Osaka Daiseki Suisan Conveyor Belt Sushi – Must-Try Scallops Series: Big, Sweet, and Unmissable

Text/Photos byAhmon

Restaurant Name: Daiseki Suisan Conveyor Belt Sushi (Dotonbori Branch)
Phone: 06-6214-1055
Address: 1-7-24 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture
Price: ¥100 and up
Website:http://www.daiki-suisan.co.jp/
Dining Date: September 2014

Dotonbori is almost a must-visit area for anyone coming to Osaka. It has many famous restaurants and shops, including Golden Dragon Ramen, Ichiran Ramen, Mizuno Osaka Yakiniku, and more. Adjacent to it are Senba, Shinsaibashi, and Ebisubashi. Thanks to its convenient shopping options, it attracts many tourists, and even at night, it remains as lively as a city that never sleeps. This was my first stop in Japan, and since it’s close to the Dormy Inn where I was staying, I decided to eat here. The restaurant I chose was Daiseki Conveyor Belt Sushi, which I had been eager to revisit. It was recommended to me by a friend, and after trying it specially during the cherry blossom season in April this year, I was deeply impressed — it’s really that affordable and great value.

During dinner hours, there’s often a long line of people waiting outside, so it’s best to come early to avoid queuing. After your meal, you can also try the neighboring Kamizuka Ramen or Shitenno Ramen if you’re still hungry. Daiseki Suisan has many branches across the Kansai region, such as at Universal Studios and Tennoji — check the official website for detailed branch information.

If you’re in a hurry, they also offer takeaway nigiri sushi boxes, which are quite reasonably priced. However, I always choose to dine in because takeout sushi just doesn’t taste as good.

Without further ado, let’s sit down. Most seats are at the counter, where you can see the sushi rotating on the belt. Just grab what you want to eat. Once you take it, don’t put it back — that’s bad manners. The soy sauce selection is quite detailed, with slightly different flavors for each kind — just pick your favorite.

Green Tea Powder
Unlike the tea bags used in Taiwan, here they use powder, so you can adjust the strength to your liking. I personally quite like this green tea — it goes perfectly with sushi and helps cut through the richness.

The restaurant’s menu is available in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and English. However, the Chinese version is translated from the mainland Chinese language, so some fish names might be unfamiliar. Each table has a service bell — just press it if you need assistance. I believe it’s a new addition, as it wasn’t there during my last visit. There are also some staff who speak Chinese, so you can ask them for recommendations or to place your order.

Melon Soda, Beer
For drinks, you order individually — there’s both alcohol and soda. I really liked the melon soda when I tried it last time, so I ordered one again this time.

If you’re carrying a backpack or bag, the staff will provide a hook to hang it on, so you don’t have to worry about it touching the floor — nice touch.

Menu
Daiseki Conveyor Belt Sushi’s menu is based on plate colors. The lowest-priced plates are ¥100, and the highest are ¥500. Each branch may also have its own special menu. There’s quite a variety of sushi, and the price of each plate already includes an 8% consumption tax.

The above is the standard menu, but it seems the sushi conveyor has undergone slight adjustments and is a bit different from what I had during my last visit.

Dotonbori Branch Special Menu
Here, you don’t go by plate color — the prices are all according to what’s listed on the menu.

There’s a chart on the wall explaining the prices corresponding to each plate color.

Now it’s up to you to pick what you want to eat. The conveyor belt keeps bringing out fresh sushi. If you’ve been waiting a while and don’t see anything you like, it might have been taken by other customers. In that case, just press the service bell and order directly from the staff. They’ll bring your sushi to your table within a few minutes.

Salmon Belly Nigiri Sushi – ¥350
The menu says “three-line fish,” which means salmon. This is salmon belly nigiri sushi, served as two pieces per order. The price is quite reasonable, and it’s fresh and delicious, with added grated radish and salmon roe to enhance the flavor.

Premium Bluefin Tuna Jaw Meat – ¥500
This one was ordered by a friend. Tuna probably means maguro here. There's only one piece per plate, so it's considered a premium-priced sushi. The color and marbling look absolutely delicious—friends who are interested can give it a try.

