Our family really likes sushi and Tetsu and I often go out to eat sushi for lunch. For those of you who don't know, sushi is vinegared rice (su-meaning vinegar and shi-meaning rice) with bits of raw fish or other tidbits on it. I think non-Japanese might recognize sushi as those little slabs of raw fish on a small block of sweet-vinegared rice, but sushi can also be long rolls of rice and fish wrapped in seaweed or even just be a bowl of sweet-vinegared rice with a sprinkling of sweet egg, boiled shrimp or grilled fish, sliced cucumbers etc.
We will sometimes go to the authentic sushi restaurants and get a wonderful assortment of sushi, but one of the fastest and cheapest ways to eat sushi are at the conveyor belt sushi restaurants that abound all over Japan. Instead of ordering sushi individually, the sushi is already made and served on little dishes that go around and around on a conveyor belt past customers. The customer will just watch the dishes go past until he finds one that appeals to him and then pull it off the belt. Sort of like a smorgasbord that comes to you! The little dishes can be different colored depending on the price and one can get a small dish for as little as a dollar a plate or pay more for the more expensive morsels. One can also order from the "chefs" that are standing around and some of these sushi bars have touch-top computer screens where you just touch the picture of the sushi you want and the order goes directly somewhere and in a little while your sushi comes out on the conveyor belt (on a numbered tray corresponding to your seat so that other customers won't take it before it gets to you).
I wouldn't say this is great cuisine but it is very reasonable costwise and unlike real sushi restaurants there are also "strange" sushi such as "salad sushi" or "hamburger sushi", "deep fried shrimp sushi" and "barbecue beef sushi". These are popular with the foreigners and other people not so fond of raw fish. It is no problem to take visiting foreigners to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant because they can usually find something there to eat. I noticed there were even dishes of french fried potatoes going past me and fried chicken.
And for dessert the pudding cups and the jello bowls and even chocolate cake float by so it is easy to eat to one's heart's content. When you've had your fill, the waitress will come by and count all the dishes that are stacked on your table and then hand you a tab to pay on your way out.Japanese fast food at it's best!
13 comments:
So interesting, thanks for the tour! Here's something I found very funny a few years ago: We were driving across country (the U.S.) and stopped for a fast-food lunch in Dallas. I looked out the window of the restaurant and right next door was a drive-thru sushi place! It seemed so out of place.
I haven't been to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, but I have been to a resturant that had a big model train bring your food out to you. It was entertaining to see other customers food travel by you.
sounds like an efficient way of getting a fast meal :-)
That is such a nice concept - sounds like it would be more hygienic than the other all you can eat buffets around here.
Very interesting to know that is an authentic Japanese way for the food to be served. When we lived down in Sydney there was a Sushi Bar that served Sushi this way, & it was very popular. It was also popular with Japanese tourists, who I suppose, were glad to see something so familiar! Sadly I didn't get a chance to eat there, before we moved.
That is interesting ! I had never been in an sushi restaurant but it looks like an invitation...I think I will try it next time. We have one in Bremen.
Thank you for showing us!
Also interesting was your iron post!
Funny to read about that home work the most women don´t love very much! Mm, I have a lot stuff to iron today ;(
But interesting to read that you try, like me, to make more space. I try it in the same way ...and you are right, space is space...
hugs
Stefanie
Thanks for sharing your photos of your sushi resturant, looking at them makes my mouth water. I LOVE sushi, everytime Iam in Sydney I just have to go to a Sushi Bar, lots of them are like this. I can't buy Sushi where we live in the country but I do try and make my own sometimes. Pity we don't live closer we could meet for sushi sometime. Yum Yum
We saw Sushi Train restaurants in Australia - but did not try them out. Which is funny because I love sushi (sashimi, nigri, & nori). But I only eat the fish fish (tuna, toro, salmon, & the like not the shell fish (eel, shrimp, clams, etc.) & I do prefer uramaki to futomaki.
Your blog is so interesting, I always learn something. I never knew sushi was the rice and not the raw fish.
I have a question about your last post. You said in the room you sew in is your daughters bed, and it was the only bed in the house. On what do you sleep?
I have a very small room that I sew in, it is about 8'X8' and I have a single bed to deal with also. I understand about small spaces.
I LOVE sushi! We have two Japanese restaurants here in Riyadh - one is called Tokyo and the other is called Furusato (does that name mean anything in japanese). I usually go with my son because my husband is unfortunately allergic to seafood. One of those conveyor belt restaurants would suit me fine!
It's very interesting how in Japan your fast food comes on a conveyer belt.
Both of the ballet companies our DD has danced with have had a few Japanese dancers. She has developed quite a taste for sushi. The last time we went to Denver she insisted we go to her favorite sushi restaurant. DH tried it and didn't like it, but I am a very picky eater and would never even be able to swallow raw fish. I had a cooked chicken dish. I wish I had known that technically sushi was the vinegared rice because I would probably have loved simply that.
mmm. Eel is my favorite!
We finally found a good sushi place here in the desert, called "RA"...how funny a name, which means "NAKED"!
I can't do raw fish, I used to be a seafood importer and had to read the FDA reports, lol. Yes, I know, it's "sushi grade". Sometimes it helps NOT to know!
Oooh -- Tuna for me please. Maybe some Salmon to go with it. And some cucumber please?!?
There are some places like this in the states -- a friend took me to one out in the Portland area a bit over a year ago -- we had a GREAT time and probably ate way too much -- but oh so worth it!
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