I think the convenience is worth it. For me, my most valuable commodity is my time, not money. Not to mention they probably get a better deal on the catering and masseuse than you would individually.
If I could go into work and not have to worry about preparing a good, healthy meal for myself (or drive somewhere to get one), that would be great.
Catering and masseuse is pretty standard with many bay area companies, it doesn't make palantir special. The chef part is more a function of how large the company than anything else.
You'll actually start to curse the catered food part if you want to actually conform to some sort of diet, weight loss or otherwise. The food can create a culture of longer working hours, so leaving earlier so you can go make your own dinner will create career challenges later on. SV is a large suburban place, not catering lunch just wastes a shit ton of time for the company itself and creates a lot of traffic.
And the masseuse service isn't that expensive for the company to hire once a week.
No one's arguing that the perks are THE BEST PERKS EVER. Just that they are "nice."
They have a chef available if you want your meal prepared there--no one's forcing anyone to eat at work. Also, from what my friend tells me it's not like one thing is being served each day. You have many options and they cook what you order. Seeing that he's seriously slimmed down while eating most of his meals there, I don't think his diet is suffering at Palantir due to the catering.
I don't really get what your point is other than to split hairs over how "nice" the perks are.
EDIT: Perhaps this quote from the website will explain the catering: "At Palantir, you will never be hungry. Chefs craft weekly menus consisting of organic and local foods, and we serve three meals a day. Family, friends, and guests are always welcome, and to-go boxes are always available."
If I could go into work and not have to worry about preparing a good, healthy meal for myself (or drive somewhere to get one), that would be great.