Sunday, October 2, 2011

Gatten Sushi: Multiple Locations to Serve You

With even more locations here in the Southland than Kula Revolving Sushi Bar, Gatten Sushi serves high-quality food off a conveyor belt as well, but with tiered prices: dishes range from $1.50 to $5 (or $2 to $3 at the Gatten Sushi Junior locations), depending on the color of the plate.

The wasabi at Gatten Sushi is unremarkable, but Gatten Sushi has its own variety of tasty items that Kula Revolving Sushi Bar doesn’t feature. The seared shrimp sushi drizzled with spicy mayonnaise, for example, is top-notch, and rare items like tilapia and gizzard shad are served as nigiri. Another popular choice: the tuna steak nigiri, which is covered with a marinated onion sauce and diced scallions.

Gatten Sushi’s "Original" locations (the larger branches) also offer specials such as squid sushi with mayonnaise and fried onions, seared three-piece Salmon Oishi-Zushi topped with chopped vegetable salsa and jalapeno, and Una Tama, which is short for Unagi Tamago. The latter is a tasty treat: warm slices of Japanese omelet served with a sweet syrupy sauce, with little bites of eel peeping out from the center. For dessert, there’s even Almond Tofu in a glass that you can lift off the belt.

The seared beef sushi at Gatten Sushi is a tad on the chewy side; Kula’s Seared Beef with Yakiniku Sauce has that one beat. And although Gatten Sushi’s crab nigiri costs $5 for two pieces, the single-piece version at Kula’s tastes sweeter and fresher. Gatten Sushi, however, has a unique Daily Specials menu that lists different trio sets of nigiri depending on the day: on a Thursday, for example, you can get the amazing Seared Trio for only $2, with seared yellowtail, salmon and white tuna. On other days, you may find specials like the California Trio or the Shrimp Trio, which involve the same base nigiri dressed in different toppings. Or, it might be a Tempura Trio, which involves different kinds of fried tempura with the same sauces.

Gatten Sushi also sells a rowdy, energetic ambience: every new item that gets placed on the belt is heralded by a chef, to which the entire staff choruses “Yummy!” at the top of their lungs. Every time a patron stands up and prepares to leave the restaurant, you can hear a staff member announcing “Customer leaving!” And at this, the entire staff turns toward that customer and bows graciously, exclaiming "Arigato Gozaimashita!" loudly and in unison.

A Gatten Sushi Original is slated to open in the Westfield Shopping Mall in West Covina sometime this month.

Gatten Sushi Original
500 N. Atlantic Blvd., Monterey Park
626-457-5943

Gatten Sushi Jr.
4517 Campus Dr., Irvine
949-679-8322

Gatten Sushi Jr.
18162 Colima Rd., Rowland Heights
626-581-8600

Gatten Sushi Jr.
11306 ½ South St., Cerritos
562-924-0440

No comments :