Kura Revolving Sushi Bar Multiple Locations
Sushi · 255 E Basse Rd, San Antonio, Texas 78209
This is a chain with multiple locations - the address above is the one reviewed here.
★★★★★ 1 review(726) 208-0888
Conveyor Belt
Menu Items
Reviews
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Good Sushi, Conveyor Belt Style, Robot Waiters (Japanese Chain Restaurant)
I've eaten at Kura several times, originally at the location in Austin. Now that theres a location here in San Antonio, I've been able to try a few more of the items, and the seasonal and special items they have for limited times. Kura is located on the backside of the Quarry Market on Basse Rd. Near the movie theatre.
If you've never eaten at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant its definitely an experience the first time. A metal belt like you see at the airport baggage claim, just smaller passes by your table and around the entire restaurant. On the belt are plates with portions of sushi, many are 3 pieces, some are 4. Higher end meat and fish are 2 pieces per plate. The plates have a dome over them that pops open to allow removal of the plate when you grab hold. Everything on the belt is uniformly priced. Currently the price is $3.50 a plate.
As you finish your plate you drop it into a slot on your table that deposits it into a receptacle, and a screen counts the number of plates you have eaten, so that you can be billed at the end of your meal. Above the belt is a touch screen, where you can call for a waiter, or order items like ice cream, fresh fried items like takoyaki, or request a drink refill.
As if all this wasn't enough of an experience, the screen displays short cartoons each time you depot a certain number of plates, and eventually releases a ball with a small prize inside. The restaurant also uses robotic waiters, which drive around bringing orders out to your table, playing pre-recorded messages, and delivering items like drinks.
Now, on to the food. My favorites here have to be the takoyaki, the umami seared beef, the yakiniku sauce beef, and the garlic skipjack tuna. Takoyaki is a fried dough ball, filled with diced octopus, green onion, mayo and other ingredients. It has a doughy exterior and a liquidy creamy inside. The umami seared beef is like a thin slice of steak, grilled to medium rare, laid over a bundle of rice and topped with a sesame oil with seeds. Umami is actually a flavor, used to describe items the same way you would use "salty", "sweet", "sour". Umami means savory. The Yakiniku beef is another slice of thin steak, but topped with a sweeter sauce that has bits fruit in it. Yakiniku means BBQ or grilled, but the sauce here is nothing like BBQ sauce, its more like a glaze. The garlic skipjack is my favorite sushi item, sliced thin, with a very smoky flavor, tender with some fat to it, and topped with green onion. It has a very unique flavor.
The conveyor belt usually features about 50 kinds of sushi, but another 20 are available via the touch screen, as well as noodle bowls, soup, desserts, ice cream, cheesecake, and more.
The rolls are made in the back, and plates are replaced as the belt goes around. Markers let you know what each item is. It can take a few revolutions before you see an item replaced, but the sushi is fresh and as far as quality goes, is up actually pretty good. I wouldn't say this is the best sushi, but way better than buffet sushi, and just below some of the best i've had.
Selection wise, with the option of small portions, this is one of the best ways to try a decent assortment, share with friends, and not spend a ton. I average about 6-8 plates if I'm really hungry.
I've never had bad sushi here, fried items are super fresh and come out within minutes, and when you call a waiter its usually 1-2 minutes. You can reserve a table using the Kura app, and they will text you when its available. Everything about this place is on the higher end of tech, you can even pay using your phone by scanning a barcode on the touchscreen.
When I don't mind spending a little more for better sushi, this is a good place to go, also a good place to go to share sushi, or hang out and try a few items.
Photo of restaurant insides are from older Austin location.
Takoyaki Balls
Umami Beef
Beef with Yakuniku Sauce
Crispy Salmon Skins with Shishito peppers.
Garlic Skipjack Tuna
American Beef with Garlic Crumbles
Tuna Yukhoe
Jalapeno Yuzu Tuna
Texan Roll
Shrimp Nigiri
Popcorn Shrimp
Sesame Balls
Salmon with Miso Cream Cheese
Spicy Tuna Roll
Limited Edition (Spicy Crunchy Taco)
Limited Edition (Jalapeno Shrimp)
Beef Ojyu Bowl
Garlic Tuna
Octopus
Negitoro
Austin Dining Area
Sushi Menu
Side Menu
— Paul