The revolving sushi plates, tablet menus and melodic notification of food arriving on the sushi belt of Kura Sushi, brought me back to my childhood vacations in Japan. The sushi chain that I used to always beg my parents to go to has finally debuted in my hometown, and my expectations were nothing short of high and were met with largely satisfying yet unexpected results.

Kura Sushi, the second largest fast food sushi chain in Japan with over 500 locations, had its grand opening in Roseville near the Galleria Mall last May. Most known for being the founders of a revolving sushi bar, it showcases various dishes to customers’ tables..

As I scrolled through the menu on a digital tablet, the food options were much different than what I was used to in Japan. The options were rather limited, as it seemed like in Japan their options were twice as much, and my favorite items that I craved were not available. However, there were many options that the Kura Sushi in Japan did not have, adapting to the sushi culture here in the United States.

Pamela Chavez Maacali, the assistant manager at Kura Sushi in Roseville, said Kura Sushi is a revolution of Japanese and American fusion and how the restaurant allows for an environment for all cultures to be introduced to sushi for an affordable price.

Kura Sushi has added various concepts to their menus in America including rolls and various desserts.

Being a Kura Sushi fan and a Japanese American, I think that Kura Sushi does an excellent job combining both Japanese tradition and American innovation towards the sushi culture.

I ordered the Kura Sushi roll, as I was accustomed to the other rolls available through other sushi restaurants I have been to. The shrimp mayo and avocado filling was nicely paired together, and I was pleasantly surprised with how the sour lemon cut through the rich flavor of the seared salmon. However, I didn’t think the flavor or presentation was anything outstandingly special, as it tasted as if I had eaten this type of roll before but it was certainly worth another bite.

After trying the Kura Sushi Roll, I went on to try various nigiri and gunkan, a boat-shaped nigiri, such as the Yellowtail, Amaebi (sweet shrimp), Seared Scallop with Japanese Mayo and the Umami Oil Hokkai octopus, which all came with two pieces each.

I definitely recommend the Seared Scallop with Japanese Mayo Nigiri, as the slightly sweet flavor of the scallop was well-matched with the rich flavor of the mayo. These dishes were also accompanied with various Japanese side dishes, including the Cucumber Salad and Takoyaki that cleansed my palette before trying another dish.

Whenever I went to Kura Sushi in Japan, I always ordered ice cream for dessert and once I saw the Taiyaki Ice Cream on the menu, I knew I had to try it out. The taiyaki, waffle-like with a red bean paste filling, came to our table warm and crispy, and the cool, creamy ice cream was such a perfect pair that satiated my taste buds.

With every dish I ordered, there was a slot along the side of the table where the plates were cumulatively added up. It wasn’t until I had inserted 15 plates that Mutenmaru, the restaurant mascot, popped onto the tablet and rewarded me with a gacha machine, a typical Japanese “gumball machine” that rewards various prizes that was located on top of the sushi bar. I was rewarded with a salmon nigiri keychain that looked exactly like the real version, which was such a gratifying prize to end the night.

Overall, the sushi, side dishes and dessert were very good and I was shocked with the quality control each dish had despite Kura Sushi being a fast food chain. I highly recommend Kura Sushi to individuals who want to enjoy sushi at a lower price and would like to know what a taste of Japanese sushi culture is like. As someone who has fond memories of going to Kura Sushi in Japan, it was very fulfilling to see the special experience that Kura Sushi provides now being available internationally. However, I would advise that Kura Sushi make their menu more diverse throughout all locations, as there are multiple staple dishes on Japan’s menu that deserve to be available to everyone. I would rate this restaurant a 8.5/10, and I will definitely be heading there again soon.