Talk:Conveyor belt sushi

Sea otters
Which restaurant in Monterey has sea otters lying on their backs with the sushi on their bellys? I can't find any other mention of such a restaurant. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.155.32.17 (talk • contribs) 06:16, December 8, 2005(UTC)
 * No body answered so I am going to remove all reference to the otters in Monerary, CA serving sushi. This was added in the edit Revision as of 23:44, August 10, 2005 by .  Cafe Nervosa |  talk  01:02, 19 December 2005 (UTC)
 * Just a little validation for the original poster. I used to eat at that restaurant circa 1999 or 2000 but it must have gone out of business since.  I am visiting Monterey right now and it is killing me that I can't take my kids to eat there. Daviesow (talk) 04:04, 19 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Additional validation - late 1990s/early aughts whenever my daughter had a roller skating competition in Monterey, we would try to get there. It was a spendy treat for a single mom but a generally moderately priced place not far from the Aquarium. I don't recall the name of the place, but this Yelp review mentions the otter boats and the location looks to be about right. The kids (and I...) loved the otter tie-in. --Sopranomom (talk) 20:49, 8 February 2022 (UTC)
 * I used to eat there alot in the late 1980's. The sushi was in plates on the bellies of little Otter boats that floated around the canal in front of the semi-circular bar.  You didn't order anything you just picked up stuff that looked good as it floated by.  You were charged by your number of empty plates.  I'm pretty sure it was called Otter Sushi.  It may have been in the current (2022) location of Zum Sushi, 159 Central Ave Pacific Grove. (Just on the border with Monterey above Cannary Row). 76.9.90.112 (talk) 16:59, 1 December 2022 (UTC)
 * The name of the restaurant was Totoya.   A sushi restaurant that had floating otters that plates of sushi would be placed upon.  Last time I went to the restaurant was 2004-2005. It was located near Cannery Row in Monterey. 74.194.58.122 (talk) 19:55, 31 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Long ago it was called Mr. Sushi Man. 47.208.233.226 (talk) 01:20, 10 July 2023 (UTC)

Boats?
What about sushi in little boats? Is that not the same? Or is that different? user: 64.165.203.98


 * Basically, yes. In essence, it's still a conveyor belt.  It's just designed to look as though the "boats" are floating around; they're not.  Exploding Boy 16:48, Apr 13, 2005 (UTC)


 * I find it very interesting that someone put a link to dim sum at the bottom of this article. I have always thought of kaiten sushi as the modern Japanese equivalent of dim sum.  Great minds think alike I guess (hee..) ::::

Kaiten-sushi vs. kaiten-zushi
Someone just changed the romanization in the opening paragraph from "kaiten-zushi" to "kaiten-sushi." If nobody objects, I'm going to change it back. Although the standalone word is "sushi," in this compound word it is pronounced "zushi" and I think it should be left as such. -Sarfa 04:10, 11 May 2006 (UTC)

Workflow?
Outside special orders, how do the chefs decide what to put on the conveyor belt? 24.237.118.231 00:20, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Japan Only
This article only seems to address Kaiten-zushi in Japan. Although it is still relatively small, kaiten-zushi is becoming increasingly popular in America. I feel the article should be revised to not be limited to restaurants in Japan, but include those around the world (i.e. making tea at your table vs. tea being brought to you in America, price not only in yen but in USD equivalent, etc.). Please advise, or feel free to edit as you think would improve the worldly accuracy of this article.


 * I agree with this assessment - conveyor belt sushi seems to be rapidly becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Here in the United Kingdom, these restaurants seem to be springing up all over the place, mainly courtesy of chains such as Yo! Sushi. 217.155.20.163 17:59, 9 June 2007 (UTC)

Is it ACTUALLY moving?
I can't see it. I cant see motion. Will some one make an animation of a conveyor belt, so I really know it's moving? 69.179.187.159 02:40, 1 April 2007 (UTC)


 * It's moving. Boneyard90 (talk) 13:06, 16 July 2012 (UTC)

Sushi train
It is also known as sushi train in Australia.

Is it? I know there's a chain of conveyor belt sushi restaurants in Australia called Sushi Train, but I didn't think it was a generic name for this type of establishment. 217.155.20.163 18:06, 9 June 2007 (UTC)

I believe the term Sushi Train has come into use as a colloquial term that encompasses all conveyor belt sushi restaurants in Australia, perhaps an example of genericized trademarks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.170.168.49 (talk) 12:58, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm from Australia and often refer to it as "Sushi Train". The main Kaiten place in Perth is called Jaws though. Awesome stuff, I had all-you-can-eat there last night. Gemfyre (talk) 01:55, 27 April 2008 (UTC)

SUSHI TRAIN is absolutely the general term for this kind of restaurant in Australia, to the extent that "Kaiten" and "conveyer belt sushi" are terms I have never heard of, and I doubt there is any reference to them anywhere in any literature relating to these restaurants by english language local media / critics / reviews /promotion. Franchises often take names that play off this theme (the biggest in Brisbane being SUSHI STATION) and the sushi itself usually rides on the back of a toy train going around a track!! If anything, it isn't also known as sushi train in Australia, it is known solely as Sushi Train (on the east coast at least). Flynne (talk) 09:29, 27 July 2008 (UTC) - No Way! Sushi Train have like 50+ stores in Australia and have been around since I can remember, maybe 5 years old (I'm 30 this year), I believe they were the first to bring in this system and that's the reason it's become common.

I've seen several different restaurants/chains using conveyor belts, but never one on a toy train. (Adelaide, SA) 60.240.72.5 (talk) 09:19, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Belt movement
The belt usually runs clockwise to make it easier to lift the plates off the belt with the left hand while the right hand holds the chopsticks.

