There’s no doubt that price affects our desire to eat something—it definitely does. Everyone has their own measure of what food is worth. When the price goes beyond that personal threshold, it starts to feel like it’s not worth it or not a good deal. No matter how many years someone has been eating it, they may start going less frequently, or even stop going altogether.
Unless the food truly has that kind of value, or at least fills you up, it becomes less appealing. And since it's not exactly a nutritious choice either, over time it becomes something you can take or leave—you might not even know when you'll want it again. “A-Lai Tempura” is a long-standing and well-known shop near Nangang's Houshanpi MRT station. It's popular with locals, office workers, and even patients visiting Zhongxiao Hospital nearby.
Business has always been good, even outside of mealtimes, partly because it's also suitable as a snack. Only a small number of people treat it as a full meal. The prices in the photos were from around November 2024, but they’ve since gone up again. Whether the increase feels steep or fast is up to individual perception.
It has gone from being a cheap, pocket-change snack to something that nearly costs a full bill. You can see it happening, and the pace of the price increases lately has been much faster and higher than before. There's no right or wrong here—only whether or not you can accept it. Personally, I can’t fully accept it, but I can understand it. In a way, I’m glad, because it helps reduce the temptation to go. I used to love eating these types of processed foods, but now the rising prices make it easier for me to cut back. And that’s actually a good thing for my health!
What really struck me was seeing a customer one day—clearly just out of the hospital, with visible health issues and needing medication—yet he still came often (the staff knew him well). Seeing that made me wonder: is it really okay to eat this kind of tasty but unhealthy food so often? Sigh... personal choice, I guess.
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