Grayson West
Some food carries an air of luxury without offering much beyond a hefty price tag. Over-the-top plating and trendy buzzwords have turned certain dishes into status symbols instead of enjoyable meals, and the buzz contributes to their ridiculous price tags. If you’ve ever wondered which foods are more about image than taste, keep reading.
Gold Leaf Garnishes
Gold has been used in food since ancient Egypt, but its appeal lies in its appearance, not its flavor. The flakes add nothing to the flavor—they just make the bill sting a little more. A 24-karat burger might sound fancy, but here’s the catch: your body doesn’t even digest gold. A dollop of cranberry sauce with gold garnish went at $195 last Thanksgiving.
Deconstructed Dishes
Could you imagine ordering lasagna and being served a plate of pasta sheets and a blob of cheese mixed in a drizzle of tomato sauce and minced meat for $24? Fine dining has rebranded laziness, and now you get to pay triple for a chef not doing their job. In 2015, one restaurant went even further, serving deconstructed cheesecake as literal piles of crumbs.
Microgreens Overload
Some chefs treat microgreens like confetti at a New Year’s party—excessive and sometimes unnecessary. Sure, they add a pop of color, but so does a highlighter, and nobody’s sprinkling those on dinner. Despite claims of added nutrients, their minuscule portions contribute little to a dish’s overall value but can price a sandwich over $16.
Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit dazzles the eyes and looks healthy, but it doesn’t do much for the taste buds. With its pink hue and dramatic green spikes, it tricks you into expecting a burst of flavor. While some claim the magenta flesh tastes better, the reality is that it’s just more sugar. Originally cultivated in Central America, its price can be almost 6 times higher than that of other exotic fruits.
Plant-Based Meat Alternatives
Science has made incredible progress—like sending people to space—but making plants taste like beef? Still a struggle when regular meat patties are 43% cheaper. Many meatless burgers contain 30+ ingredients, which include synthetic heme and methylcellulose (also found in laxatives). A lab burger shouldn’t be harder to pronounce than it is to prepare.
Acai Bowls
This breakfast can cost you $15 a bowl. Topped with trendy add-ons like bee pollen and coconut flakes, these bowls somehow cost more than a full meal. Some commercial acai bowls pack as much sugar as a can of soda, more a pretentious indulgence than nutritious.
Over The Top Milkshakes
Milkshakes used to be simple—just dairy and maybe some fruit. Now, they need a blueprint and $100 before you even take a sip. Some restaurants go all out, topping shakes with entire slices of cake, donuts, and sticks of cotton candy, creating an insulin spike you never saw coming. Some 2016 creations were reported to pack as many as 1,600 calories.
Gourmet Donuts
Bakeries have lost the plot, with ranges that contain lavender and even bacon in donuts. A simple glazed donut typically costs around $1, while one with edible flowers can sell for over $5. In 2016, a donut-croissant hybrid, the ‘Luxury Zebra Cro,’ featured edible diamonds and a saffron-infused butter croissant dough.
Handcrafted Artisanal Ice Cubes
Bars now sell ‘luxury ice’ as if frozen water needed a rebrand. High-end bars are reported to have imported ice from pristine glaciers, claiming it raises the cocktail experience. While visually a little pretty, its only real function is marketing premium cocktails at an inflated cost. Some of these ‘hand-chiseled’ cubes are marketed as slow-melters at over $100 per case of 96 pieces.
Bone Broth
Once a kitchen staple that existed simply as stock, bone broth has been rebranded as a miracle liquid, thanks to modern marketing. Celebrity endorsements pushed its popularity, but it has no unique benefits over regular stock. Medieval peasants boiled bones for free—so why are people now paying $12 per cup?