Most of you, I’m sure, have tried sushi, but have you ever tried revolving sushi served by robots? Located on 5th Ave., West 33rd St. in Koreatown, Kaiten Zushi Nomad offers a phenomenal, all-you-can-eat and a-la-carte sushi experience. “Kaiten,” in Japanese, means revolving, so in translation, it means “Revolving Sushi.” The restaurant is designed with a conveyor belt. Once you sit down, you can order up to four dishes at a time on a tablet. With all-you-can-eat options set at $49.99 during dinner from 4-10 p.m. and $32.99 during lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., it’s a steal. Within two or five minutes, you can expect your dish to arrive on a conveyor belt in front of your table. Established in 2023, it is the only All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Restaurant in Manhattan. Knowing how expensive living in New York is, this restaurant is a massive hit for all age groups, including college students, millennials and families.
Kaiten Zushi offers an innovative yet traditional touch from authentic Japan. You can find everything from nigiri, rolls, gyoza, ramen, donburi, tempura and more. Some personal favorites include traditional dishes such as Aburi Salmon Nigiri, Negitori Machi, Unagi Nigiri and Salmon Toro Nigiri. Many of these dishes are omakase-inspired dishes that are notoriously popular in Japan. Having visited Japan, I can speak on the similarities these dishes provide and the nostalgic feel to the freshness of the counter sushi experience. First was the Aburi Salmon, half torched and half raw cooked salmon that melts in your mouth with the thick, rich consistency of the fish and flavorful flame. Then is Negitoro Machi, fatty tuna hand rolls with a touch of scallion that tasted better than your average Tuna Avocado Rolls. Next up is Unagi Nigiri is cooked eel drenched in a unique fish and teriyaki sauce. Lastly, Salmon-Toro, the fattiest salmon you can get for $3.50.
In addition to the nigiri, the homemade hand rolls and special rolls are a massive eye-opener to fusion-inspired dishes. Starting with the Mexican Roll, a deep-fried tempura roll over a jalapeño cream cheese is a unique and must-try flavor explosion in your mouth. There’s nothing like a spicy and savory kick to some fish. Other favorites include the Godzilla roll, fried shrimp tempura over avocado and a sweet barbeque sauce. For those hesitant about raw fish, these rolls are a safe and flavorful way to go. We all know that sushi, while delicious, can be small portioned; luckily, a variety of 14 handrolls come your way. They are stuffed with shrimp, toro, tuna, crab, fried shrimp, salmon, scallops, yellowtail, avocado, vegetables or eel, which provides a variety of flavors and styles of rolls.
Not only do they serve sushi, but also traditional street-food meals. For instance, the menu includes good local snacks from all over Japan, such as those from street fairs, Family Mart and 7-Eleven. A must-try snack on the list starts with Karaage, a Japanese fried chicken marinated in a soy-sweet sauce and squeezed over fresh lemon juice. It is a must-try and served independently or with a rice bowl. Next, a Kani-Cream Croquette is a homemade fried potato croquette filled with creamy crab filling in your mouth. Then there is Taiko-Yakio which are mini savory pancakes stuffed with fried octopus and scallion over an octopus sauce and nori powder. It’s a classic bar favorite. Tonkotsu and Shoyu Ramen are Japanese noodles stuffed with a flavorful pork soup broth. Yaki-Soba are fried pan noodles sauteed with vegetables and fresh ground pork over pickled ginger and nori powder. Some may compare this dish to Chinese noodles such as lo mein. If you like noodles, this is a must-try.
Of course, if you are at the age of legal drinking, a couple of recommended alcoholic beverages include Saki and Japanese-inspired Yuzu cocktails. These are great refreshing beverages to accompany savory dishes.
When finished, servers will come to you and take your dishes as they are piled. In addition, when ordering drinks, robots will greet you at your table with a helping hand with a robotic touch. Similar to Japan, robots greet customers at the Revolving Sushi doors. Japan, a highly technological country, continues to spread its influence even to the United States.
Do not forget to order dessert! A homemade mochi-stuffed ice cream will be brought to you after your meal. Kaiten prioritizes fresh ingredients, quality and preparation in each dish. Their “mutant” or “nothing added” philosophy promotes only the highest quality fish. Just remember to finish your food to avoid the leftover charges!
