There is a common misconception that Tokyo is a pricey destination to visit, what with souvenir shops by the dozens, and tasty food choices no matter where you turn. But saying that Tokyo is expensive need not necessarily be true.
We believe that you can always choose whether or not your trip to the land of sushi, ramen and all things kawaii is going to be painful to the wallet or not. Tokyo has many affordable yet impressive dining options within the city.
Ganso Zushi—a Kaitenzushi chain in Tokyo—is one such place. It is not a name as frequently mentioned when people talk about dining in Tokyo, but it is definitely one which serves fresh sushi at incredibly affordable prices.
The kaitenzushi chain has outlets all over Tokyo, so you will probably stumble across one of their restaurants while you are in the more popular shopping districts around the city. They are relatively easy to locate and can be found in popular shopping districts, so you do not need to go hunting for them.
Prices for their sushi starts from ¥130 (S$1.72) for plates with the more “regular” choices such as salmon and tuna. Subsequently, other plates go at ¥210, ¥262, ¥399 and ¥525. You will find all kinds of sushi in the likes of fatty tuna, sweet prawns, swordfish, and even uni (sea urchin)!
Photo Credit: bitterbubblegums
The freshness is not compromised despite it being a chain. English menus are provided in the restaurant, so you do not need to worry much about the language barrier.
A tip from the locals for all kaitenzushi chains would be to order straight from the sushi chef. The Japanese rarely ever take plates of sushi off the conveyer belt, simply because they might have been there for a while, and freshness means everything to the locals.
Ganso Zushi Shinjuku
160-0023 Tokyo Nishi-Shinjuku
Shinjuku-ku, 1-15-5
Tel: +81 03-5321-5775
Daily: 11.30am – 11pm
Ganso zushi is a restaurant that i regret spending both my money and time in. Firstly, when i got into the restaurant, the waitress led us to the chairs right in front. As we had a lot of bags, I requested to sit at the back with much more space. Even though, the restaurant was rather empty, the waitress refused us immediately rather rudely. However, when the next family arrived at the restaurant, they were immediately ushered into the seats at the side instead though we had requested for them before the other family had arrived. Also, it is supposed to be a budget restaurant. However, when we started by ordering the cheaper food, the chef and the waitress started laughing at us and called us cheapskate. This definitely soured my time spent in the restaurant and I would never ever enter that restaurant willingly to eat again.