This doesn't make sense for two reasons: (a) customers don't necessarily sit facing the belt; (b) in all the restaurants I've seen, the belt is configured so that it doubles back on itself, creating a kind of "2-lane highway" from which it's possible to pick off plates moving in either direction. 217.155.20.163 18:20, 9 June 2007 (UTC)

Sushi go round? くるくる寿司? - nitpicking
"(also called sushi-go-round (くるくる寿司, kuru kuru sushi?), mainly by foreigners living in Japan)" - sorry, I am a foreigner living in Japan, and I've never called it anything else but "Kaitenzushi". I've never heard either sushi-go-round nor くるくる寿司. According to this Japanese forum (http://kotonoha.cc/no/99668), くるくる寿司 is rather uncommon or children's speech if anything, and it's the name of a (not so well-known) chain. In any case it's not a normal general term.

Since I'm nitpicking anyway, I'd also like to point out that the first sentence, "Conveyor belt sushi [...] is the popular English translation for the Japanese fast-food sushi." is misleading, as it implies that all fast-food sushi is served on a conveyor belt. I'd also count shops that sell sushi bento as fast food.

"However, some traditionalists criticize conveyor belt sushi restaurants as destroying the ritual of eating sushi as many traditional sushi restaurants are driven out of business under competition." I'd like to see a source for that, such as a food critic actually saying this, or statistics with "n sushi shops in town A in 19XX, n/2 sushi shops in town A in 19YY". My impression is that traditional sushi shops and modern high-class sushi restaurants are doing fine, despite the fast-food competition. It's probably more the general shift to western food in Japan since WWII that was a threat to the sushi culture. --Mkill (talk) 02:42, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I've never heard of sushi-go-round or くるくる寿司 either in 4 years in Japan. I call it 'revolving sushi' myself in English, and I'm not the only one, judging by 40 000 hits on Google. Personally I find it catchier than 'conveyor belt sushi' though as that particular search gets 5 million hits I guess it's the winner.

Talking of Google, I've just discovered 'sushi-go-round' is the name of a computer game. I'm still not convinced it's a common term for the restaurants themselves. Rsm77 (talk) 09:46, 1 August 2009 (UTC)

contradiction?
Shiraishi opened the first conveyor belt sushi Mawaru Genroku Sushi in Osaka in 1958, eventually expanding to up to 250 restaurants all over Japan. However, by 2001, his company had just 11 restaurants.

Is this meaning to suggest that in the time period from 1958-2001, the company opened 11 restaurants, while from 2001-now the company rapidly expanded to add an additional 239 restaurants? Because it took me about three readings to figure that out; on the surface the two sentences appeared to contradict each other.

If that's the intended meaning I'd suggest Shiraishi opened the first conveyor belt sushi restaurant, Mawaru Genroku Sushi, in Osaka in 1958, though it was not until the 21st century that the parent company began expanding more widely: in 2001 the company owned 11 restaurants, while by {date} it had expanded to over 250 restaurants across Japan. --rahaeli (talk) 14:12, 7 February 2012 (UTC)


 * I would read it as saying that in the years BEFORE 2001 Mawaru Genroku Sushi had up to 250 restaurants, but between some unspecified date and 2001 (or during 2001), the number of restaurants decreased to 11, possibly by or because of Shiraishi's death in 2001. As it is, the article doesn't specify what date Shiraishi passed away, or when the count of just 11 restaurants was taken, but large groups and chains have been known to downsize after the death of their founder. El Nero Diablo (talk) 00:20, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Dim Sum
I've just removed the last line of the History section (revision at 18:05, 28 November 2014‎) because without the word Dim Sum the sentence doesn't make sense. I did find a reference to converyor belts being used for dim sum via a Lonely Planet atticle so perhaps the original sentence should be restored and cite this reference but I'm not so sure it would belong in the History section. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lukosan (talk • contribs)

Not specific to conveyor belt sushi restaurants
I think the following statement should be removed because it is true of all sushi restaurants, not specific to conveyor belt sushi restaurants.

"Some inexpensive conveyor belt sushi restaurants may imitate an expensive dish using less expensive ingredients. For example, they may replace chopped fatty tuna belly meat with other fish meat. Some larger chains can keep down costs for quality food by ordering in large amounts."

The last sentence is actually true of ALL restaurants. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.22.202.69 (talk) 18:28, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

Not specific to conveyor belt sushi restaurants
I think the following statement should be removed because it is true of all sushi restaurants, not specific to conveyor belt sushi restaurants.

"Some inexpensive conveyor belt sushi restaurants may imitate an expensive dish using less expensive ingredients. For example, they may replace chopped fatty tuna belly meat with other fish meat. Some larger chains can keep down costs for quality food by ordering in large amounts."

The last sentence is actually true of ALL restaurants.96.22.202.69 (talk) 18:29, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

Sanitation on the food-go-round
So from looking at these pictures, apparently Japanese food sanitation rule makers do not believe in sneeze guards? You'd better hope no one coughs or goes ACHOO! on the sushi train..

An enclosed transparent tunnel with a hood door that swings open by each table would also keep the food warm or cool as required, and high humidity so it doesn't dry out. -- DMahalko (talk) 22:30, 6 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Kura-zushi invented a sanitation device called "Mr. Fresh" for your concern. See and . ―― Phoenix7777 (talk) 23:10, 6 October 2015 (UTC)

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Conveyor belt places where everything has to be ordered
At least one UK sushi chain (Yo Sushi) now requires patrons to order every item (on a smartphone, generally) and they are made to order and delivered on the belt. Is this common for other conveyor belt sushi places?

I would be bold but I don't know if this is an outlier or normal.

Uncriticalsimon (talk) 16:40, 14 March 2021 (UTC)