Which Japanese conveyor belt sushi chain has the best salmon sushi?【Taste test】

Salmon is one of Japan’s most popular sushi options, but which kaitenzushi restaurant does it best?

In the world of conveyor belt sushi restaurants, or “kaitenzushi” as they’re known in Japan, one chain that’s been rising to the top lately in terms of popularity is Sushiro.

Sushiro branches have been increasing in urban areas, becoming a serious competitor for the other big chains in Japan, namely Kappa Sushi (a.k.a “Kappazushi”), Kura Sushi (a.k.a “Kuraazushi”), and Hama Sushi (a.k.a “Hamazushi”).

▼ Clockwise from top left: Kappa Sushi, Kura Sushi, Sushiro, and Hama Sushi

But does Sushiro’s increasing popularity mean it’s the best place to go for sushi?

Our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun has been attempting to answer that question recently by comparing dishes from all four chains. After comparing their maguro tuna and ikura salmon roe sushi, P.K. decided to continue his quest with another taste-test showdown, this time involving salmon sushi.

▼ Clockwise from top left: Kappa Sushi, Kura Sushi, Sushiro, and Hama Sushi

So which chain does the best salmon sushi? Let’s take a look at P.K.’s tasting notes below!

● Kappa Sushi (110 yen [$US0.96])

The salmon here was cut thick, and it was hearty and satisfying. P.K. called it “textbook salmon sushi” as it was a good, standard example of the dish.

● Kura Sushi (110 yen)

Although not very thick, these morsels of salmon had a good taste and texture. P.K. likened them to the comfort of a security blanket, as they were a standard type that he’d grown up eating, offering a reliable flavour with no surprises.

● Hama Sushi (110 yen)

The salmon here was cut slightly thinner than the salmon at other chains, but it still had a good, reliable flavour. It also had a really nice balance between fish and rice, with neither outweighing the other, creating a satisfying taste.

● Sushiro (110 yen)

P.K. was expecting the Sushiro salmon to blow him out of the water, but instead, he didn’t really feel there was any difference to make this one stand out from the others. It was good, and there were no real flaws with it, but it just didn’t wow him like he was hoping it would.

So, as you can see, when it comes to conveyor belt salmon sushi, there’s not much difference between any of the four top chains. In fact, at the end of the day, P.K. called this one a draw, because none of them stood out with any significant wow factor that could deem them the worthy winner.

▼ If you want really good sushi with wow factor, P.K. recommends eating at a non-conveyor belt sushi restaurant.

Again, there was nothing wrong with any of the salmon sushi P.K. tried — they were good, reliable morsels that presented good quality for the price, but he just wanted one of them to stand out as better than the others.

That didn’t happen during this showdown, so we’re sadly left with the rare result of a draw. That means that Sushiro may not be THE place to go for sushi, but it’s definitely the place to go for other interesting fare.

Photos © SoraNews24
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