over there. maybe its just me, bt i've tried n tasted, n i have to say, the standards in some of the restaurants here can put some of the restaurants there to shame.

y??? bcos the franchisees here pay a high price to operate the biz... the stakes r high, n they stand to lose alot if they fail to uphold standards.
macadamia^n
- CommentAuthorcloudgal (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008 edited)
Posted By: Lucilthe economics is why spend more $$ on food that you can get at a higher quality in japan.
Its because not everyone can afford that trip to japan so frequently jus for jap food.

Its plain Maths that its naturally cheaper to have the expensive meals here than to travel to japan. Not forgetting that working professionals need to take leave for that and how much leave is there? 'Cos proximity wise, its unlike Malaysia where its just a bus ride away where can go there to eat cheaply and back to SG in a day.
crunchychoconut, caniggia
- CommentAuthorcloudgal (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
Its not that ppl don't want to go there for the real deal, but one also have to be practical and realistic mah. Given a choice, of cos i wld want to be able to fly to Japan for the real deal. Its the same for french and italian food or other cuisines for that matter.
- CommentAuthorcaniggia (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
Posted By: cloudgalthanks for the added info, i did not know this. :)
no worries... its good for us to learn a thing or 2 from everybody's contribution.

Posted By: cloudgalwell generally, irregardless of whether it is jap / french / italian food for that matter, there is this 'branding' image where such cuisine are placed on the pedestal (aka expensive). So besides the rental, salaries and capital equipment, the 'branding' image makes a difference to the marked up price too. Just like buying branded items mah. Before the brand is imprinted on the item, the item is very cheap. But after its imprinted, erm, the price is in another category altog..........
yup yup, branding plays a role, there's also biz/mkting strategy too... the biz owners decide which pool of consumers they wanna target, hence the location, setup, operation methods... etc

branding eg: bread/ confection is just the same, maybe a lil more decorated these days, bt by slapping a brand onto it, the prices tagged to the produces have also multiplied by few folds, as compared to the regular neighborhood bakery/confectionaries.

mkting eg: there're many levels & many target mkt segments for biz owners to tackle. if they want ppl to pay more while dining, they'd do something about their restaurants. if they wanna have hit n run patrons, they pay less & they get their take-aways from food kiosks instead.

in the end, there's enough cake to go around... everyone's happy
- CommentAuthorcaniggia (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
Posted By: cloudgalIts not that ppl don't want to go there for the real deal, but one also have to be practical and realistic mah. Given a choice, of cos i wld want to be able to fly to Japan for the real deal. Its the same for french and italian food or other cuisines for that matter.
back then, i was over excited about the biz trip, bt the culture shock, especially in terms of expenditure had me suck on my thumb most of the time.

i suspect there's a reason y they've impressive window displays.... cos its easy to appreciate things by site, bt quite unlikely to be able to afford.
- CommentAuthorice (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008 edited)
Posted By: Lucilthe price is chopping board here.. for the same price i can get better quality meals in japan.. inakaya can charge 200 per head for robatayaki..
anyways..everybody, there is an article on today's ST urban section on Inakaya. prices look steep with stick of wagyu skewer for $30, tontoro for $20.

But at the end of the day, I wont mind paying the $75 for my kinki fish if it means getting my nemo in singapore.
all self respecting foodies should know by now that jap food is the most pricey amongst all cuisines in our country, so if you think it is too taxing for your wallet, just settle for others..our country has lots more to offer.
cloudgal
- CommentAuthorpicky gourmet (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008 edited)
Are we assuming that paying more in Singapore restaurants means better quality? Good quality will be expensive but expensive doesn't mean good.... I think threadstarter is just making a point that we are paying a premium for the same quality product.

It is also true all "fresh" imported stuff is expensive for the obvious reasons. Actually, end of the day all "foreign" cuisines are more expensive than "local" no matter which country you are in. It is just consumer psychology...

When I was in NY i paid $5 for 2 pcs of kosong prata and I am not too unhappy about it cos it is "harder" to find.... but no matter how bleadhy good the kosong prata is in Singapore (frankly they are almost always the same) I won't pay $2 for a piece of kosong prata...

