After a long day at Fukuoka, I’m in the mood for a quick and easy dinner before finally heading over to the hotel. Seeing that it’s been a while since my last Kura Sushi visit, I thought “Why not? That ticks all the boxes.” So here I am, at Kura Sushi Nakasu, ordering my favorite dishes and trying out some more of their items (plus a look at their Demon Slayer collaboration menu.) But is the Kura Sushi here different from my previous visits in Tokyo? And how’s the overall experience here? Let’s get to it. How Good is Kura Sushi Actually?
–Ordering System–
–Demon Slayer Collaboration Menu–
–Momotaro’s Gift–
–Other Menu Items–
–Bikkurapon & Collaboration Goods–
–Verdict–
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📋 Ordering System 📋
There are a few ways to order your dishes at Kura Sushi. There’s the standard conveyor belt where you can grab whichever items you feel like eating today. (The plates have a protective cover, but you can just lift the plates and the covers will open right up.) If you want to look at the portion sizes before getting something, then this is the way to go.
For items you don’t see at the conveyor belt, or if you want to grab a fresh plate, you can order those via the touchpad by the table. I’d usually recommend you order through here for maximum freshness, but since the touchpads here are fixed to the table – you’re better off ordering from your smartphone.
Speaking of ordering via smartphone. You can access that by scanning the QR code on the touchpad – which will lead you to a website where you can view the menu and order at the same time.
There’s also a little bonus if you make your orders this way – as every ¥500 will enter you to a game of Bikkurapon separate from the standard 5-plate requirement. More details below.
Side Note: While the menu between stores is more or less the same, the prices for each dish can vary somewhat. This particular store starts at ¥125 per plate, but you can also find stores that start at ¥118, ¥120, and ¥132. Not too big of a price difference, but just something to note.
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🌊 Kura Sushi x Demon Slayer Collaboration 🌊
Kura Sushi frequently does collaborative menus, and for today’s visit – the collab featured Demon Slayer (to my brother’s delight) with a Nigiri dish inspired by Tokito Muichiro, and a dessert based on Mitsuri Kanroji.
Does the dish relate to the characters in any way? Eh, somewhat. The colors roughly match, but there’s no hidden reference or anything.
Items are subject to availability, of course, so while we were able to order Muichiro’s dish today, Mitsuri’s Sweet Potato & Honey Ice Cream unfortunately sold out. (As a Kana Hanazawa fan, that was very disappointing…)
In any case, let’s look at Muichiro’s Shrimp Nigiri, shall we?
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🍣 Tokito Muichiro’s Seared Shrimp & Basil Cheese (¥125) 🍣
Muichiro’s dish features two pieces of Seared Shrimp Nigiri topped with a Basil and Cheese Sauce – essentially a pesto shrimp nigiri. The nigiri itself was simply nice, and the pesto sauce added an herby kick to the overall profile.
And for every order, you’ll also get a small plastic sheet of the Mist Hashira. If you’re a Muichiro fan, you could probably grab several of these and make a little collage on your wall or something.
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🍑 Momotaro’s Gift (¥125) 🍑
Kura Sushi already features some pretty budget-friendly sushi, but every so often, you might just come across “Momotaro’s Gift” passing by the conveyor belt. Inside each plate is a random assortment of high-value sushi items – all for a flat rate of ¥125!
Whether it be a 3-piece sushi plate, or an expensive item available for cheap, make sure to check out every one of Momotaro’s Gifts and grab anything (and everything) you’d like to try.
We had a couple of these specials pass by during our visit, and we decided to grab one once we figured out what the menu said.
The offerings differ each time, and ours was a 3-piece plate of Salmon, Salmon Mayonnaise, and Salmon + Sliced Onion Nigiri. Their salmon typically costs ¥125 by itself, so for this plate, it’s a “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” offer. (Plus some free mayo and onions.)
Side Note: Momotaro’s Gift seems to be available at specific times per day. The menu says it’s available from the following times, but in case things change, it’s always a good idea to check beforehand.
Weekdays
11 A.M. to 2 P.M. / 5 P.M. to 9 P.M.
Weekends
11 A.M. to 9 P.M.
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🍱 Crab & Salmon Sushi Set (¥1,060) 🍱
Kura Sushi also regularly offers sushi sets, featuring in-season ingredients. This 5-piece set consists of a Raw Snow Crab Nigiri, Crab & Ikura Hand Roll, Crab & Kani Miso Nigiri, Salmon Nigiri, and Seared Salmon Nigiri – all for just ¥1,060. Averaging out to roughly ¥210 per piece, it’s a pretty good deal – especially with that snow crab.
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🍣 Negitoro / Tuna and Green Onion (¥125) 🍣
Starting off the regular menu list, we have my personal favorite sushi – the Negitoro Gunkan.
The negitoro here was quite nice, with the flavors of maguro combined with the richness of something like chutoro – at a considerably lower price point. Doesn’t have a lot of textural contrast (if you’re looking for that), but the richness combined with the ratio of seaweed and rice is something that I always enjoy.
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🍣 Negitoro Maki / Tuna and Green Onion Roll (¥125) 🍣
For a different take on Negitoro, here’s Kura Sushi’s Negitoro Maki.
Flavor-wise, it’s the exact same as the gunkan. Value-wise, there’s much less tuna, but you do get 4 piece’s worth of rice and seaweed. Probably not ideal if you want to maximize your fish intake, but if you need something that’s quite nice and very filling, this is the Negitoro dish to order.
