# Ridiculously small entrees at very high end restaurants: true?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 4, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289 "2009-11-04T16:26:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/41 "2009-11-05T01:07:12Z")
> [@BKReporter](#):
>
> It depends. The most I ever paid for a meal was at Emeril’s in New Orleans. The three courses we ordered weren’t anything like Chili’s-sized portions, but my wife and I certainly didn’t leave hungry.
> I’ve been to some tapas restaurants where most of the dishes are like the ones pictured - think two really thin egg rolls on a plate, or a couple of cheese cubes with silver dollar-sized bread slices. Really tasty, but you have to order at least a half dozen courses to get filled up.
Not trying to be a snob, but that isn’t really in the same league as the restaurants the OP is discussing.
Or, if it is, then the answer to her question is “false”.
---
### Author:  [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/42 "2009-11-05T02:51:05Z")
> [@salinqmind](#):
>
> It is my theory that if you have $200 to spend on three stalks of asparagus and a couple of sauteed scallops, that means you are a model, trophy wife, celebrity, or Mrs. Donald Trump. You go to such a restaurant to be seen, and since you probably live on 800 calories a day or have an eating disorder, a token amount of overpriced food in the latest hot spot suits you to a T.
Trust me, I am none of the things you mention. I did go to Tru once, though - my BF at the time had a lot of very wealthy clients, and one of them gave him a gift certificate to Tru as a holiday bonus, with strict orders to take me there. She knew I was a foodie and would thoroughly enjoy the experience, though. Nice lady. (Can’t say as much for the ex, though.)
It was an experience I’m glad I had, and I was certainly not hungry at the end of the meal. I wouldn’t spend my own money to go there specifically again, though I reserve the possibility that there is some other restaurant of that caliber that I’d be willing to splurge on at some point in the future. And I sure as hell ain’t rich - but I do scrimp on many, many things so I can splurge once in a while on something I consider worth it. Food does fall in that category now and again.
---
### Author:  [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2009, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/43 "2009-11-05T03:03:22Z")
> [@salinqmind](#):
>
> Gale Gand, a pastry chef who used to have a Food Network show where she made batches of the most mundane cupcakes imaginable, has a restaurant called Tru that I saw featured on some show. Tru served up odd looking, artsy, sparse plates of high end grub, for about $200 per diner.
Just FYI, Gand is the pastry chef at Tru. The executive chef is Rick Tramonto, who is generally considered to do really excellent work.
---
### Author:  [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/44 "2009-11-05T15:07:57Z")
My sister and her husband eat at the kind of high end restaurants I think we’re talking about in this thread, mainly in Manhattan, a few times a year. For most of them they have to make a reservation well in advance. They don’t just look at eachother and say “Man, I’m hungry, let’s go to Per Se.”
They are often served what seem like tiny portions. When she’s describing them it is clear that there are tiny portions that are so sublimely creative she’ll still be thinking about them weeks and months later. If she says “it was elf food” I know it was small and not so special.
---
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/45 "2009-11-05T15:48:50Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#):
>
> Judging by the second picture, that place is either serving a sauteed twinkie or a stick of butter in caramel sauce. Either one sounds delicious right about now.
They both sound good! But I think that’s a cylinder (prism?) of pineapple.
---
### Author:  [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/46 "2009-11-05T16:49:07Z")
> [@silenus](#):
>
> Can’t. Country French is **good** (as opposed to hawt cewzine French, which ain’t.) 😃
Most of which seems like an elaborate, centuries-long practical joke on the rest of the world.
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> Heck, several of those, I couldn’t figure out _how_ one is expected to eat them.
Presumably any place charging that much for a meal would have superbly trained wait staff who would explain how one consumes each dish.
> [@MrSquishy](#):
>
> Right. No offense, **Superhal** , but “as high as $200” is not a high-end restaurant. The tasting menu at [Joël Robuchon](http://www.mgmgrand.com/restaurants/joel-robuchon-french-restaurant.aspx) will run you $385 per person. That’s just for the food, no drinks or tip.
>
> Here’s what you get for your $385, if anyone’s interested:
>
> [ul]
> [li] **Le Caviar** [/li] en infusion de corail anisée, en surprise
> _Caviar on a fennel cream served as a surprise_
> [/ul]
Not any more! It’s caviar on a fennel cream!
Way to spoil the surprise.
---
### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/47 "2009-11-08T22:28:28Z")
> [@gaffa](#):
>
> Not any more! It’s caviar on a fennel cream!
>
> Way to spoil the surprise.