Anyway, sashimi is all about fresh fish really...no chef in the world can turn a rotten sashimi into fresh sashimi so you are basically paying for the expedited transport of the fish when it is imported from Japan.
- CommentAuthorcloudgal (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
m not assuming tt paying more here means better quality. jus felt that if one thinks its a premium tt is too much to pay, there is an option not to go for it here.
- CommentAuthormacadamia^n (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008 edited)
Posted By: Lucilthe economics is why spend more $$ on food that you can get at a higher quality in japan.
Posted By: cloudgalIts not that ppl don't want to go there for the real deal, but one also have to be practical and realistic mah. Given a choice, of cos i wld want to be able to fly to Japan for the real deal. Its the same for french and italian food or other cuisines for that matter.
the flight to japan plus hotel n the likes just to try authentic jap food will already set u back 800-1000+..i reckon some people would rather spend 300 on dinner at a good jap place that will take up arnd 3 hours of their day n return to home sweet home..n theres no jetlag involved..
- CommentAuthorCaramelCorn (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008 edited)
1 stick of tontoro $20.. compared to.. 1 stick at tori Q costs $1.10.. dun tell me the tontoro also flown in by air....hahaha...Do your economics..
certainly theres no prestige in japanese restaurants here, how good can the food get when the sushi at akashi sucks.

so how much does rental in a place like tokyo costs.. its suprising that they can keep the food items cost cheaper or the same as singapore...
- CommentAuthorice (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008 edited)
Posted By: Lucil1 stick of tontoro $20.. compared to.. 1 stick at tori Q costs $1.10.. dun tell me the tontoro also flown in by air....hahaha...Do your economics..
certainly theres no prestige in japanese restaurants here, how good can the food get when the sushi at akashi sucks.

so how much does rental in a place like tokyo costs.. its suprising that they can keep the food items cost cheaper or the same as singapore...
Lucil: like I said...and I dont want to sound like a broken record...if you think paying 20 bucks for 1 stick of porky is too unconscionable...then go and eat TORI Q, whether it is flown by air or not...the choice is up to you. If you already know that you are having fine dining, then there is no warrant for any complaints about the price tag. coz as you may know, robatayaki, omakase, kaiseki, whatever japanese in restaurants just mean more expensive than your tori Q or suSHI* tei.

for the record, I just paid $120 ++ for my omakase today and I liked it coz :
1) I stated my price ( I chose btw the range from $70-$150++)
2) I stated my restrictions and requests
3) I got all that was in season that was the freshest
4) I got what I wanted
5) I was satisfied and happy to part with my money
6) I got no complaints.

Some places you go, you already have to pay at least $150 when you sit your arse down on those ritzy chairs. So follow your head if your wallet doesn't permit.

cheers.
- CommentAuthorCaramelCorn (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008)
1) a piece of ootoro(u pay wad u get, the price is not cheap) sushi costs $15 at shiraishi compared to
2) a skewer of tontoro(pork cheeks, u can get from the market cheaply) costs $20 at inakaya
- CommentAuthorcontrarian (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008 edited)
Posted By: cloudgalwell generally, irregardless of whether it is...
The word is regardless, madam. There is no "irregardless".
- CommentAuthormacadamia^n (CommentTimeMar 27th 2008 edited)
Posted By: Lucil1 stick of tontoro $20.. compared to.. 1 stick at tori Q costs $1.10.. dun tell me the tontoro also flown in by air....hahaha...Do your economics..
certainly theres no prestige in japanese restaurants here, how good can the food get when the sushi at akashi sucks.

so how much does rental in a place like tokyo costs.. its suprising that they can keep the food items cost cheaper or the same as singapore...

mayb it was flown in mayb it wasnt but hell id rather pay 20 bucks and more to eat something good and almost da same as eatin it in japan...some people dnt have the time to travel all the way to another country just to try the food..if u dnt wanna pay that amnt then like ice said..go eat at tori q
- CommentAuthorpicky gourmet (CommentTimeMar 28th 2008 edited)
Posted By: Lucil1 stick of tontoro $20.. compared to.. 1 stick at tori Q costs $1.10.. dun tell me the tontoro also flown in by air....hahaha...Do your economics..
certainly theres no prestige in japanese restaurants here, how good can the food get when the sushi at akashi sucks.

so how much does rental in a place like tokyo costs.. its suprising that they can keep the food items cost cheaper or the same as singapore...
Dear Lucil,

While I have no idea how bad sushi at akashi sucks, the simple thing with the price difference is as our dear ice said, "fine dining vs hawker stall". Chatterbox chicken rice is really no better than Boon Tong Kee but price difference is like $20 vs $4 for the same stuff. The dining ambeince and service levels are different though.... The same slab of meat sold at Morton's vs Jack's Place will also be worlds apart in price not because one meat is better than the other but simply the cost of enjoying a fine dining meal in a posh setting vs a western food joint that secondary school students frequent.

Rental in Japan (in general, Ginza is more ex though) is actually not as bad as Singapore though they have a higher deposit. Orchard road rental do hit $40/sqft at prominent places. a 2000 sqft place will hold an 80K rental so that factors into selling price as well...
cloudgal, macadamia^n, ice, caniggia
- CommentAuthorice (CommentTimeMar 28th 2008 edited)
Posted By: picky gourmet
Posted By: Lucil1 stick of tontoro $20.. compared to.. 1 stick at tori Q costs $1.10.. dun tell me the tontoro also flown in by air....hahaha...Do your economics..
certainly theres no prestige in japanese restaurants here, how good can the food get when the sushi at akashi sucks.

so how much does rental in a place like tokyo costs.. its suprising that they can keep the food items cost cheaper or the same as singapore...

