Short answer: Yes. There will be more courses (both cooked and sushi) in the higher-priced set menus. (By the way, in most L.A. sushi joints, $150 is still considered "high-end’, not $200… yet.).
I think you might like Sushi Kimagure Ike in Pasadena.
You’ll be full after Ike-san is through with you. I was. Sounds like you had some less-than-satisfactory sushi experiences in the past.
… And this brings up an important point (definitely not directed at you, but more as a general principle of mine): I think cheap/low-ball sushi is just wrong. Not so much from an elitist standpoint, but more from a sustainability standpoint. Good sushi SHOULD have ingredients that are thoughtfully procured and prepared, and that will inevitably drive the cost more up front for the restaurant management. Cheap sushi places (not just in the U.S., but all over the world) cut corners (examples include inferior seafood quality, questionable sourcing, including illegal or off-season harvesting of younger-than-breeding age specimens of certain species, and straight up serving less courses) in order to make their margins. They have to - To do it “right” would cost too much. And it is these practices which give many new-to-sushi diners a really unsatisfactory experience. The world’s appetite for low-cost sushi has exponentially risen over the last decade, and it bodes poorly for the fish stock in the world’s oceans. Talk to any reputable sushi chef and ask if their seafood costs have risen in the past few years (you’ll hear quotes anywhere from 15%-40% more). Of course, there will occasionally exist the exception where there is an affordably priced gem of a sushi-ya where you get the quality as well, but this is why I call them gems - they are indeed rare finds.
Yellowtail (I’m assuming you mean ‘hamachi’) is a jack - Should be buttery, with a slightly bolder flavor.
Are you thinking of a different fish called yellowfin tuna (known as ‘ahi’), which is a true tuna, possessing a mild flavor and firm texture? (Don’t worry: This is a common confusion in naming between yellowtail and yellowfin tuna.)
By the way, speaking of texture, it is often appreciated as much, and quite often even more than actual flavor for many species of seafood in sushi. The crunchiness of geoduck clam (mirugai), the firmness of lean tuna (akami) contrasted with the melt-in-the-mouth feel of fatty tuna belly (o-toro), the softness of monkfish liver (ankimo) - Often it is the texture (and not flavor) which dictates how prized certain bites of sushi can be.
Hope this helps you start enjoying omakase… Sorry for the rant (again, not directed at you at all, but your great questions brought up really good potential points of discourse - Thank you!)
