Vancouver FINALLY has another Japanese conveyor belt sushi spot.
Zumi Revolving Sushi Bar is in its soft opening at 1588 Alberni Street until October 24, with the grand opening on October 25.
It’s in the fancy Kengo Kuma tower, in the unit that was supposed to be Aburi Hana, the Michelin-starred Toronto restaurant that never made it here.
Owner Johnny Junyong Wu, who also runs MAS POW Pickleball Club in Richmond, told Noms Magazine he picked the building for its architecture and its downtown location.
“The landlord was also looking for a Japanese restaurant to join the development, making it a natural fit for both sides,” he says.
I hopped by anonymously during the soft open to check it out.
The room is big and open, with high ceilings, wavy wood-slat ceiling and plenty of natural light pouring in.
Wu describes it as “a warm, minimalist Japanese-inspired interior with natural wood tones and clean architectural lines,” designed to match the building, and it fits 50 seats across 2,899 square feet.
There’s a mix of booths and “counter” seats, and every one of them has the belt running right in front of you.
Easy to watch what is coming down the belt and grab what you fancy.
When you sit down, the staff walks you through how things work in case it is your first time at a conveyor belt spot.
That first-timer crowd is exactly who Wu has in mind.
“We hope every guest leaves with wonderful memories of their first revolving sushi experience,” he says.
Anything on the belt is yours to grab, sushi or nigiri, whatever you like.
Each plate sits under a clear dome (great to combat against bad hygiene), and you just pull up on the plate and the lid pops open for you.
If nothing going by looks good on the belt, every seat has a small iPad with the full menu: tempura, donburi, nigiri, oshi, Zumi rolls, sashimi, ramen and more.
The fun part is how the orders made from the iPad arrive.
The items are made to order and sent out on a little red train that rides on top of the belt and stops right in front of you.
Between the belt and the iPad, we grabbed the Zumi special roll, a chopped scallop roll, the salmon oshi and more.
Now, you gotta be strategic here if you don’t want to blow out your wallet.
Most plates were $6.20 when I went, with things like ramen and sashimi costing more, and I was told most items will likely stay around that price after they officially open.
Head up though: it adds up QUICK.
Wu says his executive chef was previously head chef at Miku Richmond, and he has two picks for first-timers.
“While everything on our menu is worth trying, my personal favourites are his perfectly crispy tempura and our signature ZUMI Roll, specially created for our restaurant,” he says. “They’re definitely must-tries!”
That being said, it’s a fun experience, the kind families and groups of friends will love, and a great addition to downtown.
It’s also filling a gap.
With Mino in Richmond closed and Sushi Aboard still between locations after leaving Denman Street, I can’t think of another conveyor belt sushi spot running in Metro Vancouver right now.
Wu saw the same gap.
“I was inspired by the opportunity to bring an authentic Japanese-style revolving sushi experience to Vancouver, where this dining concept is still largely missing,” he says.
If you’re going, pick your plates off the belt first and save the iPad for the one thing you really want.
Zumi joins other recent Vancouver openings like % Arabica at Oakridge Park, C Market Coffee downtown and Danbo Express at UBC.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: 1588 Alberni St, Vancouver, BC
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