モンチッチ
I went to Sushiro, located right near Shinjuku East Exit. It was my first time at Sushiro, and maybe even my first time at a conveyor belt sushi chain. I remembered when a colleague from overseas asked me in the past, "How many times does the sushi go around?" and when I asked what he thought was going around, he replied, "Sushi or people." We took the elevator to the 3rd floor of the building. The first thing that caught my eye was a list of campaign items that were sold out. There were 7 different items listed, which seemed a bit excessive, but I thought it was better than having nothing listed. The restaurant had many box seats, which was unexpected as I had the image of counter seats at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. The box seats were designed for 6 people, but in reality, it was quite cramped for 5 people. It seemed more suitable for groups of 4 or fewer. The counter seats looked nice, and there were many solo diners enjoying their meals. In hindsight, dining alone might be the most comfortable way to enjoy Sushiro. Orders were placed using touch panel screens. Sushi wasn't rotating on a belt but was delivered to the table after ordering (although some conveyor belt sushi restaurants do exist). Soy sauce was provided in a similar style to bento boxes, which seemed to minimize waste. Finally, my first experience at Sushiro. ■ Draft Beer (Glass 350 yen / Mug 480 yen) The brand was Sapporo. I'm not a big fan of it. The glass was quite small, and even the mug was relatively small for the price. Considering the quantity, the beer felt quite expensive. Highballs were more like soda water with a hint of color, and alcohol seemed to be more of an afterthought. ■ Yellow Plate (132 yen at the time, now 150 yen) The cheapest plate was yellow. In conclusion, "items on a yellow plate with 2 pieces feel like a good deal." Items on plates other than yellow suddenly felt overpriced. Items with only 1 piece on a yellow plate made me think, "It's expensive, I'd rather have a convenience store rice ball." Also, items with meat instead of sashimi didn't seem to make sense as sushi. ■ Black Plate (187 yen at the time, now 210 yen) The black plate included 2 pieces of tuna and beef tongue. Perhaps because I was conscious of the price based on the plate color, I started to think that tuna tasted better on a yellow plate. It might have been different if I had tasted them without worrying about the price. Beef tongue probably tastes better when eaten normally. ■ Red Plate (352 yen at the time, now 390 yen) Many items had only 1 piece, and at 350 yen, it felt like the price of a regular inexpensive sushi restaurant. Therefore, I felt less of a sense of value compared to yellow and black plates and instead thought, "Wow, this is expensive." Lastly, I had chawanmushi, but I don't remember the price. Today's battle results: Although none of us were big eaters, the total bill was 5,000 yen per person, possibly due to drinking alcohol. It seems that alcohol is relatively expensive with small quantities. When eating, the already small table space gets even more cramped, making it difficult to stay for a long time. You also can't ask to have the table lowered. What I learned from this experience: - Stick to yellow plates with 2 pieces of fish for a sense of value - Avoid box seats for 5 or 6 people as they are extremely cramped - Consider alcohol as an extra. Sake might be a better cost-effective option for getting drunk. The satisfaction of being able to visit the popular Sushiro was a highlight of the experience.