Visit Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera for Better Quality Conveyor Belt Sushi
Kaiten sushi, also known as conveyor belt sushi, is a popular style of sushi dining in Japan where plates of sushi are placed on a rotating conveyor belt that runs through the restaurant, passing by every table, counter, and seat. Diners can simply pick up the dishes they want as they pass by. This dining style offers a casual and more affordable way to eat sushi and sample a variety of different types of sushi.
I’m usually not interested in conveyor belt sushi as at the end of the day, it’s designed to be a more budget-friendly option, which often means sacrificing quality — whether in the fish, the rice, or the overall level of craftsmanship. Coming from a place where we have access to pretty solid Japanese restaurants, we definitely want to try food that’s a cut above average when visiting Japan.
That all changed when I saw that Ginza Onodera, a well-known sushi restaurant group in Japan, had created a kaiten sushi brand. I knew I had to give the place a try during our trip to Osaka. We once had an omakase lunch at the Ginza Onodera location in New York in 2018 when it had 2 Michelin stars. Given our past experience, I hoped their kaiten sushi concept would deliver a higher standard than typical conveyor belt sushi, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Besides Osaka, Ginza Onodera has kaiten sushi locations in Tokyo and Kyoto, and I highly recommend giving it a try if you’re looking for a higher quality and elevated conveyor belt sushi experience. Although we’ve enjoyed many great sushi omakase experiences, sometimes we crave a more casual dinner where we can still enjoy good nigiri and have the freedom to select exactly what we want. In the next sections, I’ll provide an overview of our dinner at Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera in Osaka.
The Setting
The Osaka location of Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera features a spacious and brightly lit dining area, with warm tones in the interior decor and contemporary lighting fixtures that create an upscale setting. The lively and energetic atmosphere is complemented by efficient service.
Unlike traditional kaiten sushi restaurants, there is no conveyor belt here. Instead, the restaurant offers counter seating that encircles the chefs’ work area. Diners place their orders using a tablet positioned in front of them, and the chefs promptly prepare the sushi and place the plates on the counter for the diners to pick up. I actually like this setup as it assures the freshness of each dish, minimizing the time between preparation and serving.
The menus on the tablet are available in both Japanese and English. However, some translations may not be immediately clear. During our visit, for example, we needed help locating nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) on the menu, and the staff were more than happy to assist us in finding and ordering specific items.
The Food
The fish quality at Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera was pretty good, surpassing what we’ve experienced at regular chains like Sushi Zanmai. The knife work was commendable, with the fish slices appearing neat, glistening and sufficiently thick — something I appreciate, as I’m not a fan of nigiri with sloppy knife work.
Our favorite pieces of the dinner were tuna toro, akami and nodoguro. I was particularly impressed with the nodoguro nigiri, which featured a sizable, thick slice of fish that was so sweet and rich. However, one minor issue was that my second piece of nodoguro was slightly colder than the first, which had been served at the perfect temperature for me.
The rice was seasoned with red vinegar, a touch more commonly found in higher-end sushi establishments. This gave the rice a strong vinegar taste, which I enjoyed as it complemented the fattiness of the fish very well. I love that they have options to customize the amount of rice for each nigiri. While the texture of the rice was good, I felt it could have been slightly better — perhaps a bit more plump
Overall, we found all the nigiri we ordered to be delicious and of a quality above average sushi chains. This was reflected in the price and it wasn’t a cheap meal. We paid 10,000 yen in total but we ordered mostly premium items as you can see from the photos, including several pieces of akami, tuna toro, uni and nodoguro.
For more affordable pieces, the salmon nigiri and seared flounder fin nigiri are excellent choices. The flounder fin nigiri, in particular, was surprisingly good for its price, making it one of the best value nigiri in my opinion. There are also other types of food in the menu, including soups and fried dishes.
Final Thoughts
With the level of service and food quality we experienced, we would not hesitate to visit Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera again on future trips to Japan. I think it’s suitable for both sushi novices and more experienced travelers. Those who appreciate high quality sushi but prefer a more casual and flexible dining experience compared to traditional omakase will likely enjoy it. To sum up, it is a solid option if you like to sample a variety of good quality sushi and select what you want.
If you have more meals to plan for your trip, check out my other Japan food guides: