Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera

I make a point to visit Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera every time I'm in Japan. It isn't necessarily revolving sushi like the name suggests, but you can see your sushi being prepared right in front of you, which adds to the experience. From what I know, this location serves as a training location for young chefs under the Ginza Onodera brand, known for its Michelin-starred restaurants around the world. This means you pretty much get the same level of quality and technique as Onodera, but at a much more accessible price. It's a must-visit for anyone who wants high-end sushi without the high-end cost. The line has gotten longer over the years, and you can expect to wait 45 min - 1 hour at peak dinner time. There are plenty of shops and convenience stores in Ginza, so as long as you keep your eye on your wait time, the time should go by fast. You can get a wait estimate by scanning the QR code after you print out your ticket at the restaurant entrance. You might need to use Google Translate to see how many groups are in front of you since the website is only in Japanese. I'd also get your ticket before 8PM because sometimes they close the ticket machine early if it's a busier night. Ordering at the table is easy with the iPad in front of you, and the prices are easily accessible. I always look forward to the complimentary hot water and matcha powder. I came in with my stomach growling and left with my stomach on the brink of explosion for ¥8,090 ($56.12), from about 14 items. With so many options on the menu, here are my personal favorites: FAVORITES: - seared salmon w/ miso + green onion nigiri (¥380) - homemade savory egg custard nigiri (¥580) - seared fresh scallop w/ salt nigiri (¥980) - raw salmon nigiri (¥320) - fried octopus RECOMMEND: - medium fatty yamayuki bluefin tuna nigiri (¥720) - seared flounder fin w/ salt nigiri (¥420) - whimsical roll (¥700) - chopped raw salmon rib w/ green onion (¥270) NOT MY TASTE: - fresh white trevally nigiri (¥530)- decent flavor but I thought the meat was too tough

Kaiten Sushi is absolutely worth the hype! The sushi is incredibly fresh, and the variety of options is impressive—there’s something for everyone. While it’s slightly on the pricier side, the quality and experience make it worth every penny. The only downside is the long queue, but they manage it well with a ticket system. For our group of four, we waited about 40 minutes, so I’d recommend arriving early to secure your spot. Despite the wait, the meal was fantastic, and I’d gladly go back for more. Highly recommend for sushi lovers!

While I really enjoyed the higher quality of the ingredients and the freshness of them, I feel like the prices were a bit too expensive compared to a lot of other sushi restaurants. The more expensive cuts were around 900 yen a piece and the less expensive sushi were around 400 yen each which is quite expensive in my opinion. I really liked their rice as well but I just don't know if paying that much more was worth it. The service was respectful but not that welcoming or friendly. I understand that they were quite busy but I felt like the service was a bit rude at times. Most of the time, we were ordering through a tablet and they were just leaving the plates we ordered at the window of our tables so we barely had any contact so it's hard to say. However, they did forget to serve some of the plates we ordered even though we were charged for them. Luckily, the waiter was understanding and managed to resolve the problem quickly. On another note, their tablet can change the language to English which is certainly helpful for those who need it. I feel like the term Kaiten was misleading since I was expecting the place to be a conveyor belt sushi but it was not. While the restaurant is pretty big and have a lot of seats, please note that there is a wait time of around 2 hours before you can get a table. You can't really reserve for a table online but you can get a seat reservation on the same day. The thing that I wasn't a big fan of was when the chefs would suddenly shout a special item and present it. It was so loud and staticky on their microphone, it would disturb the vibe of the place and our table's conversation in my opinion.

