Reservations Fully Booked Even Above 100,000 Won Per Person
Predominantly Positive Reviews... "Feeling Well Treated"
Despite recent high inflation and economic recession, the 'MZ generation' (Millennials + Generation Z) continues to fuel the 'Omakase' craze. They perceive it as a kind of valuable experience beyond just a simple meal, even if the price is a bit high.
According to a restaurant reservation application on the 11th, a sushi omakase restaurant in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul is fully booked for dinner reservations until the 31st of next month. A Hanwoo (Korean beef) omakase restaurant in Apgujeong has already filled its dinner reservations for a week. For Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, reservations are not available even at the end of this month.
These restaurants charge over 100,000 KRW per person and have gained popularity on social media platforms. Looking at Instagram hashtags, there are 725,000 posts for Omakase, 175,000 for Sushi Omakase, and 128,000 for Hanwoo Omakase.
Reviews of these high-end restaurants are generally positive. Kim (33), an office worker, said, “Prices at restaurants these days are not cheap,” and added, “I often go to Omakase for weekend dates because my girlfriend likes it. I enjoy the luxurious food and the restaurant atmosphere.” Park (36) praised, “Reservations for reasonably priced Omakase are competitive, but it seems worth going. It feels different from ordinary restaurants, like being treated specially.”
A survey conducted last year by Embrain Trend Monitor targeting 1,000 adults aged 19 to 59 nationwide showed that visits to fine dining and Omakase restaurants increased from 44% in 2022 to 51.9% in 2023. By age group, the rates were 58.0% for those in their 20s, 61.2% for those in their 30s, 50.4% for those in their 40s, and 38.0% for those in their 50s.
Especially, people in their 20s and 30s evaluated visits to high-end restaurants as a good experience and a way to cultivate personal taste. 81.1% of all respondents expressed willingness to visit high-end restaurants in the future. Many said they want to go on special occasions (75.9%) or with special people (81.2%), even if their financial situation is not comfortable.
Professor Eunhee Lee of Inha University’s Department of Consumer Studies explained, “People in their 20s and 30s practice value consumption by not hesitating to spend money on things that give them great satisfaction. Since the economy is generally difficult, most people save money on one hand and spend to lift their mood on the other. It should not be viewed too negatively.”
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