In this video, I visit 2 conveyor belt (kaiten) sushi restaurants in Kyoto, one fancy and one average. Watch till the end to find out if it’s actually worth the extra cost to visit the fancier restaurant.
Watch my Vlogs from the same trip!
KYOTO VLOG PART 1 – https://youtu.be/FgxJbaLQP8o
KYOTO VLOG PART 2 – https://youtu.be/wxmu6nGES7s
Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onedera Kyoto (Fancy)
Japan, 〒600-8021 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Junpucho, 305 四条河原町ビル １階
*Accepts Credit Cards
MoriMori Sushi Shijo Karawamachi Branch (Average)
Japan, 〒600-8001 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Shincho, 68 住友不動産京都ビル 8F
*Cash Only
(Video was shot in early October 2023)
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In this video, I’m comparing two kaiten sushi or conveyor belt sushi restaurants in Kyoto One fancy and one average and I’ll let you know if it’s worth the extra yen to visit the fancy version They’re actually just a block away from each other so you can try them both yourself
And let me know if you agree The first restaurant is Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onedera This is from the same restaurant group that’s responsible for Sushi Ginza Onedera in Tokyo and Los Angeles Both of which I can’t afford so this is the perfect alternative I’m inside now, got my number and I’m waiting
And already the decor is a clear indicator that this isn’t your average kaiten sushi place Unlike other kaiten sushi restaurants they only had bar seating Their layout also made the darker space feel more intimate Especially since the center divider was built so high I started off with making myself a green tea
I absolutely love having self-service water dispensers with green tea powder right at your table Add one spoon You can tell this place is very foreigner-friendly with their English instructions and easy to navigate iPad menu interface One spoon Push Amazing…oh… Mmm… Alright Let’s go ahead in order
I went through the entire menu to see what they had available and took note of what I should order I couldn’t order to my heart’s content since I had to save room for the next restaurant Plus the prices here were definitely higher than cheaper kaiten chains
By the way everything was made to order and it’s been that way for most kaiten sushi restaurants due to COVID initially But then not too long ago there were several instances of young “pranksters” that kept licking and touching plates of sushi that were on the conveyor belt
So part of the fun of just grabbing any plate of sushi off the conveyor belt was gone at the time of filming But at least everything was fresh I began with ordering some sake I usually opt for cheap hot sake back in the States because the heat masks harsh unpleasant notes in cheaper sakes
But even the good sake here are pretty affordable and I decided to go with the recommended sake And of course, I had to try their uni, my favorite I got a combo of their green or Bafun uni and purple or Murasaki uni I also got my other favorite ikura
The sake arrived and they filled it to the brim like all good sake pours should Ooo, that’s pretty good Then I waited for my first nigiri to arrive which was iikura Gotta love those glistening pearls Itadakimasu (I humbly receive)! Mmm!
A very good start to dinner and oh my gosh, my mouth is watering just to editing this footage I definitely had to try their otoro but it was still pricier than I expected But even without the favorable exchange rate it would still be cheaper here than in the US
I loved being able to customize the amount of rice and wasabi especially since I had to save some room for more sushi at the other restaurant Still waiting for my uni Hmm My uni finally arrived but I couldn’t tell which one was which at the time I tried the lighter colored uni first
It was great initially but then the aftertaste was a bit odd There’s an interesting taste I’m not used to The second one was definitely the Bafun uni which I’ve had before and it’s absolutely delicious, highly recommend The second one is better Then my otoro arrived but it didn’t look quite like the picture
I feel like they gave me an end piece or something because the marbling of the fat wasn’t quite in the right place Still it tasted delicious but maybe a little sinewy Felt like I didn’t really get my money’s worth on this one I think they also provide a more premium soy sauce, yum!
I almost feel like the soy sauce has like a sweet flavor to it Each order actually took a while to arrive and I would watch multiple plates come down the conveyor belt hoping it was mine only to watch it dash right past me to another customer
I had completely forgotten there were two levels of conveyor belts and didn’t even realize that mine had arrived on the second level My sea bream, gizzard shad, and ebodai or Japanese butterfish arrived Gizzard shad is definitely not for novice sushi eaters and it’s very fishy, more than mackerel
I feel like I had it once in the states and it was a bit less fishy Pretty fishy I wanted to get more but I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat anything at the other restaurant if I kept going Okay I think I’m done Grabbing my clip and heading to the counter
It ended up being 5,200 yen I’ll share my overall thoughts at the very end but let’s get to our next restaurant which by the way is cash only This one is a local favorite called MoriMori Sushi which is more like an average kaiten sushi restaurant but still not the cheapest chain
I arrived, put my name down on the iPad wait list, and walked around They’re located on the eighth floor of a shopping mall along with other restaurants I spotted this grilled unagi place and wished I could eat it too but there’s never enough time when you’re traveling to eat everything you want
Though I did end up eating some grilled unagi at Haneda Airport Garden on the way home You can watch that in my Kyoto Vlog Part Two, link in the description Oh man it looks really good, Mmm! By around 7:40 pm, the wait list was at capacity even though they close at 10 pm.
I had made it just in time… Phew! After sitting down, I perused their iPad menu At first, I couldn’t figure out how to pull up the English menu because their interface was a bit more confusing but still managed to order a couple of things before seeing the English menu button
Like the other restaurant, there wasn’t anything on their conveyor belt aside from photos and packets of wasabi The ambiance of this place felt more like a cafeteria after leaving the fancier, cozier decor of the previous restaurant but I also liked the casual vibe of this place
And I could imagine stopping here often after work or for a quick lunch if I lived in Kyoto I just got my three set with the ebi, uni ikura, and otoro or at least chutoro? My first bite of uni with ikura was delightful followed by chutoro, ebi, scallop, and squid All pretty good
And I had to get another order of just uni and yellowtail and they both look so good That is incredibly creamy it almost has like a sticky texture, it’s so creamy I’m so full I really wanted to end the meal with tamago but I was incredibly full at this point So my final thoughts
I really enjoyed MoriMori and it’s almost comparable to a decent sushi restaurant in Los Angeles But there was a recognizable difference in the quality of fish from Sushi Ginza Onedera You’re definitely going to get a more premium cut of fish at the first restaurant, so the price difference is pretty justified
I will say though, both the rice texture and fish flavor was a bit disappointing for me for a premium restaurant But all in all, I really enjoyed the whole experience at Sushi Ginza Onedera I would visit both places again, though I’d probably go to MoriMori for a quick lunch instead of dinner
I hope you found this video useful Either way, visiting a kaiten sushi restaurant is a fun experience you should try at least once in Japan Thank you for watching Please like and subscribe, and check out my other videos from this trip Links in the description See you next time!