kamajzy
I really wanted to eat chilled noodles at an old soba shop, but I wasn't sure if they would be open during the Obon season. To avoid disappointment in this heat, I decided to go to a reliable option, Sushiro. It takes about 30 minutes on the city bus from my house, and the restaurant is right in front of the bus stop. However, this was my first time visiting the Honjo Azumabashi branch. After taking the elevator to the second floor, I ended up at the back entrance and had to go around to finally reach the front entrance. Once I climbed the large staircase to the main floor, I saw the new Sushiro store in a prominent spot. Since it's still new, the restaurant is clean, and I arrived before lunchtime so there was no wait, and I was seated at the counter right away. The seats are separated by acrylic panels for COVID-19 prevention. There were towels and teacups on the shelf above the seat, and you make your own tea from powdered tea. Soy sauce, sweet pickled ginger, and disposable chopsticks are neatly arranged on the table. Wasabi and shichimi pepper are available on a conveyor belt. Orders are placed through a touch panel, and you are encouraged to order two plates at a time. The downside of the touch panel is that you can't see the entire menu. I ordered randomly since I was hungry, but it's better to take a look at the entire menu first and strategize. Otherwise, you might miss out on what you really want to eat. For example, there was a dish called "Masterpiece" by a famous chef, but I could only have one plate. The dish created by Chef Kasahara, "Eel and Okra," was surprisingly delicious with lightly grilled eel topped with grated okra. I wanted to try dishes by other chefs, but after eating 10 plates, I was too full and couldn't have dessert. This city-type store offers plates for 120 yen and 170 yen, so it's not too expensive. I had dishes like raw octopus, lemon salt squid, diced tuna, red snapper, black mirugai, conger eel, yellowtail (which was delicious!), and crab miso for 120 yen, and the "Masterpiece" and "Shellfish Comparison" (red clam and tsubugai) for 170 yen. After eating 10 plates and feeling full, I didn't look at the menu for noodles or dessert. The total bill was around 1,600 yen, so it was quite affordable. While there are other conveyor belt sushi options like Kappa Sushi and Kura Sushi, I think Sushiro has better quality fish and a good balance of fish and rice.