Personally,I think it’s more of a touristic place and trap for some reasons :1)Food:Some sushi were great;some was just normal. And Japan is known for their fish meals. Therefore, one place can not be the only place to find and wait for good food even in an area. 2)It’s not well arranged .The waiting time that they told us including many others was 1 hour. But how do you know when your time is ready? Since there’s not a lot of place to sit and wait for your time,you might decide to go and walk around. And they are not loud,so when numbers are even called it’s only called with the person being inside and won’t even come outside. You just have the responsibility to keep checking the small display machine with the numbers by the counter near the exit/entrance. When you walk around and come back and your number is already pass,let’s say 100 numbers more,you can enter and show them your waiting receipt. And they are kind enough to let you wait a little bit and then find a place for you to sit, but that means that the others that are their time is already approaching will have to wait more time. 3)Price:It can be affordable depending on what you want to order but If not careful,you can end up spending lots of money because of how the electric menu is made;though you can order 4 things all at once,the prices are just for 1 sushi and 1sushi won’t fill you up nor is the 1sushi cheap. 4)The rice itself isn’t white rice but it’s already marinated in either soy sauce or something and if you order wasabi,it’s not send to you but put inside your sushi(you might feel it or not) . Apart from the above reasons The restaurant and the meal served ,though not cheap, is not bad for number of reasons 1)On the table,you have free hot water tap and a cold water brought to you. You have also a big box of pickled ginger and matcha tea and all your utensils for eating 2)Service and staff—Service was fast and Staff were friendly but not all. To order,you use the tablet on your table(it’s also in English). Once you figure out how it works;it’s easy to place orders. And when you are done eating,using the tablet,you can end your meal course to pay and then the lists of everything you ordered will appear in English for you to check . Once you are happy,then you head to the the counter near the exit to pay and the receipt will be given you that’s written all in Japanese. FYI-you have 70mins to stay and eat during the peak hours. That’s an ample time to eat, considering the number of people that wants to use this restaurant. 2)There’s toilet for male and female-1 per each. 3)You can pay with card. Suggestion for customers:Don’t focus just on the sushi menu,check out the side dishes too:different food and reasonable prices too. Conclusion: It was an experience and we enjoyed our time here and what we ate and the service plus the older chef charismatic manner. Will I be comfortable repeating it again?Not really especially if I’m asked to wait for 1 hour.

Absolutely incredible sushi experience! Every piece was fresh, expertly prepared, and full of authentic flavor. You can truly taste the quality and care in every bite. This is real, traditional sushi at its best — no gimmicks, just top-tier craftsmanship. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates genuine Japanese cuisine. Will definitely come back

showed up two hours before closing, stomach growling, dreams of toro dancing in my head… only to be greeted with “the waiting list is already full.” Betrayed. Defeated. I walked away into the Tokyo night, tears mixing with the city rain (okay, maybe it was just sweat). But fate gave me a second chance. On my last day in Tokyo, armed with sheer willpower and an empty stomach, I made it back for lunch. AND OH BABY, NO REGRETS. This is the more “casual” (still kinda pricey but your wallet won’t literally combust) outlet of a fancy chain that boasts a Michelin star at one of its other locations. Sushi here runs 400–900 yen a piece, so yeah, you’re not getting conveyor belt bargains… but you’re also not getting sad, limp fish either. Despite being called a “revolving sushi” place, the belt is more decorative than functional. You order everything fresh via a tablet, and then a sushi wizard materializes behind the counter to hand it to you. Human interaction = minimal. Sushi interaction = MAXIMUM. I ordered an enthusiastic (possibly reckless) spread: 7 pieces of nigiri, a maki roll, some karaage (because who doesn’t want fried chicken with their raw fish?), and veggie tempura. The bill... A spicy near $60 USD. Worth it? Absolutely. The stars of the show: • Medium fatty tuna (chutoro): Straight up melted in my mouth. I would marry this fish if it were legal. • Seared tuna: Perfect light smokiness, like it had kissed a campfire and come back more beautiful. The not-so-great: • Sweet Shrimp nigiri: Tasted like it had been sitting around daydreaming about being fresher. Not a disaster, but definitely the third wheel on this date. • Spotted black prawn: it was not worth the 900 Yen price tag. Textually, I was not a fan. Final Verdict: Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera isn’t cheap, isn’t fast, and isn’t technically revolving… but it is delicious. If you’re in Tokyo and want to pretend you’re a sushi connoisseur without dropping Michelin-star money, fight for a seat here. And come early or risk reliving my night of heartbreak

This sushi place is super popular thanks to social media. I happened to be in the area alone and decided to give it a try, hoping that dining solo would get me a seat faster—and I was right! I managed to get seated within 5 minutes. The sushi is pretty good, and you can order from a tablet in front of you in English. They also have a list of popular items of the day, so you don’t have to worry about what to order. It’s definitely a busy and touristy spot, but overall, a good experience!

Prices were a little on the higher side but I think the quality of the fish justifies the damage. This would be a place where you are looking for quality over quantity; We waited for about 2 hours to get a seat as there are really a lot of people trying to get a queue ticket. Personal recommendations: - Deep Fried Oysters were really fresh and well fried, very worth the price - Chawanmushi was really silky and smooth. The Dashi flavour was very well balance and would be good to end the meal with it So plan your time ahead and get a queue ticket before you walk down Omote Sando for some shopping.