Yo! Sushi

I need to tell you about an awesome sushi place I discovered in the UK. It's called Yo! Sushi, and I swear I'm not being paid by the company to plug them; I just love this place so so much.

What I like to call "conveyor belt sushi" is not uncommon to the UK and other European countries. It came from Japan and has really caught on. Why it hasn't really made it to the US yet, I'm not sure, because it's the greatest thing. Here's the deal: you walk into the restaurant and get immediately seated (in my experience). There are a few booths, but most of the seats are set up bar-style at a circular(ish) counter. In the middle of the circle are the chefs, producing all of the dishes as you watch, and all the way around the counter is a conveyor belt. As the chefs finish making dishes, they set them on the conveyor belt, which then brings the food to within grabbing distance of you, the diner.

And the best part is, you can start grabbing and eating things the second you sit down! There is a menu in case you want hot food, or if the thing you want isn't going around at the moment, but it's basically the pinnacle of convenience. Everything you could need is within reaching distance: glasses, water dispensers (both still and sparkling), chopsticks, wasabi, soy sauce, little bowls. If you need a waiter for any reason (like to order a non-water drink or get a refill of your endless bowl of miso soup), there is a call button. You don't have to wait for them to come check on you! Then, when you're done, the waiter counts up how many of each color plate you have. Each color is worth a different amount, so it's probably good to check on those prices before you start grabbing only gray plates or something.

I could drop so much money at this place, just gorging myself on Japanese food. And I would! And I have! Because apart from the novelty of it, the food is really really good. Sigh. It's just... it's just... great, you guys. I wish I could tell you to go out and get some right now, but unless you live in the UK, I guess you can't. I can't, and that makes me very sad. I went there on my birthday this year. I also went there for my last dinner in Edinburgh. It means a lot to me. So if you ever have a chance to try Yo! Sushi, do. And cherish it. Cherish it!