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+--- Forum: Food, Dining and Nightlife (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=22)
+--- Thread: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News (/showthread.php?tid=20)
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RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - panamaniac - 02-02-2019
Has there been any indication of when the new place in Conestogo (former Black Forest Inn) will be opening?
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - goggolor - 02-05-2019
Saw this on the Waterloo subreddit - the former Zoup location in Waterloo Town Square has a sign saying "Japanese Izakaya coming soon" and the rumor is that it's the Kinkaku Izakaya folks. Fingers crossed for a real izakaya and not just an AYCE sushi joint.
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - Viewfromthe42 - 02-07-2019
The former Ambrosia space on Roger Street at the Spur Line Trail in Waterloo has reopened as Cafe Pyrus Outpost. 8-2 weekdays, 9-2 weekends, and until Saturday everything is $2 to encourage you to check out the space. Maybe they should have some no-tool cupholders for sale to encourage commuters to grab a cup of joe...
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - tomh009 - 02-07-2019
(02-05-2019, 09:56 AM)goggolor Wrote: Saw this on the Waterloo subreddit - the former Zoup location in Waterloo Town Square has a sign saying "Japanese Izakaya coming soon" and the rumor is that it's the Kinkaku Izakaya folks. Fingers crossed for a real izakaya and not just an AYCE sushi joint.
That would be nice. But if it's Kinkaku people, I will expect AYCE again. It's working so well for them I can't see them changing the formula.
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - Spokes - 02-07-2019
What is it that people don't like about ayce? Is it lesser quality?
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - plam - 02-07-2019
(02-07-2019, 06:58 PM)Spokes Wrote: What is it that people don't like about ayce? Is it lesser quality?
I don't know how the economics of AYCE works. But I'd rather eat less than more. And I'd like to not feel like a chump for eating a small amount of food at an AYCE place.
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - taylortbb - 02-07-2019
(02-07-2019, 06:29 PM)tomh009 Wrote:(02-05-2019, 09:56 AM)goggolor Wrote: Saw this on the Waterloo subreddit - the former Zoup location in Waterloo Town Square has a sign saying "Japanese Izakaya coming soon" and the rumor is that it's the Kinkaku Izakaya folks. Fingers crossed for a real izakaya and not just an AYCE sushi joint.
That would be nice. But if it's Kinkaku people, I will expect AYCE again. It's working so well for them I can't see them changing the formula.
Expect something different in Uptown. The ownership of Kinkaku understands the market has changed since the original was opened, and people are more comfortable with other forms of Japanese restaurants.
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - ijmorlan - 02-07-2019
(02-07-2019, 06:58 PM)Spokes Wrote: What is it that people don't like about ayce? Is it lesser quality?
Personally, I love AYCE. But that’s just me. I get the impression that AYCE sushi is lower quality, but I happen to like it, even while appreciating that I’m probably missing a whole other world of truly high-quality sushi.
I don’t really understand the economics, however. Non-AYCE prices always feel very high to me. So unless it is of truly stupendous quality, I don’t see how it makes sense. How does the AYCE place make money? Maybe from the less-hungry friends that people like me drag along
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - tomh009 - 02-08-2019
(02-07-2019, 06:58 PM)Spokes Wrote: What is it that people don't like about ayce? Is it lesser quality?
Basically if a restaurant sells $X worth of food, they can provide more quality, or more quantity, but not both (if they want to stay in business). So generally AYCE will offer many things that are relatively inexpensive to make.
The other thing I don't like is the time limit. If I'm sitting down with friends and enjoying some food and some adult beverages, I don't want to have a deadline for having to leave the restaurant.
(02-07-2019, 11:19 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: I don’t really understand the economics, however. Non-AYCE prices always feel very high to me. So unless it is of truly stupendous quality, I don’t see how it makes sense. How does the AYCE place make money? Maybe from the less-hungry friends that people like me drag along
Ordering sushi a la carte is always the most expensive option, even at non-AYCE restaurants (and even in Japan): ordering a set, as selected by the restaurant, will be less expensive.
Let's look at Nara Sushi for an example, as they offer both AYCE and a la carte. They have four sushi combos (nigiri+rolls, 13-19 pieces) which would easily fill me. $11-15, including miso soup and salad. AYCE? $17. In this case the sushi (and thus the quality) is the same, but I would be unlikely to pay for AYCE when it's more than I want to eat.
I'll leave you with a Japanese saying appropriate for this discussion: "hara hachi bun me!"
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - tomh009 - 02-08-2019
(02-07-2019, 07:50 PM)plam Wrote:(02-07-2019, 06:58 PM)Spokes Wrote: What is it that people don't like about ayce? Is it lesser quality?
I don't know how the economics of AYCE works. But I'd rather eat less than more. And I'd like to not feel like a chump for eating a small amount of food at an AYCE place.
Same for me. And at $20 for lunch or $35 for dinner (at Kinkaku), AYCE is not a good deal for me.
I find that even normal portions in North America are often bigger than what I can (or want) to eat ...
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - goggolor - 02-08-2019
The problem isn't that Kinkaku is AYCE, it's that when it became AYCE sushi it also stopped being an izakaya. (For those unfamiliar, think Japanese tapas with an emphasis on drinks).
When they first opened they had aspirations to be a proper izakaya - they even had a yakitori grill for a few days apparently, before they realized it was too much work for their small crew. They were beaten down by the number of people walking into their restaurant and assuming that "Japanese restaurant" = sushi = All You Can Eat. So they pivoted to AYCE sushi and that seems to be working well for them in the Kitchener space.
But with a smaller space in a more upscale environment, they could make another attempt at an izakaya and make more money per cover.
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - Spokes - 02-08-2019
Oh, I didn't know that, that's good to know. So izakaya and AYCE don't really go hand in hand
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - goggolor - 02-08-2019
Exactly. Imagine if an Italian restaurant opened in a town that previously only had pizza parlors. This new restaurant has some pizza, but you can also get antipasto, spaghetti, veal parmigiana and cacio e pepe, and wash it down with some nice wines. Everyone walks in the door and expects to order pizza by the slice, because that's the only Italian food they know. So the nice Italian restaurant becomes another pizza joint... good quality pizza, but not somewhere you'd go if you miss the pasta you had on your last trip to Naples.
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - tomh009 - 02-09-2019
Tapas is indeed a good comparison. And like a tapas bar, no one will ever kick you out because you either exceeded a time limit, or stopped eating (because you are full): they are counting on you to stay there, hang out, and consume more (profitable) drinks.
RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - Spokes - 02-09-2019
(02-09-2019, 05:51 AM)tomh009 Wrote: Tapas is indeed a good comparison. And like a tapas bar, no one will ever kick you out because you either exceeded a time limit, or stopped eating (because you are full): they are counting on you to stay there, hang out, and consume more (profitable) drinks.
This is something that has always bothered me about some restaurants, and in general about some places in North American culture. What's the rush. I loved going out for dinner in France. Hours of just eating, drinking and hanging out, with zero pressure to move on.