When you’re dining out on vacation, it’s probably best to double-check the price of an item before you order it. This is a hard lesson one couple learned during a trip to Tokyo.
Japan is known for producing luxuriously high-quality Wagyu and Kobe beef. And there’s no shortage of restaurants that’ll charge consumers top dollar for a steak.
Ally (@allyrattdawg) and her partner experienced this firsthand. They posted about the experience on TikTok, where their video accrued over 684,000 views.
Didn’t Read The Menu Close Enough
“This one time in Tokyo we had a really nice $70 steak that was actually $700 because we misread an extra 0 on the menu,” the couple wrote in a text overlay.
They recorded themselves sighing into the camera. The clip then cuts to an image of the steak in question. It’s 13 slices of beef, along with a few pieces of grilled vegetables and a small ramekin of sauce. Additionally, a small black placard with gold writing reads, “Kobe Beef.”
The pair wrote in an additional on-screen caption, “Snapchat we sent to our family saying how good it was when we thought it was $70 not $700.”
Throngs of commenters who replied to the video were stunned by the exorbitant price tag. One remarked, “Please say the name of the restaurant so I can avoid it when I travel there.”
Another person ruminated on the steak’s cost, stating that there’s never any reason for a single piece of meat to command that much money. “There is no reason a steak should ever cost $700. Like, wtf,” they wrote.
But there was another user who speculated that the pricing for menu items may’ve been dishonest. “If their menu is deceptive, then I wouldn’t pay and I would call the police,” they wrote.
‘It Happened To Me Too’
As it turns out, however, there were folks who said they ended up having a similar experience during their trips to Japan. One traveler wrote, “I swear to God the same thing just happened to me. I thought it was like 80 bucks and it was $800. I was thinking on that’s cool they are asking us if we wanna take pictures and everything,” the TikTok commenter wrote. Attached to their message was a photo of several slabs of uncooked beef and vegetables.
Another user said they, too, had difficulty processing the extra $0 on the menu. They purchased a Wagyu skewer thinking it cost $6, so they bought two. As it turns out, the food items were $60 a pop.
Someone else stated that it’s normal for bistros to upcharge for premium beef cuts and that the couple likely fell into a tourist trap.
“Oh y’all were ripped off at a trap. You can get Wagyu amazing quality for less than $100 there. $700 is outrageous,” they said.
Another traveler said they caught their error in the nick of time and ended up leaving the restaurant. “Me and partner almost did the same thing. But we realized just before they started cooking it and said we couldn’t pay it and got the h— out of there. A $500 Kobe beef steak meal was not eaten that night thank goodness,” they shared.
While not in Japan, one couple converted their money wrong and ended up paying $600 for two steaks while vacationing in Bali.
How To Avoid Tourist Traps
So how do you know if your eatery may be trying to take advantage of you? Reach TV compiled a list of red flags that let tourists know whether or not an eatery is serving up low-quality fare for luxury prices.
The first indicator: laminated, glossy menus rife with stock images. Another red flag is employees soliciting people on the street to come in and try their food.
However, the outlet says that the most egregious red flag is when the restaurant’s menu doesn’t contain any prices. That means you’re left up to their mercy after-the-fact to contest the bill.
What’s more is if you notice that locals aren’t frequenting the eatery, it’s probably a good sign that they know it isn’t a good value.
Good Eating In Tokyo On A Budget
One Reddit user compiled a list of great places to eat in Japan that won’t break the bank. According to them, if you don’t mind cooking your own steak on your own personal grill, and want a low-cost, authentic wagyu, head to Yakiniku Like. The establishment sells a “Supreme Wagyu” set. Additionally, Savor Japan has put together a list of other Yakiniku-style restaurants that are also easy on the wallet. Like the Redditor, the site also mentions Yakiniku Motoyama, which serves up meals that cost around 7,000 yen ($43.32) per person.
By Food also published a March 2025 piece that highlights several affordable dine-out options. Wagyu Yakiniku Kukunoshin Roppongi received high marks, with an “introductory course … priced at less than $100.” And if farm-to-table meals tickle your fancy, you can head on over to Yakiniku Horumon Tasuki Akasaka, which was founded by a “wagyu expert [who] specializes in sourcing meat,” according to the website.
BroBible has reached out to Ally via TikTok direct message for further comment.