Here’s an analogy: Imagine your favorite restaurant that you go quite often. It’s a simple place to have a nice meal & relax in. But it often feel like you’re one of the few people who knows about the place. So you begin to tell your friends & family, and then they begin to tell more people. And this restaurant becomes more & more well known & gets more customers. Happy ending, right? However, getting a table begins to get harder, the place has more rules that they didn’t have before, the food isn’t as good as it used to be, and it’s often too crowded to even relax while enjoying a meal. The place you once go to for a simple lunch, becomes a hassle to go to.

That’s the analogy I wanted to go with to explain what I’m asking.

As for my real answer: Going to Little Tokyo & a shabu shabu place around my county.

Back in High School, I used to save up my allowance to take train to Little Tokyo. I would often go shopping for Gunpla & Japanese snacks, and then stop by my usual Ramen spot (I usually alternate between Mr. Ramen & Kouraku) before coming back. However, years later, Little Tokyo (let alone the train I take to get there) became way more crowded. The model kit shop I used to go to (Jungle), began enforcing a line policy, Manraku & Nijiya Market got more packed, and I often felt like stuffed sardines whenever I walked around the Japanese Plaza. Both my favorite Ramen spots remained fine though. Otherwise, I don’t go as often as I used too, because it’s usually packed (that and I’m often broke)

As for that Shabu Shabu place I talked about, I often go there back in college. Back then, it was only $30 on the weekdays. And for that, I would get a choice of 2 meats, a drink, and access to the buffet. But once more people came, they constantly change the rules. Weekdays now only included Mon-Thurs, Friday being treated like the weekend (which would cost $40) and then you would have to pay for your own drink separately. Luckily, it isn’t as bad as Little Tokyo, but it’s such a shame for the constant changes