We met up with great friends and their adorable three-year-old at Wasabi this afternoon. It’s a new conveyor belt sushi “restaurant” located in the middle of an open space in the mall.

Wasabi - Conveyor Belt Sushi

Wasabi - Conveyor Belt Sushi

I’ve been dying to try this place for months now and was super excited to have a chance to go. I’ve only ever seen these types of restaurants on movies and I think this is the only one in the Metrowest area.

Tiny color-coded plates of sushi rolls, seaweed salad, dumplings, fresh fruit, and the like rotate around on a continuous display loop that passes by every booth and place setting. You simply pull off the plates you wish to eat, and then leave the empty plates on your table. Plates are color-coded according to price, which range from about $2.50 to $6 per plate. At the end of your meal, your server tallies up your plates to prepare your bill. You can also order various items off the menu, including bento boxes, dumplings, and small entrees.

Sushi at Wasabi

This is by no means fine dining and the sushi is not particularly high-quality. I think it’s best described as “fast food sushi.”  But a visit to Wasabi is definitely worth it just for the sheer novelty of the experience. It’s really entertaining for kids (okay fine, AND adults) to watch little plates of food go by on a conveyor belt. Plus, not having to wait for food to be served is always a bonus when dining with kids.

I was a little concerned about the freshness of the food, especially given that the “restaurant” is located directly below a huge skylight, with bright rays of sunlight beaming down onto the food. I’m sure they must have some system in place to keep the food fresh, but there didn’t appear to be any cooling mechanism on the conveyor belt. My advice would be to dine there when they first open, as opposed to late in the day, just to be on the safe side!  

Definitely worth a visit! Check it out sometime!