Sushiro Isetan Scotts

Sushiro Isetan Scotts in Shaw Centre is the second Singapore outlet of Sushiro, a top conveyor belt sushi chain from Japan. The sights, sounds and tastes of my simple sushi lunch at Sushiro Shaw Centre made me feel like being in Shinjuku even though it was in the heart of Orchard Road.

Sushiro is said to be Japan’s #1 kaiten sushi chain. It has more than 530 outlets in Japan and other countries. There are currently three Sushiro Singapore outlets. The first opened in Tiong Bahru Plaza in 2019. Next, they opened Sushiro Isetan Scotts in early 2020 and the third is in Causeway Point in Woodlands.

The conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Isetan Scotts now replaces part of the men’s wear and golf sections in the Japanese department store. Sushiro Isetan Scotts adds a lively atmosphere to the store. With the electronic sounds and animated robotic Japanese speech from the displays, I felt like I was in a restaurant in Japan.

Sushiro seems to be quite popular in Singapore. It is best to make a reservation to avoid having to wait long, especially at peak periods. Reservations can be made using the Sushiro Singapore App. Seating can be along the counter or in booth seats behind. Safe distancing is in place and even solo diners get quite a bit of personal space.

The Sushiro Ordering Process

I was shown to my spot at the counter with a touchscreen display. Warm water, soy sauce and packets of wasabi were promptly served. Some posters highlight special dishes and provide guidance on procedures. The most important one to note being the time limit of one hour unless there is no one waiting.

There are two lanes of conveyor belts passing by the counter. The lower one is the regular lane conveying random food items that can be picked up by any one. The white one on the upper level is an express lane that brings orders that specific diners had placed with the touchpad. I think there are RFID tags embedded in the plates to tell the gates when to divert them to the correct “stations”. See the arrival of my Shrimp with Cheese Sushi in the video below.

Arrival of my Shrimp with Cheese Sushi

Sushiro Isetan Menu

Rather than wait for random sushi items to pass by on the belt. I prefer to make my selections from the touchpad. Here are some sample pages of the menu. In Sushiro Japan the items start from 100 yen. In Singapore the sushi items range from $2.20 to $4.80.

My Sushi and Tempura Dishes

I will now show you what I ate at Sushiro Isetan Scotts. Generally, the conveyor belt sushi turned out to be better than expected. It was a pleasant surprise to see how beautifully even a humble $2.20 plate of sushi is presented. The taste of all was also good except in one case.

The Japanese Jack Mackerel ($3.20) was a “limited time special”. It looked very attractive but had a heavy fishy taste. That was my least liked dish that day.

The Cuttlefish With Soy Sauce ($2.20, picture below) was also a “limited time special” but scored highly for both looks and taste. I can eat a few of this in one sitting.

Shrimp with Cheese Sushi ($2.20, picture below) sounds weird, which was why I chose it. It was quite nice and worth trying.

Tuna with Soy Sauce ($2.20 picture below) was another good value for money item.

I tried two types of the fatty cuts of tuna – fatty tuna and tuna, less fatty ($4.80 and $3.20). These are more expensive than the normal tuna items as each plate holds only one piece each. They taste more oily than regular tuna, but not as rich as I was hoping. But still good value for money. But regular tuna would be good enough for future visits.