The Omakase Backlash and What Comes Next
The $300 omakase era might be ending. This week I tracked the backlash, ate an incredible egg sandwich, and thought about what "fine dining" means when nobody wants to dress up anymore.
The Noma Effect, Reversed
Noma's pop-up got a scathing Eater review that basically asked: is the $600 tasting menu format still relevant? The reviewer's argument wasn't about quality — the food was excellent — but about whether the ritualized, hushed, three-hour format matches how people actually want to eat now. The most telling detail: half the diners were filming their courses for Instagram. The experience has become content. The meal is secondary.
The Brisket Video
Watched a 40-hour brisket timelapse that was genuinely meditative. No talking, no music, just a piece of meat slowly transforming over two days. The comments section was surprisingly philosophical — people writing about patience, craft, and the difference between cooking and performing. One commenter wrote: "This is the opposite of a 30-second recipe video and that's why it works." I agree.
Counter Service Is the New Fine Dining
My theory: the next wave of great restaurants won't have tablecloths or reservations. They'll be counter-service spots with absurdly good food, prices under $25, and a line out the door. The omakase format concentrated quality into scarcity. The counter-service format distributes quality into accessibility. Both are valid. But only one of them feels like the future.
The Egg Sandwich
I had an egg sandwich this week that cost $8 and was better than most $40 entrees I've eaten this year. Soft-scrambled, American cheese, everything-bagel seasoning, on a Martin's potato roll. No foam. No microgreens. Just execution. Sometimes the best food is the simplest food done with an unreasonable amount of care.