🍣 How to eat in a kaiten sushi (running sushi) restaurant

[turaibalazs]

If you have the chance to visit Japan, definitely visit an original kaiten (running or conveyor belt) sushi restaurant!

The unique serving style at these restaurants can be confusing for first-timers, so here are a few things you need to know:

1. If there is a line, wait for a staff member taking down names. If no line, just walk in, and let the staff know how many you are. You will be shown to a seat at the counter, where the conveyor belt runs in front of you.

2. You will find everything you need - soy sauce, ginger, green tea and chopsticks - in front of you.

3. The powdered green tea you can mix with the hot water from the small tap in the counter. Never use the little spoon to stir your tea! (If you place it back to the tea box wet, the whole tea would get moist and the staff will be angry with you.) Use your chopsticks instead.

4. Other drinks you can usually order from either the staff or on some electronic device.

5. To choose your sushi, simply take it down from the conveyor belt.

6. After eating the sushi stack the little plates next to you. By this time you would most probably notice, that different sushi (and many other snacks) came on different coloured or patterned plates. That is because theses plates are the basis for the staff to tally up your bill at the end.

7. If you would like to have some delicacies or rare sushi, that cannot be found on the belt, you can always order those directly. If the sushi chef stands in the middle, you can ask him (it is very rarely a woman) for the desired item. Or you can use the electronic devices (touch screens, buttons, tablets or so) if the restaurant relies on those.

8. When you have finished, make sure you stack all the plates. Be nice to the staff, and order them by the pattern to make it easier for them to count. Then just signal to the waiter, who will price and sum up all your plates and give you the bill.

9. You don’t pay the waiter, you need to do it at the front by the cashier. So just collect all your stuff, and walk to the cashier with your bill to pay it. No tip is needed.

Here is a quick shot about the atmosphere of a kaiten-sushi restaurant in Kamakura.

kaiten sushi kamakura

[MortenSI]

Hi @turaibalazs ,

Thanks for sharing!

I absolutely love sushi, so this concept of just grabbing one plate after another is perfect for me.

I actually didn’t know about the different colors of the plates. I have only ever been to one running sushi restaurant, but it was an all-you-can-eat restaurant so the colors didn’t really matter.

I know the sushi we have here in Europe is nothing like the real Japanese kind, so I hope I get to try an authentic sushi experience some day.

[turaibalazs]

hi @MortenSI !

I haven’t seen these type of running sushi restaurants outside Japan either. (Maybe at some places owners don’t trust the customers enough to calculate the bill only by the plates… )

About the quality: it’s true, Japanese are always aiming to the highest standards, even in the smallest market hall stalls; …and of course the ingredients (I think the rice is even more important than the fish!) are also a prime factor. I would advise to eat sushi only in good restaurants in Europe, because the cheap chain places or the pre-packaged bento boxes are only going to ruin your appreciation of good sushi.

Hope you’ll make it into Japan and have a try there!

[Sheralyn]

I must say that it’s very well written and in detail. And was indeed helpful.

[MortenSI]

I think you’re right @turaibalazs . The concept of serving sushi in Europe seems to be more about the portion size and how much money they can make, rather than giving the customers the best experience possible.

I’ve read somewhere that the main ingredient in sushi is actually the rice, and the fish comes second as a sort of bonus ingredient. I guess that’s why the sushi chefs in japan spend so many years working to perfect their rice.

[turaibalazs]

thank you @Sheralyn I hope it will be useful one day, in Japan!