Cuttlefish Nigiri ¥250
The chewy cuttlefish is much tastier than what you get in Taiwan, and the price isn’t bad either. You’ll definitely want to order it again after trying it!

Sea Urchin Gunkan Maki ¥500
I got the sea urchin gunkan maki on a friend’s suggestion. There are two pieces per plate. The moment you put it in your mouth, you get that sweet umami of the sea urchin—amazing. Too bad I couldn’t order more, or my wallet would’ve been blown. Wouldn’t have been able to eat anything else for the next few days!

Crab Leg Nigiri ¥500
Ordered by a friend. I think I had something similar last time I came. Here, they just slice the crab leg and place it on the sushi. It’s completely different from the crab sticks we get in Taiwan. The sweetness and juiciness of the crab meat come through with just one bite. For the price, it’s totally worth it.

Mayo-grilled Scallop ¥350
This is a Dotonbori store exclusive dish—only available here. But after trying it, I didn’t find it particularly special. The mayo and scallop flavors didn’t really go well together. Just ordering the plain scallop nigiri is tastier and cheaper.

Grilled Scallop Nigiri ¥250
They give you a lemon slice, but you really don’t need it. The grilled scallop is a bit firmer, but the sweetness becomes more pronounced. This one is super delicious—the scallops are also quite large.

Scallion Salt-grilled Salmon Nigiri ¥250
k8~ To be honest, I regret ordering this. This is also a Dotonbori-exclusive sushi. Because it’s salt-grilled, the flavor is saltier, and you can’t really taste the natural sweetness of the salmon. Kind of a pity.

Scallop Shell Nigiri ¥200
One of the Dotonbori store limited items. I thought I’d try it since I’d never had it before. It’s called “scallop shell,” but it has a slightly crunchy, chewy texture. It doesn’t have much flavor on its own and mainly relies on the soy sauce on the shellfish for taste. More about the texture experience.

Jumbo Sweet Shrimp Nigiri ¥350
When I saw “jumbo sweet shrimp” on the menu, I lost self-control and added it to the order. When it arrived, it really was noticeably bigger—about twice the size of a regular sweet shrimp. And it’s genuinely sweet too. If you love shrimp, this is a must-order.

Scallop Adductor Nigiri ¥250
A different style of scallop sushi. Still pretty sweet. Most dishes in the scallop series are recommended picks.

Grilled Salmon Nigiri ¥200
k8~ The presentation is a bit off—there’s a lot of mayonnaise slathered on top. It’s quite different from what I had the last time I came. Did the chef rush it and just slap it together? The taste is just average—I didn’t really like it. The salmon belly I had earlier was better.

Conger Eel Nigiri ¥200
Conger eel is also known as white-spotted conger. Compared to last time, it seems a little smaller, but the texture is still very delicate and delicious. At roughly NT$60 per piece, you can’t get conger eel this big in Taiwan. A definite must-order.

Premium Dish: Fried Chicken ¥250
The premium dishes are part of the new menu—I hadn’t tried them when I visited in April. A friend wanted to try some Japanese fried food, so we added this. But we waited an incredibly long time for it—we had to remind the server over three times. By the end, we were ready to cancel, but the server said it was already being prepared, so we stayed. The taste wasn’t great—it was a bit dry and over-fried. So my advice: don’t order non-sushi dishes at a sushi restaurant. XDD

After finishing, we settled the bill and left. The server counts the plates and calculates the total. Then you just take the receipt shown above to the counter to pay. You can pay by card or cash.

Also, to encourage customers to return, they give out drink vouchers and sushi discount coupons based on your spending that day—but they’re only valid for the next visit.

Overall, not sure if it’s because of the consumption tax increase, but it didn’t feel as good as my last visit. However, compared to Taiwan, it’s still pretty cheap, and the ingredients are all quite fresh. If you want to eat sushi, come to Daiseisui Tenmai Sushi. That’s just my personal opinion, for reference only.

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