{"id":587,"date":"2025-05-26T22:00:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T05:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=587"},"modified":"2025-05-26T22:00:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T05:00:34","slug":"kura-sushi-opens-new-high-end-revolving-bar-restaurant-in-tokyo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=587","title":{"rendered":"Kura Sushi opens new high-end revolving bar restaurant in Tokyo"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Conveyor belt sushi goes upmarket with premium fish you won\u2019t get at regular chains.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to conveyor belt sushi chains, Kura Sushi is one of the top four in Japan, alongside Kappa Sushi, Sushiro, and Hama Sushi. Out of these four, it\u2019s also one of the most innovative, keen to break away from the pack with new menu items and ventures, and its latest offering is a series of high-end branches known as \u201cMuten Kura\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cMuten\u201d translates as \u201cadditive-free,\u201d indicating that the restaurant doesn\u2019t use chemical seasonings, artificial sweeteners, colourings, or preservatives, with a focus on natural food and freshness.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

These high-end branches of Kura Sushi were previously only located in four locations, all in suburban areas of the Kansai region in and around Osaka. But now, Muten Kura is finally making its debut in Tokyo, in a prime location about a minute\u2019s walk from Naka-meguro Station.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We were invited to a media preview ahead of the restaurant\u2019s official 29 May opening, so we got the train to Naka-meguro Station and took West Exit 2, navigating the maze of narrow alleys until we arrived at the location.<\/p>\n

\u25bc The branch is located on the second floor.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Kura Sushi is known for its bright and bustling atmosphere, with families at booths and noise from the clatter of empty dishes that diners place into the tableside receptacle for a chance to win a gacha prize. However, the vibe at this upmarket branch is entirely different, with a dimly lit interior, quiet background music, and more spacious seating.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc The counter seats can also be made to be semi-private with tabletop partitions.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc The booth seats also offer an increased sense of privacy with pull-down screens.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The interior certainly gives off an upmarket vibe, and so too does the menu, with an overwhelming selection of alcoholic drinks to choose from. Whiskey fans will be particularly pleased with solid offerings like Yoichi, Miyagikyo, Nikka Session, and Nikka Frontier.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc In our opinion, Nikka Frontier is the best value whiskey in the 1,000 yen (US$7.01) range right now.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For sushi aficionados who prefer a sake pairing with their meals, sure-fire hits like Kubota and Dassai are on the menu, and there\u2019s even a Junmai Sake Tasting Set for 980 yen.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bcThe Junmai Tasting Set.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Staff say all the drinks have been chosen for their compatibility with menu items \u2014 the Harushika is particularly good with seafood, Kizakura with tempura, and Kubota with meat sushi. It\u2019s rare to find this much variety on the drinks menu at a revolving sushi restaurant, but of course these are just a warm-up for the main event, which is\u2026<\/p>\n

\u25bc \u2026 the sushi.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Even the menu display looks fancier than what we\u2019re used to, with a huge amount to choose from, including sashimi and tempura platters and sushi with decorative knife cuts and brushed-on dollops of dashi soy sauce.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One highly recommended item is the \u201cFresh Bluefin Tuna Nakaochi Set\u201d (1,480 yen), which is only served only in limited quantities on days when it\u2019s available. To eat this unusual dish, diners need to scoop the meat off the bones with a spoon and eat it with rice, seaweed, and wasabi.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also fresh wasabi<\/strong> (280 yen), served in a plate with a sharkskin grater for you to grate yourself.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc The wasabi is fun to grate and can be used freely on whatever dishes you choose.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc Those who don\u2019t want to work for their wasabi can enjoy the pre-grated version on the table.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Another highlight on the menu is the \u201cHokkaido Shako\u201d, or mantis shrimp, which is a prized delicacy not often found at sushi restaurants. When you do see it on the menu it\u2019s usually a limited-time special but here it\u2019s a mainstay, and relatively affordable at 630 yen.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the \u201cHokkaido Matsukawa Karei\u201d (580 yen), with an irresistibly sweet, chewy white flesh that\u2019s packed with umami. This is another dish you won\u2019t find at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, as the population of this particular flounder was once in decline but has only recently been recovered.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc Other recommended items are the straw-seared bonito (570 yen)\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2026and \u201cFukui Asa-dore\u201d (\u201cFukui Morning Catch\u201d), a series that depends entirely on the day\u2019s catch, sourced from Fukui Prefecture. Kura Sushi has a special contract with fishing boats in Fukui where they buy the entire boat\u2019s catch \u2014 the boats leave the port at 3 a.m., land the catch at 5 a.m., process it at a factory near the port, and then put it on the first Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kanazawa Station to this store at Nakameguro, delivering super fresh fish like yellowtail, sea bream, kelp grouper, and Spanish mackerel.<\/p>\n

Tuna fans will fall in love with the \u201cFresh Bluefin Tuna Three-Piece Set\u201d (980 yen), which features decorative knife cuts and dashi soy sauce lightly brushed on top, making it feel like you\u2019re in a top-class restaurant. Plus, the tuna is farm-raised in Uwajima and transported to Nakameguro at top speed without ever being frozen, giving you supreme freshness.<\/p>\n

\u25bc The Three-Piece Set contains lean, medium fatty, and fatty tuna\u2026 and they\u2019re all melt-in-the-mouth delicious.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To celebrate the grand opening in Tokyo, the store will also be offering two items from 29 May to 8 June \u2014 \u201cMediterranean Bluefin Tuna Medium Fatty\u201d (380 yen) and \u201cMediterranean Bluefin Tuna Fatty\u201d (580 yen) \u2014 for just 100 yen each, in limited quantities every day.<\/p>\n

\u25bc So now\u2019s the time to get in and try as much as you can.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With fish delivered fresh every day, this is one conveyor belt chain that\u2019s a cut above the competition, and is definitely worth a visit.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

According to staff, the sushi selection gets better towards the evening \u2014 sometimes the day\u2019s catch isn\u2019t available until later in the day \u2014 so you\u2019ll want to put this in your itinerary for dinner, where you can enjoy the refined ambience, and a few tipples with your sushi too.<\/p>\n

Photos \u00a9SoraNews24<\/em>
\n\u25cf Want to hear about SoraNews24\u2019s latest articles as soon as they\u2019re published? Follow us on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Conveyor belt sushi goes upmarket with premium fish you won\u2019t get at regular chains. When it comes to conveyor belt sushi chains, Kura Sushi is one of the top four…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}