You will not recognise meat and three vegetables at the hands of magician Heston Blumenthal, the three-Michelin-starred British chef who is introducing Australia's most expensive set menu, the $525 degustation – excluding drinks – at his Fat Duck restaurant at Crown for six months from February 3. Adding wine, you will need a Swiss bank account, so check if there is free Wi-Fi.

"For that price, I want Heston cooking – and a foot massage!" declared one Melbourne restaurateur. Or at least take home the table and chairs.

Blumenthal's arrival with goggles and a dramatic gust of dry ice does make our fine-dining scene look like a bargain.

Shannon Bennett from Vue de Monde has been usurped as offering the most expensive menu, 10 courses for $250, which comes with a $60 truffle option. "Finally, Vue de Monde is classified as cheap!" Bennett joked.

The chef with rock-star hairstyle has offered his menu for four years and, despite costs increasing, he "felt uncomfortable" about raising the price. He likened expensive restaurants to going to a concert as a one-off experience: "Food is the new rock 'n' roll."

Therefore, Bennett is going to his first Rolling Stones concert in November and splurged $575 for a rage in the mosh pit.

Australians have extra reason to gasp at the price of snail porridge, liquid nitrogen and other Blumenthal wizardry, because the menu at his British eatery in Bray, Berkshire, is £220 ($400). He is bringing out his staff of 70 and there is the Crown fitout at the old Breezes, so your black Amex card will help.

In Melbourne on September 17 to announce the pop-up 50-seater, Blumenthal said it would be "12 to 15 courses of pure, unique theatre", and due to demand, 16,000 seats would be allocated by ballot from October 8-26.

Chris Lucas, the brains behind Chin Chin, the busiest casual restaurant in Australia, said Blumenthal's $525 menu was "outrageous" and shows "how affordable and accessible" our fine dining is. "Our chefs are equal to the overseas stars," he said.

Mr Lucas believes Crown missed an opportunity to demonstrate goodwill to foodies: "I would have used the huge gaming profits to subsidise the Fat Duck to allow as many Melburnians as possible to experience this unique culinary experience."

Seekers of tastebud nirvana can feel more relaxed at Attica's eight-course menu for $190, or Brae's 10-course menu for $180. Putting the Fat Duck price into perspective, an unemployed person on the Newstart Allowance earning $510.50 a fortnight would have to borrow $14.50 to dine there and starve for the next 13 days.

Foodie Linda Thurlow is counting the sleeps until the Blumenthal ballot because she is still savouring the whiz-bang of dining at Britain's Fat Duck. "As soon as we walked in the door, it was the most amazing gourmet experience," she said. "It wasn't just the food but the service, the setting, the tasting, the wine – it was just amazing."

Sadly, you can't lay-by a course at the Fat Duck. Or just order a salad.