After spending the afternoon at Shibuya, I headed out to Harajuku for a little evening hangout with a friend of mine. As he’s the local man here, I asked him to recommend me his usual sushi place for a quick dinner before our evening arcade adventures. A short walk from the station, and here we are, Kura Sushi Harajuku. It’s your standard Kaiten-Sushi place, but this specific branch is lined with traditional Japanese wall art and paper lanterns presented in a clean, but vibrant fashion – fitting for Harajuku. It’s definitely way fancier than most of the Conveyor Belt Sushi places I’ve visited, perfect for photos while you wait for your meal. But while we were looking forward to playing Guilty Gear later, we got dinner to do first. So, let’s find out. How Good is Kura Sushi Harajuku Actually?
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🍣 Negitoro (¥132) 🍣
Starting off with my favorite sushi option, Negitoro – Chopped Tuna with scallions. It’s the usual tuna flavors, of course, but the mince gives the fish a wonderful creamy texture unlike your standard Maguro. I’m personally a big fan of the rice / seaweed / fish ratio of a Gunkanmaki, so this was an easy pick for me. Definitely give this one a go.
Side Note: I mostly order my dishes through their tablet, so the orders will be prepared and served via a separate line above the usual conveyor belt. The tablet also has some customization options, should you want your sushi without certain toppings like scallions and ginger.
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🍣 Thick Sliced Maguro (¥190) 🍣
One of the classics of Sushi, with this being the thick sliced version (standard Maguro is at ¥132). It’s a safe choice, and it’s pretty good here too. But since you’re in Japan, I say go have some fun and try out some of the more uncommon options!
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🍣 Scallop with Salt Sauce (Seasonal) 🍣
Speaking of uncommon options, this is one of the seasonal items they had during my visit. Two pieces of Nigiri topped with scallops tossed in a salt-based sauce (and an Oba leaf). A bit finicky to eat due to the loose toppings, but the flavors are well worth the trouble.
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🍣 Iwashi (¥132) 🍣
Also another one of my favorites. Iwashi is basically vinegared sardines, quite similar to Saba with its high fat content and firm texture. Also like Saba, it’s one of the more rich-tasting fish options, so probably not everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s extremely underrated, I say, so give it a shot if you stop by. Besides, it’s at the cheapest price tier too!
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🍣 Bonito with Salt & Yuzu Sauce (¥132) 🍣
For a little variation to the standard Maguro, how about some seared Bonito? Bonito’s in the same family as the Maguro, so you get all the same flavors as the Tuna, but with a seared crust and added brightness from the Yuzu.
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🍣 Beef with Tasty Sauce (¥132) 🍣
A thin seared slice of Beef Short Ribs with some sweet sauce, on sushi rice. Not the most traditional sushi option (My Japanese friend has a lot to say about this…), but I’m quite the big fan of it. I recommend topping this with some salt for a more yakiniku-like experience.
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🍣 Shirasu (Seasonal) 🍣
This one I was the most excited to try, since it’s really not a popular or common topping outside of Japan. It basically tastes like how it looks, slightly salted pieces of fluffy white fish, with some scallions, rice, and seaweed. A nice change of pace from the whole muscle cuts. Certainly not at the top of my sushi list (high-tier, If you want specifics), but for the price, I can see myself ordering this again.
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🍣 Hirame & Engawa (¥132) 🍣
I know both Hirame and Engawa as Flounder / Halibut, but I somehow never associate them to be the exact same fish… It’s a slice of Hirame – the meat portion – topped with Engawa, the tail fin. If you’re a fan of both cuts, you get the best of both worlds here – the firm texture of the Hirame, and the rich, fatty flavors of the more crunchy Engawa. Or if you’re new to this fish, you get two different cuts to try out for the price of one! (Engawa by itself here is at ¥190)
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🍣 Surume Ika (¥132) 🍣
Your classic Ika (Squid) Sushi. I don’t particularly like squid, but my friend ordered it, so photo opportunity! It’s served with an Oba leaf for some added aroma.
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🍣 Thick Saba (¥132) 🍣
Another one of those classic cuts, but this one I’m a fan of. Saba, like Iwashi, does have a strong aroma to it, but the fat content here makes it stand out as one of the richer options available.
