Opinion: OneSushi Katsu Bowl Price Climbs 93% in Nine Years—But Remains One of Wellington’s Cheapest Meals.

As a high-school student, I became obsessed with OneSushi’s chicken katsu bowl. I still am. It was a cheap, reliable lunch that offered plenty of bang for your buck.

I wasn’t the only one. In a 2017 post on r/newzealand, one user gushed about OneSushi’s “small” chicken katsu bowl costing just $7. 

Today, the same bowl costs $13.50—a 93% increase. 

Inflation has been brutal, and has been for years. But not that brutal. According to the Reserve Bank’s inflation calculator, $7 in 2017 is equivalent to $9.46 today, or $9.71 when food-price inflation is used.  

To be fair, inflation is not the only pressure on prices. The adult minimum wage has risen from $15.75 in 2017 to $23.95 today—an increase of about 52%). Rent and other operating costs have also increased. Does that explain a near-doubling in the price of one katsu bowl? Probably not. 

The worst part is that OneSushi is still one of the cheapest places to get a meal in Wellington. 

No one has the money to eat out anymore. Public servants are holding back spending amid job  losses, while students are struggling to find work. In a Salient Instagram poll of 287 respondents, just 24 percent said they felt financially able to eat out in the city. 

There are still a few bright spots. As reported by previous Salient employee Ryan Cleland, Scopa offers $10 pizza on Tuesdays, while Sakura Sushi narrowly undercuts OneSushi with a $13 katsu bowl.  Guy van Egmond also runs the excellent column Munch: A Feed for F*ck All,  which is devoted to cheap eats. He has awarded five stars to KC Cafe, Everybody Eats, and Little Penang. 

Salient readers also sent in their own recommendations on Instagram, including Roman’s Kitchen, Hot n Spicy, Hideout, FJs—and depressingly—OneSushi. 

OneSushi did not respond to requests for comment.