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🍣 Tuna Roll with Tasty Sauce (¥125) 🍣
For another Maguro dish, I also ordered the Tuna Roll with Tasty Sauce out of curiosity. It’s much more roughly chopped than the Negitoro, and the sauce is this mix of shoyu and sesame oil. It’s surprisingly nice and comes pre-seasoned, but you can always add extra shoyu at the table.
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🍣 Aged Tuna (¥125) 🍣
And to round out the Maguro lineup, I also got the standard Aged Maguro. The flavors here are what you expect from an Akami cut of Maguro, with a very slight added depth from the ageing process.
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🍣 Salmon (¥125) 🍣
Moving on to the humble Salmon Nigiri. It’s a bit on the smaller side, but the flavor’s just like your regular salmon.
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🍣 Anago / Conger Eel (¥125) 🍣
Here we have the Anago / Conger Eel Nigiri, something I’m surprised to see at ¥125.
The Anago itself is served by itself, so no last-minute searing or sauce (although you can find the sauce at the table) so the texture is kinda plain.
With the sauce, though, I thought it tasted alright. But at this price point, the value-for-money is definitely here.
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🍣 Aji / Horse Mackerel (¥180) 🍣
I’m a big fan of Hikarimono / Blue-Backed fish, so I obviously had to try out their Aji. Compared to other Hikarimono options like Saba and Iwashi, the flavors of Aji are cleaner and much more bright, an easy recommendation if you want to try some non salmon / tuna options.
This one’s on the more expensive side of the menu, so I don’t think I’ll be ordering this one too frequently. But flavor-wise, It’s definitely one of my favorites.
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🍣 Karubi Beef with Tasty Sauce (¥125) 🍣
It’s Beef Short Rib slices on top of sushi. My Japanese friend has some choice words about this combination, but I’m personally a big fan. Top it off with their sweet sauce for some added flavor, but I recommend trying it out with some salt instead.
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🍣 Shrimp Tempura Sushi (¥140) 🍣
Here we have two pieces of (freshly fried) shrimp tempura served on some sushi rice. At ¥140, it’s a bit pricier than your average Kura Sushi dish. But when stacked up with what the dish offers, the value-for-money here is very good. Depending on how you feel, you can also top this with your choice of shoyu, ponzu, or salt.
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🍣 Tamago / Omelet (¥125) 🍣
And just out of curiosity, I also decided to grab one of their Tamago Nigiri to try out. It’s nothing too special, but nothing to complain about. Grab it if you want something sweeter.
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🎮 Bikkurapon 🎮
When you’re done with a plate, you can return them to the kitchen through the slot located right by the table. For every five plates, you’ll enter a little round of Bikkurapon, a luck-based minigame where you can win Kura Sushi souvenirs.
As it’s currently a Demon Slayer collaboration, the Bikkurapon features some custom Demon Slayer cutscenes of Tanjiro, Nezuko, Inosuke, and Zenitsu. (and maybe more, we only got 4 game’s worth of plates today.)
And for every ¥500 you order through your smartphone, you can also play a round of Bikkurapon there as well!
No custom cutscene this time, but you still get a little animation for some added suspense.
Once you win, a Bikkurapon capsule will drop from the machine above the conveyor belt, containing some limited edition Kura Sushi goods.
Our capsule had a roll of character tape, but you can also find pins, keychains, and some other small items – depending on the current collaboration.
Out of the 7 times we played today, we only managed to get a single win. (amazing luck, right?) No idea what the odds actually are, but hopefully your plays end up luckier than us!
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📋 Checking Out 📋
Once you’re done with your meal (and played all your Bikkura Pon games,) click on the checkout button on the tablet and confirm your order, then head towards the self-payment counters and complete your transaction there.
Depending on when you visit, you might get some extra goodies if you spend past a certain amount. For this Demon Slayer collab, you can choose between four different Kura Sushi x Demon Slayer handkerchief designs for every ¥2,500 spent.
Unfortunately, none of the designs feature Obanai, so my brother ended up grabbing the Muichiro and Mitsuri one to match the menu offerings today.
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⭐VERDICT⭐
So how good is Kura Sushi actually? Kaiten Sushi shops aren’t really the place to find top-quality sushi, so you shouldn’t be surprised to hear that this place is just good, but it’s nothing too special. You’re here for the convenience and value-for-money – and in that respect – Kura Sushi does a good job in meeting them. The overall flavors and ingredients are nice and fresh, add to that a nice price point and you have a place where I can see myself stopping by again whenever I feel like grabbing some quick sushi. Bonus points if the collab featured is a series you enjoy.
So if you wanna stop by and grab some good sushi at a very budget-friendly price point, then head on over to Kura Sushi.
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🚗HOW TO GET THERE 🚗
You can find this Kura Sushi on the 3rd floor of Gate’s shopping mall. From the subway, the closest station would be Nakasu-Kawabata Station. (Kuko & Hakozaki Lines) Once you arrive at the station, head out from Exit 1 and the mall should be right across the street.
And if you’re walking here from around Fukuoka, it’s a relatively short 10 minute walk from Tenjin Station and Canal City Hakata – and a slightly longer (but manageable) 20 minute walk from Hakata Station.
Kura Sushi – Hakata Nakasu Store
🌏 Location 🌏
Japan, 〒810-0801 Fukuoka, Hakata Ward, Nakasu, 3 Chome−7−24 (Gate’s 3rd Floor)
🗺 Map 🗺
https://goo.gl/maps/spGHyCazp4Zz7hDT7
⏰ Opening Hours ⏰
11 A.M. to 0:00 A.M.
💻 Website 💻
https://www.kurasushi.co.jp/en/
📖 Online Menu (English) 📖
https://canlyhp.s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/images/2023072164b9c9c1a2ff6menu_city_125_W.pdf
