Support truly
independent journalism

Find out more

Close

Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.

Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.

Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.

Louise Thomas

Editor

A New York restaurant experimenting with imported Japanese flavours has created some pricey combinations – and the most expensive item on the menu is an eye-watering $150 (£117) steak sandwich.

At Sip & Guzzle, a split-level cocktail and small plates bar in Manhattan, the costly cheeseburger-style sandwich is the star of the show.

Downstairs in the Sip speakeasy you’ll find the “cheesy, dreamy, meaty, wagyu goodness”.

The ‘Royale with Cheese’ – A5 wagyu beef between shokupan milk bread imported fresh from LA’s Ginza Nishikawa bakery – is served in a gold box crafted by HMH Iron Design.

Miyazaki A5 wagyu tenderloin is one of the top-graded beef products in Japan for its marbling and fineness.

Head chef Mike Bagale, formerly executive chef of three-Michelin star restaurant Alinea in Chicago, created the high-price bite topped with aged white cheddar, minced onions and a wasabi-infused barbecue sauce.

Bagale said: “Much of the inspiration behind what I like to describe as a modern izakaya-style menu began in Japan – down slim, dimly-lit back alleys perfumed with binchotan smoke.”

For an extra $50 (£39) you can even upgrade to a decadent $200 ‘happy meal’ and wash down the costly cheese sandwich with a white truffle milkshake or black truffle cherry soda float.

A hot and crispy chicken ‘Electric Sando’ can also be enjoyed from the dinner menu with shokupan and gochujang for $42 (£33).

Food TikToker Kaitlyn Lavery @kaitlyneats said the “$30 a bite” sandwich was “probably” the “best steak sandwich I’ve ever had” but wouldn’t rush to splash the cash a second time.

New York native Ella Kahan @chewyorkcity also reviewed the “star of the show” royale.

She said: “The fanciest cheeseburger you’ll ever eat. This is cheesy, dreamy, meaty, wagyu goodness.”

The $150 price tag in the Big Apple is more than five times the price of Harrod’s £28 wagyu takeaway sandwich that sent cost of living crisis shockwaves through London last year.

Far from a meal deal, the iconic department store serves wagyu fillet with porcini and truffle butter and gold mustard mayo on baked on-site sourdough for almost £30.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast

Read More