The conveyor belt sushi scene in Japan can be quite a
spectacle: zany fun offered with convenience and affordability.
At the nameless one I visited in Kyoto, it appeared at first
glance to be some sort of Internet café. All the diners were seated in front of
mini screens, which they poked at from time to time with their fingertips. Then
I noticed the moving conveyor belts in front of them, loaded with little plates
of goodies: sushi, appetizers, desserts, even juice boxes.
What made this place unique: you could special-order an item
from the touch-screen in front of you to have it come out on the same conveyor
belt. Then grab your item as it coasts by you. Or, simply sit back and take what you
want that’s already riding on the conveyor belt. As always, the bill is based
on the number of empty plates at the end of your meal.
Everything off the conveyor belt cost ¥108 (about 87 cents). Items from the
side menu ranged from ¥194 to ¥216. It certainly seemed to be a restaurant
with a sense of humor, for there were the most unusual sushi: there was the
bologna sushi with avocado and onions on top, the “hamburger sushi” (with or
without mayonnaise), and even a “Roast pork” sushi. From the side menu, you can
order French fries with chocolate syrup drizzled all over them for ¥216.
Just like the purplish pickled eggplants I had sampled in
all those food halls and shops, at this restaurant there was pickled eggplant
sushi being offered. And although it appeared slimy, the tuna and yamakake (grated mountain yam) sushi was quite unique and didn’t taste as funny as it looked. Another unique
one was the okra sushi, served gunkan-style.
Quite simply, this is a fun and cheap way to have sushi. The easily amused can have a blast here.
Quite simply, this is a fun and cheap way to have sushi. The easily amused can have a blast here.
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