What time of day gets you the best-tasting sushi at a revolving sushi restaurant?

We ask an expert what time we should set our sushi-loving intestinal clocks for.

Some questions have easy answers. For example, if the question is “When is a good time to go to a revolving sushi restaurant?” the correct answer is, of course, “Any time.”

But when is the best time? To find out, we took a walk from SoraNews24 headquarters over to the branch of revolving sushi chain Sushiro in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Sanchome neighborhood to ask Mr. Nishimori, who handles training and management at newly opened locations.

First off, we should also note that there’s never really a bad time to hit up Sushiro. Those little plates the sushi sit on as they ride down the conveyor belt are equipped with IC chips which automatically route pieces out of circulation once they pass their freshness threshold, Mr. Nishimori informed us. Still, we wanted to know the optimal timing for making our sushi run. We imagined it’d be either right before the lunch or dinner rush, as the chefs prepare pieces for the soon-to-come surge of diners. Or maybe you should come in the lull of the late afternoon, when fewer customers means less competition for grabbing a perfect piece?

But all of those guesses are wrong, according to Mr. Nishimori, who says you’ll get the best-tasting sushi if you come in immediately after the restaurant opens in the morning.

▼ More beautiful than the sunrise (and tastier too).

How come? Because for fish like hamachi (yellowtail) and tai (sea bream), Mr. Nishimori says the most delicious part of the fish is right underneath the skin. Sushiro receives these fish fresh and non-frozen in the morning, and they’re skinned by the chefs before opening. So if you want those top-quality pieces, your best bet is to show up as early in the day as you can.

Sushiro’s exact hours vary by location, but in the case of the Shinjuku Sanchome branch, they open at 11 a.m. on weekdays and 10:30 a.m. on weekends and holidays. Those are admittedly, both pretty late for breakfast and pretty early for lunch, but a sushi brunch is likely to be the best-tasting meal you have all day.

Photos © SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit: