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Is it possible to run up a 100,000-yen (US$885) bill at Tokyo’s cheapest Italian restaurant?

Casey Baseel Nov 6, 2018
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We gave our hungriest/thirstiest reporters a stack of cash for all the wine, prosciutto, and steak they wanted, but did they hit the six-figure mark?

Every now and then, our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun goes wild and treats himself to a 10,000-yen (US$89) lunch. That doesn’t mean he goes to an expensive restaurant, though. Instead, he hits up some of Japan’s most affordable fast food or casual eateries and just orders a ton of extra toppings to his tempura rice bowl or curry rice.

But even that level of extravagance isn’t enough to completely satisfy P.K.’s hunger for decadence, which is how he ended up at our local branch of Saizeriya with a whole stack of 10 10,000 yen bills.

Saizeriya is an extremely popular, incredibly cheap chain of Italian restaurants in Japan. It’s loved by students, Internet writers, and really any demographic looking to leave with their stomachs stuffed and their wallets almost as full as they were when they went in, since the Saizeriya menu features such budget-friendly wonders as 299-yen doria-style baked cheese pasta and 499-yen grilled chicken.

Because of Saizerya’s low, low price, P.K. knew he couldn’t run up a 100,000-yen (US$885) bill on his own, so he recruited three other members of the SoraNews24 team, Ahiru Neko, Harada, and Kawarano, to come with him. The four of them took positions around a table and started off by ordering a round of 399-yen draft beers to toast their impending feast.

Obviously, a 100,000-yen budget called for some appetizers. Before long, the table was covered with trays of mussels and escargot (399 yen each). Someone suggested they also get a double-sized order of prosciutto ham, which even at 798 yen wasn’t going to put a sizable dent in their finances.

P.K.’s fellow gluttons audibly scoffed when he called the server over and ordered a green pea salad, since it costs a mere 199 yen and didn’t really fit with their theme of excess. P.K. assured them, though, that the veggies were a must, as they act as an effective palate-cleanser between the other more heavily seasoned foods they were dining on.

Since noted alcohol enthusiast Ahiru Neko was in the group, it wasn’t long before he suggested getting some wine. One of Saizeriya’s biggest sellers among cost-conscious drinkers is its 399-wen half-liter wince carafe, but with P.K.’s big bucks backing them, the group opted for the highest level of luxury (or at least the highest level to be found at Saizeriya) with a few bottles of 2,480-yen wine, the most expensive items on the menu.

▼ Ordinarily, you’re not supposed to pour drinks for yourself in Japan, but Ahiru Neko was thirsty.

With emboldening vino coursing through his veins, P.K. decided that steaks were in order. At 999 yen, these are one of the more expensive dishes Saizeriya serves, but soon four of them were in front of our team, sizzling on hot plates in the Japanese style and accompanied by a side of mixed vegetables.

Now several rounds of drinks into the evening, the group gave up on coordinated ordering, with each person ordering whatever he felt like whenever he wanted. As such, they don’t remember exactly what they ate and drank, or in what precise order. What they do know, however, is that at some point they were so full and buzzed that they stopped being able to see color.

Unable to eat another bite or drink another sip, it was time to call it a night. P.K. lifted himself from his seat and slowly made his way over to the register, his 100,000 yen in hand, only to learn…

…he wouldn’t have to use even half of it! Despite eating and drinking as much as they possibly could, the group’s bill came to 23,048 yen.

In order to hit the 100,000-yen mark, it looks like P.K. would have needed to bring another dozen people with him. It’s further proof that while Saizeriya may not be the most gourmet of restaurants, it’s hard to beat in terms of cost-performance.

With their bill paid, our reporters waddled off to their separate homes for the night, to digest their meals and sleep off their several bottles of wine. As for P.K. not using the whole 100,000 yen he was given, our bosses are always glad when we wrap up a project far below it projected budget. At the same time, we haven’t gotten the change back from P.K. yet, and we’re a little worried about what schemes he may be thinking up to spend it.