Food for Thought: Sushi-all-you-can Foodtrip @Sakae Sushi

I was so intrigued by the sushi-on-conveyor-belt and eat-all-you-can-sushi treat @Sakae Sushi that one weekend, we decided to have lunch there. We just got to try it. Being a relatively new restaurant at the SM Annex, the first impression you get once you enter is the spic-and-span ambience. Minimalist and really clean. From the dining area to the toilet facility, I really have no complaints. Dining area has comfy seating from which you can conveniently reach out towards the sushi conveyor buffet. If you're not interested in the sushi-all-you-can buffet, a different seating area away from the buffet is also available. They have an open sushi kitchen where you can scrutinize or amuse yourself watching how they make sushi with their bare hands (hope their hands are clean though! :D). Their open kitchen is testament to how they are transparent about how orderly and sanitary they make their food. Check out the pics below:

Sakae Sushi Dining Area:

Sushi Open Kitchen:

Interestingly, and I find it quite cute that they have a small corner in the restaurant that displays their various merchandise featuring their distinct frog mascot. Reminds me of kero-keropi but more of a toned-down version. Check out the pic below. Ribbit..ribbit! :)

But wait, I didn't go to Sakae Sushi for that. I was really after the sushi conveyor buffet..and the variety of sushi that's there. Can't wait to try them out. Here's the sushi conveyor buffet, where for the price of PHP399 you can eat all the sushi you want. This comes with miso soup and bottomless hot or cold green tea. If you want to get the sushi separately, they are priced based on the color-code of the plates: blue plate = PHP39, yellow = PHP59, green = PHP79, and red plate = PHP99. I thought the sushi buffet was really affordable.

Sushi Conveyor Buffet:

Some of what I got from the sushi conveyor buffet:

*Tuna boat sushi

*Shrimp roll with sesame seed:

*Wasabiko Gunkan:

*Ebiko Gunkan:

*Fish Sushi:

Other stuff I got from the buffet:
*Crabstick Tempura:

*Fish Teriyaki:

*Fried tofu with teriyaki sauce (?)

Miso Soup and Hot/cold Green Tea (goes with buffet):

Okay, having said all that about ambience, open kitchen, sushi conveyor belt, and a sample of what I got (believe me, I tasted 90% of all sushi served), my verdict is, first off, the sushi variety is limited. If not for the fact that I have such a small stomach and I was truly full after 10 pairs of sushi, I would have tasted all (including all non-sushi types in the buffet) in one sitting. My hubby jokingly complained why he kept on seeing the same stuff all the time. Having lived in Japan for half a year himself, he complained the sushi 'wasn't authentic'. And I do agree. It looks like the sushi was the mass produced, commercialized type (I heard they use machines and robots that makes the sushi in a fully automated process). I was looking for a softer sushi where I can taste a little vinegar in the rice with the different toppings and combinations. They tasted kind of dry actually. There's no doubt the ingredients were fresh but the taste was really boring. Matching them with the shoyu sauce didn't help. I thought the soy-sauce wasn't authentic too and a bit on the salty side. The non-sushi choices in the buffet were salty and seemed to used teriyaki sauce as base for all.

My daughter was saved from this predicament by getting a kiddie meal for herself. Her verdict, she loved it. It was simple and had all the stuff she wanted to eat anyway. Plus, the meal came in a plate in the shape of a frog. She thought it was very cute!

We didn't get to try other stuff in their menu since we were really hooked into the sushi-all-you-can idea this time. Overall I thought the sushi buffet was just ok (altho I think hubby wouldn't want to go back), but I wished they increase the sushi variety in the buffet, make it more tasty and less salty. The buffet price is something I can't complain about though. It's really affordable and recommended if you're seriously considering packing in those carbs for some reason. I would rate this restaurant as an eating place belonging to the same category as Tokyo Tokyo, Yoshinoya, Teryiaki Boy, Sushi-Ya and other fast-food Japanese restaurants in Manila. I guess if you want to fill yourself up cheaply, this is the place to go.

Would love to try other stuff next time though. I thought the menu was interesting and had lots of other choices, which makes me want to go back for a visit. However, this time, no sushi buffet for me please. I think I've just had it. Here's the menu: