Conveyer Belt Sushi or as I like to call it "The Communal Carousel of Salmonella" is the dining trend that must die. While the trend offers a variety of sushi at the tips of your fingers, I'm going to give you the 5 reasons, which I know you all are actually thinking, that Conveyer Belt sushi is absolute garbage.
1. Raw Fish Circulating at Room Temperature
This is just gross. Anytime you go to a restaurant and one is served food that's not by nature warm, one is left thinking, "I wonder how long this sat out in the kitchen?" So, why are we happily consuming raw fish that has been circulating (and passed by others), for who knows how long. Not only is it unsettling to eat unnaturally warm fish, but thinking about how long its been sitting out while it's hitting the back of your throat is not my ideal dining experience.
2. It's Has the Potential to be Smelly
You know when you walk down a wharf and everyone pinches their noses at the smell of fish? You could also experience this at your local Conveyer Belt Sushi Restaurant. Winter is upon us, temperatures are dropping, and thermostats are rising which luckily means that you'll be toasty. But, this also means your conveyer belt sushi will be toastier and stinkier. On the list of Top 10 places to take someone on a date this is definitely #1; nothing keeps them coming back like the stench of malodorous fish and a dose of salmonella.
3. It's Not Sustainable
C'mon millennials, really? As the generation of forward thinking, this taboo dining experience shouldn't fit our bill. While Conveyer Belt Sushi offers convenience, the majority of the sushi that is left circulating and uneaten is thrown out. While we are jumping on dining trends such as farm to table, I find it unfathomable that we can jump on this bandwagon as well. This rotational aberration simply will not do.
4. WTF Is That?
"Pumpkin Tempura" or "Some unidentified vegetable, half cooked, drizzled with discolored sauce." In an attempt to appeal to family dining, Conveyer Belt Sushi offers many non-Sushi options which often leaves me watching the conveyer belt thinking, "WTF is that?"
5. It's in Malls
Mall food courts are notorious for simply being mall food courts. From good old Cinnabon to the digestive-system-hero Taco Bell, mall food courts provide the crème de la crème of fast food. So when there is Conveyer Belt Sushi smack dab in the middle of this fast food heaven, it's beyond questionable. One questions where this sushi is coming from, and secondly to what exact degree is the low quality of the raw fish you're consuming.
While I've given you the 5 reasons Conveyer Belt Sushi is beyond questionable, I definitely believe there is room for improvement. How could there not be? This dining trend which started in Japan, known in Japanese as "Kaiten-Zushi," has surpassed the many pitfalls that come with Conveyer Belt Sushi. Many "Kaiten-Zushi" restaurants realized the unsustainable nature of the trend and switched to a system where customers order their desired sushi on tablets and are then delivered the sushi by conveyer belt, eliminating the waste associated with the other system.
There is hope. Don't disrespect the fish.