#3474

The Fastest of Japanese Fast Foods: Kaitenzushi, Gyudon & Curry Rice

Kaitenzushi, the top speed winner

How do you define fast food? Let’s not think in categories such as burgers and fries, but consider what the fastest foods are you can order in a restaurant.

Sushi is prepared very quickly and kaitenzushi is already waiting for you to take from the conveyor belt and eat. So as the fastest Japanese food, kaitenzushi is definitely the winner. There are individual sushi shops in the kaitenzushi style everywhere in Japan and several big kaitenzushi chains, for example Kappa Sushi, Sushiro, and Kura Sushi.

Kaitenzushi often includes also small bowls of soup, egg rolls, and some non-sushi foods such as sweets. They will also be on the conveyor belt for you to pick up. Many kaitenzushi places also have hot water on tab at the counter for you to prepare yourself a cup of tea in an instant. In the summer cold tea might also be on tab. Just take a cup and fill it.

Nearly as fast: Gyudon and Curry Rice

Gyudon style dishes are also extremely fast. Rice and topping are all cooked and hot. When you give your order the staff will just take a portion for you. There are other donburi like rice dishes, for example tendon rice with tempura, but this must be the fastest among them. Fast and inexpensive, gyudon is very popular and there are several chains selling gyudon, such as Sukiya, Yoshinoya, and Matsuya.

Usually you can also order curry rice at gyudon shops. And when ranking the foods by speed, curry rice is about as fast as a bowl of gyudon. The rice is hot, the curry cooked. Staff only has to fill your plate with it. There is nothing wrong with this. Think of it as coming to someone’s house and they have a big pot of hot soup on the stove waiting for you.

Options for gyudon and curry are usually portion size (small, medium, big, extra-big), topping, and side menu. For gyudon, popular toppings include raw egg or soft-boiled egg, cheese, and onion. For curry rice, available toppings depend on the store and are often deep-fried. As a side to gyudon or curry you can order also small portions of salad, pickles, miso soup, or tofu.

If you are looking for fast service at top speed though, just go with the most popular menu items without too many extras. Of course, these kind of places not only serve your food fast, they also expect you to pay and give your seat to the next person in line fast.

David image

David

Germany

David's other advice

Tokyo walks: Kuramae images

Tokyo walks: Kuramae

Come to Kuramae if you like craftsmanship and things that are made well, things made by hand. And come if you like quality coffee, tea, and chocolate. This is a small neighborhood. It is resident…

Tokyo walks: Asakusa to Kuramae images

Tokyo walks: Asakusa to Kuramae

Walking is a great way to explore Tokyo. Go for a walk and keep your eyes open. Start your walk in Asakusa at the famous red Kaminarimon Gate that marks the entrance to Senso-ji Temple. If you ha…

Quiet Retreat at the Seaside in Setouchi images

Quiet Retreat at the Seaside in Setouchi

Setonaikai is the Japanese Inland Sea and Setouchi City in Okayama Prefecture faces this beautiful part of the coast in West Japan. When you visit Hiroshima or Himeji Castle, extend your trip and spe…

Beautiful Places to Visit in Japan images

Beautiful Places to Visit in Japan

TripAdvisor published a list of 20 beautiful spots to visit in Japan that are not so well known yet. Let this list inspire you when you plan your next trip - there are islands, forests, temples, and …

Mt Fuji Views from Enoshima Island near Kamakura images

Mt Fuji Views from Enoshima Island near Kamakura

Enoshima island is a fun destination for a day trip from Tokyo anytime of the year. You can see the island and its lighthouse from Kamakura further along the Shonan coast.The lighthouse is called…

Fuji Ramen - Fresh Noodles in Tonkotsu Soup images

Fuji Ramen - Fresh Noodles in Tonkotsu Soup

Fuji Ramen in Asakusa serves tasty ramen in tsukemen with tonkotsu base soup and noodles made fresh at the shop.This shop is special because it makes its own noodles. You can see the small worksh…

You might also like

Curry Rice in Japan : Extra Topping Matters. images

Curry Rice in Japan : Extra Topping Matters.

"Curry rice" (カレーライス) originates in India but it has been loved for decades in Japan as well. Traditional curry rice among Japanese consists of steamed rice with viscous curry sauce covering bo…

Hagi image

Hagi

Chilled with tempura toppings images

Chilled with tempura toppings

Hanamarudon is a franchise chain of Sanuki udon (originated from Kagawa prefecture in Shikoku) which is my favorite spot to go to . This might sound strange but I like my udon chilled topped with tem…

Andrew Soh Chih Jen image

Andrew Soh Chih Jen

The Real Sushi Experience, Don't Miss Out! images

The Real Sushi Experience, Don't Miss Out!

I always went to "kaiten sushi" because it was easy, you can calculate expense based on color and design of the plates and you could see what you are ordering as you take a plate off the conveyer bel…

 image

Just use your hands images

Just use your hands

I feel as though a lot of people who eat sushi treat it with a bit too much reverence. All though sushi is a misleadingly complex topic, both for the chef and the customer, in the modern day, it is j…

KurtisW image

KurtisW

Cleanliness in Key in Japanese Shops images

Cleanliness in Key in Japanese Shops

One thing I absolutely love about Japan is how clean everything is. Today I was at a soba shop and I noticed the little cup of toothpicks was knocked over and that about 20 toothpicks were strewn acr…

 image

Yayoiken images

Yayoiken

This is one of my favorites. Its kind of a fast food chain but if you are really hungry and a rice eater, this is the place to be! Set menus with -> 1 Dish + Unlimited Rice and Hot unlimited Tea -> …

idivilayil image

idivilayil