Earlier today, I found myself once again asking a question I probably should not have to ask in a restaurant: What exactly am I paying for?
This time, it was at a Philippine branch of Genki Sushi, where I ordered both the Salmon Sashimi and the Salmon Belly Sashimi. Each order was priced the same at USD 6.00, or PHP 370. But when the plates arrived, the difference was hard to miss. The Salmon Belly slices were noticeably larger than the regular Salmon Sashimi slices.
There may be a technical explanation somewhere. Different cuts, different yields, different preparation standards. Fair enough. But if anything, salmon belly is usually the cut one expects to be richer, fattier, and more indulgent. So when the regular Salmon Sashimi is priced the same but served in a smaller portion, the question becomes harder to ignore. If two items sit at the same price point, it is not unreasonable for customers to expect the portions to at least feel comparable — or, at the very least, for the difference to be disclosed clearly on the menu.
My wife and I have been regulars at Genki Sushi for a few years now, and I have eaten at least once in one of their Tokyo stores. In the Philippines, this has become an all-too-familiar dining experience: prices go up, portions quietly shrink, and customers are expected to simply adjust. Most of the time, I do. But today, the difference felt too obvious to ignore.
So I asked.
To the store manager’s credit, I was given a clear answer. The Salmon Sashimi, apparently, is meant to be served at only 60 grams. The Salmon Belly Sashimi, meanwhile, is 80 grams.
That answer was more eye-opening than reassuring.
It confirmed what I had long suspected: the servings have indeed grown smaller over the years, even as the prices continue to climb. And while restaurants are free to set their portions and prices, customers should not have to discover these details only after the food has already arrived.
At the very least, serving sizes should be disclosed on the menu. If one sashimi order is 60 grams and another is 80 grams, say so. Let customers decide with full information instead of leaving them to feel surprised, disappointed, or shortchanged at the table.
I suggested this to the manager, and I was told the concern would be brought up to management. That is the usual polite ending to these things. Whether anything changes is another matter.
Maybe I am being too particular. Maybe this is just the reality of dining out now. Maybe the customer is expected to absorb every price increase, every smaller serving, every quiet adjustment disguised as business necessity.
But if eating out has become expensive enough to feel like a small decision every time, then perhaps it is not too much to ask that the food at least feels fair when it arrives.
Sometimes, it really does make more sense to go to a buffet once in a while, where the salmon sashimi is not presented like a delicate favor being granted to the poor.