No - the surprise is the mousetrap hidden in the fennel cream.
---
### Author:  [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/48 "2009-11-08T23:04:28Z")
> [@jjimm](#):
>
> No - the surprise is the mousetrap hidden in the fennel cream.
A mousetrap? You wish. Some of the kitchen help are dedicated anarchists and are a bit annoyed by the whole idea of spending more than the yearly earnings of a good portion of the world’s people on a single meal. You really don’t want to know what surprises await you when the cook turns his back.
---
### Author:  [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/49 "2009-11-08T23:11:51Z")
> [@FallenAngel](#):
>
> The French Laundry was mentioned uptread. In _The French Laundry Cookbook_ Thomas Keller explains why the portions are so diminutive the higher up the culinary chain you go.
>
> You really only taste and savor the first few bites of any dish. After that, it’s just taking on fuel. If you’re going to a restaurant run by a master chef, you should want to fully experience each bite. As a result, the big portions at The French Laundry and restaurants of a similar nature are about five bites, but you get 20 different courses. That makes up the same volume of food you might expect at any restaurant but gives you the opportunity to truly taste and appreciate every bite.
> [@Keller](#):
>
> The law of diminishing returns is something I really believe in. It’s something I learned way back in high school drinking beer on the beach in Florida. On a hot day, that first cold beer tasted really good. By the time you got to the second or third one, they weren’t so good anymore.
>
> Where do I want you to be after you’ve eaten something? I want you to be thinking, “God I wish I had a little more of that.” Your memory of that taste is excellent. Also, it’s more healthy - in the Japanese way - to extend the meal for a longer period of time. It helps your body digest the food instead of packing your body with so much food that you’re uncomfortable for hours afterward. This way, you’re able to taste better and you know when you’ve had enough. The law of diminishing returns is the most important part of that.
I quite often take the tasting menu approach when I’m cooking at home for people. I’ve never done a dinner party under 6 courses and the most I’ve done is 22.
I’ve also been to Alinea which was mentioned upthread and it’s important to place Alinea in the context of fine dining. Alinea is all about pushing the boundaries of what it’s possible to do with food. Inventing new techniques of both cooking & serving (which is why some of the service pieces look so weird). It’s intensely brainy food but, at the same time, focused and deeply reasoned. There’s a specific reasoning process behind each technique, and everything is bent towards the process of making food better.
---
### Author:  [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/50 "2009-11-08T23:28:11Z")
> [@billfish678](#):
>
> Most of my cars didnt cost much more than that. Some less.
Back in the dot-com era, we opened up an office in Japan. I was the point person in the US side for HQ. After the dignitary filled speechifying in, well, where ever the event was, about 10 if us from the US retired to the sushi bar in our hotel for sushi and drinks.
I happened to be seated next to the CEO, who being ranking picked up the check. No tips in Japan, but in about 1 hour we racked up 15,000 US dollars in sushi and drinks.
We were not hungry anymore but I seem to recall we had some more drinking to do in at the lobby bar.
Good times. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/51 "2009-11-09T01:14:44Z")
I recall going to a moderately high end restaurant for a business lunch back in roughly 1989. I ordered the Elk Ravioli.
I got three, count them, three ravioli, about 2" square. In barely enough sauce to cover them, for a price in the mid teens (about $30 in today’s money).
Yes, I was seriously pissed off and left the place hungry.
---
### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/52 "2009-11-09T02:01:32Z")
> [@not\_alice](#):
>
> I happened to be seated next to the CEO, who being ranking picked up the check. No tips in Japan, but in about 1 hour we racked up 15,000 US dollars in sushi and drinks.
A point worth considering…
Thats it IMO.
At some point (regarding all things “cultural”) it ceases to be its expensive because it good (due to lots of skill, rare resourcess, whatever) and becomes its “good” because some smart ass charged a bunch for it and laughed all the way to the bank…
---
### Author:  [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/53 "2009-11-09T03:35:58Z")
> [@billfish678](#):
>
> A point worth considering…
>
> Thats it IMO.
>
> At some point (regarding all things “cultural”) it ceases to be its expensive because it good (due to lots of skill, rare resourcess, whatever) and becomes its “good” because some smart ass charged a bunch for it and laughed all the way to the bank…
dot-com being what it was, that bill was not even 50 shares of stock, of which there were probably about 50,000,000 outstanding at the time. It also was far less than the airfare to bring all of us there from the US and Europe, and certainly way less than the budget for the press event we had just returned from.
And before you leap all over it, that company still exists today almost 10 years later.
