Finding sushi in Boulder isn’t hard, but getting it delivered via a conveyor belt with prizes is completely novel. That’s where Kura Revolving Sushi Bar comes in, and it’s the first Colorado location of the Japanese restaurant chain.
You’ll find the quaint shop in the 29th Street Mall, between Canyon Boulevard and Walnut Street. It’s a good thing too, the Denver metro area lost its only conveyor belt sushi concept last April when chef Jeff Osaka closed his final Sushi-Rama location, the others shuttered in February. The Boulder spot officially opened at the end of July, and has been bustling ever since.
A Bit of History
Also known as kaitenzushi, conveyor belt, or rotation-style sushi started in 1958, invented by Yoshiaki Shiraishi after he saw how quickly beer was bottled on conveyor belts.
While Shiraishi created the concept, he had nothing to do with the Japan-based Kura Corporation, which was launched independently in 1977 by Kunihiko Tanaka, who was a vinegar salesman at the time. It took almost 20 years for Kura to embrace the ease of conveyor belt sushi, bringing the revolving sushi concept into play in 1995.
Although Tanaka of Kura didn’t invent this way of serving sushi, the company claims to be a pioneer of the field. Not only did Kura bring and expand the style to the states, but it boasts having crafted a near-perfect technological system to run the restaurant.
The first US-based location started in 2008, and it’s been growing ever since. Now, Kura has 80 locations in the US, along with more than 500 locations in Japan and Taiwan. As for why Kura chose Boulder as its first Colorado location, Newton Hoang, the vice president of marketing at Kura Sushi USA, weighed in.
“Our site selection criteria is quite rigorous, and for our first location in Colorado, we wanted to insert ourselves in a community that represents the state in the best possible way,” said Hoang. “Boulder was that city.”
How It Works
Get ready for full stomachs and a busy atmosphere. The belts constantly move, robots deliver water, and little cartoons play on the order screens. But before you dive in, first you have to sign in to get a table. Luckily, even on busy evenings, the wait doesn’t take too long.
Once seated, look out for waiter robots, which circulate the room slowly to deliver drinks, wasabi, and extra chopsticks. The three-foot-tall yellow and white machines are fun to watch and stop if anything pops in front of them.
As for food, there are two ways of ordering to choose from, and you can combine them both. If you want specific items, use the screen at the table. Anything ordered specifically for your table comes through the top of the conveyor belt, directly to you.
Then there’s the grab-your-own style of eating using the lower conveyor belt, which circulates plates of sushi around the restaurant. Each plate comes covered with a small plastic lid, allowing you to grab one as it passes by. There’s plenty to choose from on the belt, but even more on the menu including noodles, side plates, and Japanese desserts.
Each plate has one or two pieces of nigiri, or three or four sushi roll slices. But keep in mind, while it’s fun and easy to grab plates, but you can quickly rack up the bill. Each regular plate from the conveyor belt costs $3.90, and the screen does keep track of how many plates you’ve grabbed.
Once done with a plate, simply slip them into a slot at the end of the table. Bonus, after you’ve popped in 15 plates, a small toy rolls down from the top dispenser.
The Menu
Just about any type of simple nigiri and sushi shows up on the menu. There’s plenty of hand rolls and fancy sushi rolls too, including Caterpillar, Spicy Tuna Crunchy, Tiger, and more. Also make sure to try one of the salmon dishes, Kura sources the fish directly from Norway, one of the world’s leading salmon exporters known for providing salmon that’s soft and buttery in texture and packed with flavor.
“We employ a principle called ‘muten’ which loosely translated means nothing added,” Hoang wrote in an email. “We are quite bullish on our ingredients and quality standards; no MSG, no preservatives, no additives to any of our products.”
Not feeling sushi? Worry not, the menu includes steaming bowls of udon and ramen, as well as sides such as vegetable tempura, dumplings, wontons, and edamame. For dessert, try the matcha green tea mochi, strawberry mochi, black sesame mochi, or cheesecake.
For drinks, soda, green tea, and lemonade are available, as well as beer. Check out the sake menu too. Favorites include the Sayuri sake, which has a slightly sweeter flavor with a smooth and floral finish, and the simple house sake from Ozeki.
Bonus, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar is a great place to bring the whole family. The small bites are perfect for kids. After all, who doesn’t want to watch robots or and food plates zooming along.
Visit Kura Revolving Sushi Bar Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 1855 29th St., #1152, Boulder, kurasushi.com