Dear Lucil,

While I have no idea how bad sushi at akashi sucks, the simple thing with the price difference is as our dear ice said, "fine dining vs hawker stall". Chatterbox chicken rice is really no better than Boon Tong Kee but price difference is like $20 vs $4 for the same stuff. The dining ambeince and service levels are different though.... The same slab of meat sold at Morton's vs Jack's Place will also be worlds apart in price not because one meat is better than the other but simple the cost of enjoying a fine dining meal vs a western food joint that secondary school students frequent.

Rental in Japan (in general, Ginza is more ex though) is actually not as bad as Singapore though they have a higher deposit. Orchard road rental do hit $40/sqft at prominent places. a 2000 sqft place will hold an 80K rental so that factors into selling price as well...

*pengz*
- CommentAuthorcaniggia (CommentTimeMar 28th 2008 edited)
Posted By: contrarian
Posted By: cloudgalwell generally, irregardless of whether it is...
The word is regardless, madam. There is no "irregardless".
correction contrarian... there's such a word called irregardless
n we've a few men in white who like to use this word...
- CommentAuthorcaniggia (CommentTimeMar 28th 2008)
1. for high end sushi/ sashimi; there's always some porsh jap restaurant in town
2. for affordable sushi/sashimi; there's always some walk-in restaurant with conveyor belt
3. for cheap sushi/sashimi to go; there's always cold storage section in supermkt

nothing to fret about. if all else is nt satisfying enough... can always put your wallets under the sharpened sushi chef knife... fly yourself to land of rising sun & have your fill.

though i'd prefer to re-visit sydney's fish mkt, where it boasts of a majestically wide range of seafood, fresh chunky sushi/sashimi ranks among the choices as well.
- CommentAuthorcloudgal (CommentTimeMar 30th 2008)
i seriously wonder, is there such a need to delve into such detailed discussion? 'Cos end of the day, it all simply boils down to the individual decision on whether to want to just spend the moolah on the food here, be it at joints like tori Q or sushi yoshida or just fly to japan for the food.

the same concept applies to other cuisines as well.

pricing and complementary aspects tt affect pricing like branding, image, location, rental, yada yada depends on various factors that are determined by market forces, business perspectives, clientele, etc etc.

so the simplest solution, is just to patronize the food establishment that suits u best. :) if u are unhappy with ALL, then dun eat. Eat others lo. Better yet, cook yourself. :)
ice, crunchychoconut, caniggia
- CommentAuthorice (CommentTimeMar 30th 2008)
well said I give you standing ovation.
- CommentAuthorcrunchychoconut (CommentTimeMar 31st 2008)
Posted By: cloudgali seriously wonder, is there such a need to delve into such detailed discussion? 'Cos end of the day, it all simply boils down to the individual decision on whether to want to just spend the moolah on the food here, be it at joints like tori Q or sushi yoshida or just fly to japan for the food.

the same concept applies to other cuisines as well.

pricing and complementary aspects tt affect pricing like branding, image, location, rental, yada yada depends on various factors that are determined by market forces, business perspectives, clientele, etc etc.

so the simplest solution, is just to patronize the food establishment that suits u best. :) if u are unhappy with ALL, then dun eat. Eat others lo. Better yet, cook yourself. :)
ice,crunchychoconut~

i agree!
your own stomach and wallet are under your own control. so if u feel like eating n u dun mind spending the money, just eat! dun need to think too much :) food is meant to be enjoyed..if when u eat still need to think so much, then not so enjoyable already..haha
cloudgal
- CommentAuthormacadamia^n (CommentTimeMar 31st 2008)
correct gals..i tink if everyone had the time n the luxury they would take a plane down to japan for jap food and thailand for thai food..or france for french food..but since we're so caught up with our work n other commitments local eateries that provide the best substitute or are the most authentic will just have to do..if u can afford it then y all means but if the rare authentic but not soo costly establishment appears then yippiee
- CommentAuthorRatatouille (CommentTimeMar 31st 2008)
exactly. if i am treating a gal, i'll bring her to Tatsu, Kuriya or Nogawa. if its juz a fren, Sushi Teis are the most welcome. Am I glad that there are jap places offering a wide variety of choices.
- CommentAuthorcaniggia (CommentTimeMar 31st 2008)
Posted By: cloudgali seriously wonder, is there such a need to delve into such detailed discussion? 'Cos end of the day, it all simply boils down to the individual decision on whether to want to just spend the moolah on the food here, be it at joints like tori Q or sushi yoshida or just fly to japan for the food......... if u are unhappy with ALL, then dun eat. Eat others lo. Better yet, cook yourself. :)
ice,crunchychoconut~,caniggia
CY, u da babe~!~!... u took the words right outta my mouth.

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