Are You Scared of Sushi Shops??

Sushi Shop Basics

Firstly, from the point of view of a general kaiten sushi shop, sushi on a conveyor belt, generally people sit at the counter, but depending on the size of the kaiten sushi shop tables may also be available. When there are not many people in the shop it’s considered to be good mannered to sit at the counter. When you sit at the counter there will be a teacup, tea, small plates, soy sauce, ginger, and a hot towel in front of you. First put the tea into your cup and then add hot water from the faucet in front of you. Then pour soy sauce into the small dish provided, after you do this you will be ready to eat! Take whatever looks good as it passes by on the conveyer belt. Tea and ginger help to sterilize, therefore it’s perfect to eat with raw fish; also drinking tea and eating ginger helps to wash away the fishy taste and oiliness, so that you can enjoy the taste more.　When ordering say “Sumimasen, ‘sushi’s name’ kudasai
At posh sushi restaurants, depending on the sushi restaurant it’s different. Recently, “omakase” meaning you leave it to the sushi chef is a menu that is said many people are ordering. Ordering the sushi chef’s “osusume” recommendations is really good for people who are not very knowledgeable and who are not very particular. However, if you have a certain type of sushi that you want to eat, you may have to order it separately than the set menu, which can get pretty expensive, therefore, from the beginning just ordering and eating your favourites is a good way to go. Depending on the shop some may not have menus, if you enter one of these shops, it’s best to ask the prices before you go on an ordering spree that you may really regret later!

Sitting at a Counter Sideways to the Sushi Master

In a sushi shop there are many counter seats, but when it comes time to choose your seat, which one should you choose? When choosing a seat, it is important to first note where the sushi master is, you should always choose a seat to the side of him and never directly in front of him so you can see what his hands are doing. If you sit sideways to the sushi chef you can check his nigiri- sushi making technique, how he uses a knife, and most important of all check to see if the cutting board is clean.

Do You Eat Nigiri-Sushi With Chopsticks or By Hand?

Tourist who come to Japan think that since Japanese use chopsticks to eat most food, they would of course use chopsticks to eat sushi, however, that is not necessarily true. There are many Japanese who use their hands to eat sushi. When seeing people eating sushi with their hands one might think sushi was originally meant to be eaten by hand, but that is also not true. The proper way to eat sushi is by dipping the fish in soy sauce. However you can do that by not dropping it is the best way for you. Some people prefer chopsticks, and some prefer using their hands, use whichever way works best for you, and that will be the proper way. People who are not good at using chopsticks pick up the sushi by hand and turn it over to dip it into the soy sauce. However, for women if they use their hands to eat sushi they will get them dirty, so they tend to use chopsticks in a way that looks very refined and polished.

Order Starting With What You Like!

When you first sit down the first thing one thinks of is, “what should I eat?”. People from western cultures may wonder if there is a certain order in eating sushi according to taste or something. The best way is to start is with what you like. That goes for more expensive sushi restaurants too. There is no pre-decided order. The only planning you should do is to think of a budget if you like ordering Sea Urchin or the Fattiest Tuna, because those will be expensive and the portions are small.

The Bill!

At kaiten sushi the prices are all set according to the color of the plates, therefore it’s very easy to keep track of how much money you have spent. However, at nicer sushi restaurants sometimes the prices are not listed on the menu, so you have no idea what the price of the items you’ve ordered is. This can be an unpleasant and scary experience. In those situations the best thing to do is to tell the sushi chef your budget from the beginning so that he can make the appropriate amount of sushi for you. If you make a reservation you can also tell them your budget at that time, but to be sure make sure the chef knows when you begin to order too.

Kaiten Sushi Etiquette!

At large chain kaiten sushi places there is no sushi chef, just the conveyor belt that goes around. In the case where you would like to order something special just use the microphone that has been placed in front of you, sometimes you can even press the button of the sushi you wish to order. After ordering the sushi will come out in a dish different to the usual small plates used, it will be in wide bowl and a sticker will be placed on it that says that someone has ordered it, so no one else takes it. Once you have taken a plate off the conveyor belt it is considered very rude to put it back, even if you have changed your mind. You can only take the plates that are in front of you, reaching across someone is also rude. Once you have taken a plate of sushi you should not neglect it, but eat it quickly. Here is one tip, if you go to a cheap sushi place the sushi will have lots of cheap sushi, therefore, without reservation you can order all of your favourite sushi!


This program was sponsored by "Dekaneta-Kaitenzushi Kaisen-misakikou Meguro"
「でかネタ　海鮮三崎港　目黒店」

The History of Sushi
Common Sushi Items