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🍣 XL Tuna Gunkanmaki (Seasonal) 🍣
A slight variation to the Negitoro. The larger dice of the tuna makes this kinda like a bite-sized Chirashi Don. I probably still prefer the Negitoro, but the portion size here is quite nice.
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🚅 Conveyor Belt 🚅
As like any other Kaiten-Sushi store, you can also grab some sushi through the conveyor belt. I’d usually recommend you order through the tablet whenever possible, but the belt does allow you to actually see the dish yourself before you take it (Maybe you want to get the largest portion size, perhaps?). There’s also a tracker on the plates to make sure they aren’t in rotation for too long, so it’s probably just as fresh as the tablet-order one.
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🍰 Kura Royal Harajuku Crepes 🍰
Now for a Harajuku-exclusive, Kura Royal Crepes. With this branch being at the Crepe Capital of Tokyo, Kura Sushi also has their own selection to choose from. They’re made to order right near the entrance, so make sure to pick them up at the crepe station once they call your table number.
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🍣 Iberian Pork Sushi Crepe (¥380) 🍣
The first thing that caught my attention was the Sushi Crepe, more specifically, the Iberian Pork Sushi Crepe. Roasted Pork, Tamagoyaki, Cucumbers, and deep fried Sushi Rice. A pretty interesting combination for sure, so make sure to give this a go! Just don’t treat this as a full-on dessert, of course.
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For a more ‘traditional’ topping, there’s also the Salmon Cream Cheese Sushi Crepe, featuring normal Sushi Rice, Salmon, Tamagoyaki, and Cucumbers.
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🍰 Double Strawberry Cream Crepe (¥380) 🍰
And for the more standard crepe option, I went for the Double Strawberry Cream Crepe. Strawberry, Whipped Cream, Pastry Cream, Strawberry Sauce, and Pistachios. It’s not bad, but I like my crepes to be on the lighter side, so the pastry cream isn’t for me. But, of course, there’s also whipped cream-only options available (for a little cheaper, too)
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🎮 Bikkura-Pon 🎮
After finishing a plate, you can return them to the kitchen through the slot at the table. For every 5 plates, you enter a little minigame where you can get some Kura Sushi souvenirs if you win. Yeah, I know it’s a little gimmick, but I’d be lying if I didn’t enjoy the suspense! And no, out of the 3 games we played, we didn’t win a single time… Hopefully your luck is significantly better, though.
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⭐VERDICT⭐
So how good is Kura Sushi actually? Well, Kaiten-Sushi isn’t gonna top anyone’s sushi list, but as an affordable sushi place, the value-for-money here is nice. There’s not a lot of ingredients in sushi, but every component does its job well here for a well-rounded dish. Plus, most of the items here are cheap, so use this opportunity to experiment a little and experience the more uncommon sushi options. Maybe you’ll discover a new favorite to order at more premium places. (I, for one, am looking forward to Shirasu again the next time it’s available)
As for the crepes, they’re quite nice. Being at Harajuku, there’s probably much better crepes around in specialty shops. But from what I’ve seen, Kura Sushi’s crepes appear to be more affordable, so grab ‘em here if you want a full meal in one sitting. In all, if you’re looking for a quick and simple sushi place that’s budget friendly, then Kura Sushi is the place to visit.
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🚗HOW TO GET THERE 🚗
Kura Sushi Harajuku is located at YM Square (4th Floor), a quick little walk from the Harajuku JR Station. It’s also closeby to Takeshita Street, home to Harajuku’s fashion stores and cafes. Kura Sushi also has restaurants all across Japan, so have a look to see where the nearest location to you is, although depending on the branch, the decor of the place might be slightly different since Harajuku is one of their fancier stores.
Kura Sushi – Harajuku Branch
🌏 Location: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 4 Chome−31−10 ワイ・エム・スクウェア原宿4F
🗺 Map: https://goo.gl/maps/YxAKx76FbjjdeMRy9
⏰ Opening Hours: 11 A.M. to 11 P.M. (varies by store)
💻 Website: https://www.kurasushi.co.jp/en/
📖 Online Menu (English): https://canlyhp.s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/images/202211186376cd1125a19menu_harajyuku.pdf