---
### Author:  [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/54 "2009-11-09T05:11:22Z")
> [@Athena](#):
>
> Heh, just found [this thread](http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/66997-chi-alinea-grant-achatz-reviews-discussion/), with pics of a dinner at Alinea (scroll down on the first page a little bit for the pics.) It’s a few years old, but it’s a good example of a Food-As-Art restaurant. Supposed to be amazing, but I’m guessing the great majority of non-Food-Enthusiasts would simply laugh at most of the courses.
Dear Og, I can’t even imagine wanting to spend 7.5 _hours_ sitting at a restaurant table. I would go insane.
And I’m a cook.
---
### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/55 "2009-11-09T10:49:46Z")
> [@not\_alice](#):
>
> dot-com being what it was, that bill was not even 50 shares of stock, of which there were probably about 50,000,000 outstanding at the time. It also was far less than the airfare to bring all of us there from the US and Europe, and certainly way less than the budget for the press event we had just returned from.
That you/somebody had money to burn has nothing to do with the point I made about sometimes IMO it quits being about expensive because its good and becomes “it must be good because its expensive”.
Actually, that you had money to burn implies to me that they could charge more than its “worth” because you folks didnt care about the costs.
If it was great food…well good for you guys then…but it have better been for 1500 a person IMO.
---
### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/56 "2009-11-09T14:54:04Z")
> [@billfish678](#):
>
> Actually, that you had money to burn implies to me that they could charge more than its “worth” because you folks didnt care about the costs.
“Not caring about the costs” and “believing it’s worth what they’re charging” are two different things.
At this level, we’re talking food as art. At least in most cases - I’m sure there are situations where restaurants are just expensive because they can get away with it. But let’s assume we’re talking places that are truly attempting to make excellent high end food. There’s a lot that goes into that beyond food & labor costs; El Bulli, for example, widely considered to be the best restaurant in the world, closes for 6 months a year for research and development.
Granted, not many restaurants take it to that extreme. But you are paying for more than just the sum of the parts, much like if you purchase a piece of fine art you’re generally paying more than just the cost of the paint & canvas. In a fine restaurant, you’re paying for the decor, the ambiance, the highly-trained servers, the sommelier, the cost of maintaining the wine cellar, etc. etc.
It’s not for everybody; if you’re just looking for a meal, there are plenty of places that produce really good food for reasonable prices.
---
### Author:  [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/57 "2009-11-09T15:59:46Z")
> [@billfish678](#):
>
> If it was great food…well good for you guys then…but it have better been for 1500 a person IMO.
I am sure it was not the best sushi in Japan, but it was far far from the worst. And as others have said, the price is not just about the food, it is about the overall experience. This place was there to provide a venue for a certain type of experience, just the type we were after, and they delivered. In essence, it is a tricky minuet between customer and restaurant, but at higher prices, you expect the restaurant to be a better dancer.
---
### Author:  [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/58 "2009-11-09T17:20:29Z")
**Athena** said:
> [@](#):
>
> But you better believe I’ll drop $200 a plate on dinner if I have the means and desire to do so.
If I’m dropping $200, there better be strippers.
> [@](#):
>
> I can totally understand why people who are not into cooking as a hobby take one look at that menu and are not interested. But those of us who are interested are neither the super-rich or the super-crazy. It’s all a matter of what hobbies & interests you have. Mine happens to be food.
Fair enough.
**Shalmanese** said:
> [@](#):
>
> Alinea is all about pushing the boundaries of what it’s possible to do with food. Inventing new techniques of both cooking & serving (which is why some of the service pieces look so weird). It’s intensely brainy food but, at the same time, focused and deeply reasoned. There’s a specific reasoning process behind each technique, and everything is bent towards the process of making food better.
For certain definitions of “better”.
---
### Author:  [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/59 "2009-11-09T22:08:18Z")
I used to think high-end, arty, expensive restaurants were a waste of time and money, too, until I actually, y’know, went to one.
---
### Author:  [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289/60 "2009-11-09T22:21:17Z")
Hmm. I’ve done moderate, by the standards of this thread, prix fixe dining - $185 per person including a generous wine pairing. I found the portions more than adequate - in the case of the ‘entree’, I thought there was actually too much on the plate, and only ate about a third of my portion.
Very high end? I’m still waiting for someone to agree to go to Per Se with me.
Oh, and I’m not a supermodel or married to Donald Trump. We just like eating.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289.md?page=2)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-small-entrees-at-very-high-end-restaurants-true/516289.md?page=4)