I've been eating sushi since I was a child, and have been coming to this particular sushi train since I was in high school back in 2010 (which really isn't that long ago, now what I think about it). Sushi Train is my go-to for consistently good sushi and reasonable pricing.
Sushi Train is gaining popularity all over Adelaide. There are 6 different stores spread across the CBD and metropolitan area (Gouger Street, Grenfell Street, Welland, Unley, St Clair and St Peters). The pricing structure has recently changed. Sushi Train pricing (at both this chain and other sushi restaurants which use the train system) is dictated by the plate of food. When selecting a plate off the carousel, the plate will be a particular colour depending on the ingredients, complexity and general amount of the plate's contents. The colour matches a price listed both on the menu and mounted to the wall for easy reference. Originally, some restaurants had a 6-tier structure, with some plates costing up to $8 each, whereas others had only 4 different prices. As of last month, this has been changed. Now all 6 South Australian Sushi Train establishments use the same pricing structure, and no plate off the carousel is over $5.
Sushi Train is always packed between peak meal times. They don't take bookings, so between 12pm-2pm and 6pm-8pm, it can be a bit of a waiting game. However, as the food is ready to go, customer turnover is usually pretty quick. A couple of times, I've had to wait around an hour (which is painful when you can watch the food glide past you), but usually it's no more than 20 minutes or so. Some restaurants have booths, others just have the bar at the carousel. Generally the wait is longer for booths, as there is a higher demand for them.
Once seated, it's simple. Pick what you want and eat it asap. Wait staff are generally pretty attentive, and hot items such as soups can be ordered from them directly. Wait staff also seem to be very accommodating. A few friends of mine who frequent Sushi Train with dietary requirements/fussy eating habits have never had an issue with getting a custom order and/or finding something which suits their OCD tastebuds. My personal favourites are the aburi (lightly flame-grilled) salmon, karaage (Japanese fried chicken - JFC!), takoyaki (deep-fried octopus/veggie balls), kaki fry (crumbed/fried oysters) and the salmon/tuna/kingfish sashimi combo. One of the best things about Sushi Train is the consistency. I have never had the food taste any different at any of the other Sushi Train restaurants in the same chain across Adelaide. It's exactly the same, every single time, so if you like something, don't hesitate to order it at a different restaurant!
Sushi Train may not be the most traditional type of sushi available in Adelaide (surely that chicken and grilled cheese nigri is not a Japanese recipe), but it's consistently good, always busy and my personal staple. The only downside is that I ALWAYS over-eat and never keep track of my running total - which means that I usually spend a little more than first intended. But hey, that's my fault...and I never really regret it that much.
P.S. - Look out for their annual $3 days (where every dish no matter the contents is only $3!). The upcoming days are listed on their website :) read more