Conveyor belt sushi, also known as kaiten sushi, is fun and changed the way we indulge in this beloved Japanese cuisine. As you take your seat, a sense of anticipation fills the air. The vibrant colors of the plates rotating on the conveyor belt grab your attention, casting a spell of culinary adventure. You watch with excitement as the chefs behind the counter meticulously craft each tiny masterpiece, a testament to their skill and dedication. The concept is simple yet ingenious, pushing you without even realizing it, to consume more than you would in a regular Japanese restaurant. So, when Kaiten Zushi announced that they would open where the closed Don Bogam Black used to be, I was really excited.

Opening a couple of months ago, Kaiten Zushi is fairly big, bright, but this is not what I was imagining as there is no dishes going around the dining room like a classic conveyer belt sushi has. On the other end, this is a bit of a guarantee that no one would even think about licking the plates that go around as it seems to have been a problem in Japan with the so called “Sushi Terrorism”. No, there, you will order your dishes on a touch screen and they will simply arrive on the belt. Not the same but still fun.

But I admit that the main attraction might be the robot that is bringing drinks to your table. This is my second conveyer belt sushi in the NY/NJ area, but, each time, I ended up with the waiter, not the robot, bringing my order. A bit of a bummer, each time thinking that there must be some drinks like sake that I order each time that are not eligible for it!

In term of sushi, they have the classic salmon, tuna or shrimp sushi, with the usual vegetarian options that are tamago or avocado roll, as well as vegetable gyoza or tempura (I wish sometimes we could pick the vegetables). But what I really loved there was their fried takoyaki that is a is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter typically filled with diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion, and smothered with mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce. This reminded me our trip to Japan few years ago when I stumbled upon a stand where a woman was making them, using chopsticks to turn them around in a mold to cook them evenly (and heavenly if I may say).

Desserts were not as exciting though, with the usual mochi ice cream and some mochi donuts, but with flavors that were not to my liking. Still, this was fun and the food was delicious. This is definitely a place I recommend.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Katien Zushi - 276 5th Ave, New York, NY 10001

Conveyer Belt Sushi at Kaiten Zushi in NYC

I Just Want To Eat!