A conveyor belt sushi restaurant like Heiroku Sushi is meant to be an entertaining and affordable way to eat out. So, as long as you don’t come expecting quality authentic cuisine and keep your expectations low, you’ll have a good time. The menu offers an array of sushi selections and crowd-pleasing favorites like tempura and takoyaki. Targeting value-minded diners, prices start as low as B29 for two pieces of sushi with tuna mayo salad. The deal is easy: once seated at the counter, you can either pluck the plates off the line or order from a member of staff. Then, at the end of the meal, the color-coded plates will be tallied to calculate your bill. If, like on our recent visit, the sushi on the conveyor belt looks like it’s been there a while, get made-to-order dishes instead. But be warned, though the quality of the food is decent, the execution is mixed. The assorted tempura is satisfyingly crisp, and the chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) is reliable, but we are disappointed by the mini unagidon. Served in a tiny bowl, the rice topped with grilled eel can be finished in three spoonfuls, but it tastes so cheap, we still left some. The biggest letdown is the grilled maguro (tuna) sashimi. At B199, you have the right to expect more than four slices of tuna whose natural sweetness is ruined by the mediocre sugary sauce. The best way to go is opt for something that doesn’t require cooking like the assorted sashimi, which includes two cuts of salmon, three slices of maguro, octopus and some sweet shrimps. The cuts are chunky and the fish fresh. Service is friendly but you do have to fight for their attention, especially during peak hours and they get most of the orders wrong or serve them at a nearby table. But hey, there’s no service charge and tea is free. No corkage.
