Kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi restaurants are very popular in Japan, also very reasonably priced. There are many different chains, but our local friends introduced us to Uobei, and it has been a favorite ever since.
All sushi sets (2 pieces of sushi on a plate) usually cost only Y100, the equivalent of $1.
Inside, there is a conveyor belt of different types of sushi, drinks, desserts, etc. They go around the belt, or you can order fresh for your table and it is delivered to you. The seating is usually counter style as well as booths.
We love all the condiments at the table. Wet hand wipes (these are usually at every restaurant in Japan, used to clean your hands before the meal), soy sauce, different seasonings, pickled ginger, and chopsticks. Also, the green tea powder. There is a little faucet at each table with warm water so you can make your own tea.
Matcha, a Japanese staple.
You can order from this small touch screen, or take something off of the belt. Even the belt items are very fresh, but we usually prefer to order. They recently upgraded to include an English menu, hooray! (Not sure why Eva looks so concerned in this picture!)
Typical Japanese sushi is almost always nigiri, the kind with a slab of fish on top of the rice ball. Sushi rolls are not very common.
These are our good friends, Mayuki and Chris Holland. We refer to them as our Costco friends, because that is where we met, shortly after arriving in Japan. They met at college in the States and when Mayuki returned to Japan, Chris followed her (isn’t that romantic?!) They have made Tokyo their home ever since.
They also have two beautiful daughters, Olivia and Isabelle (and a baby boy coming soon), and the girls all have such a great time when we get together.
Look closely at this pic, orders are served on a bullet train that zooms to your table. The girls really love this!
This is my favorite. Salmon, wasabi, and rice. I never in a million years thought I would eat sushi like this, but the fish is so incredibly fresh that you don’t even get the slightest fishy taste. It is really wonderful, even Ella and Eva like it.
But, not as much as they like udon noodles and tempura!
Our friends told us that having a knot in your noodle was considered good luck. It’s no surprise that Ella got this, she seems to be a lucky kid!
Also, some non-sushi fare. These fries with a drizzle of basil mayo, were out of this world!
And Eva loves the cheeseburger sushi. Haha!
Matt thought he was ordering seared tuna and this is what arrived. We all laughed at this one on the conveyor belt for its unsightly appearance, now Matt got to sample it! He wasn’t a fan, it was some sort of tuna paste on rice, uhhhh, none for me, thanks!
And at the end, they come and count up your used plates to give you the bill.
Great food and great company! And our family of four walked out stuffed for $22.00. Not bad!
How interesting. Made me want to go out and have some sushi. Wish it were as fresh and inexpensive as it is there.
Fresh is the key isn't it? 1.00 a shot? That's great pricing!
Looks awesome!!!