There was a seven-hour wait to get a seat at Kura Revolving Sushi Bar on its opening day in September. It can still take more than three hours to snag a spot for dinner on busy nights. Does the new SouthSide Works restaurant, part of a massive international chain, live up to the hype it flew in with?
Conveyor belt sushi bars are old hat in Japan, where demand for fast, affordable and easy meals is matched with an expectation the product will be well-made and of good quality. Most in the United States tilt toward the gimmicky end of the spectrum, with little attention to detail in the execution of its nigiri and over-the-top cut rolls.
The most important thing to know is that the caliber and composition of the fish, imported from around the world and prepared in-house according to the processes and standards of Kura’s parent company, is excellent — better than anywhere in town except for a few luxury spots like Mola, gi-jin, Umami and (when they are at their best) Umi or Kiku. It’s a cut above any other establishment I’ve visited in Pittsburgh, particularly at its very reasonable price point.
The establishment’s operator, Kura Sushi USA, is a subsidiary of Kura Sushi, Inc., founded in Japan in 1977. The chain has more than 550 restaurants in Japan, Taiwan and the United States. The American arm launched operations in 2008 and the Pittsburgh location in SouthSide Works is its 51st in the country.
Kura’s rice is seasoned with a proprietary vinegar blend that includes red vinegar and kelp extract. It’s softly packed, as it should be. However, on my first visit, the rice was a bit too loose much of the time, causing the bite to break up as I dipped it (fish side down) in the pungent wasabi and savory soy sauce offered. Though not perfect, things were better when I visited a week later.
Orders are placed by pulling a plate from the conveyor belt as it winds through the restaurant or by “express” ordering from the screen above your seat. The screen could be a little more conveniently located, and its navigation feels a little more 2013 than 2023, but overall, it’s a pretty seamless process.
Here’s a tip: once you get used to the menu, order your favorites from it. While there wasn’t a bad bite in the bunch on the revolving belt (plates are monitored digitally to ensure none sit for too long and are frequently replenished), the temperature of the rice was a bit closer to body temperature, ideal for nigiri, when it was delivered on the express belt, which generally takes less than five minutes.
Plates cost $3.65 as of press time, and most have two pieces of nigiri on them (some higher-end and larger bites, such as toro and hand rolls, come with one piece). When you’re done with the plate, slide it into the slot to register your plate count on the screen.
Although the menu is lengthy at nearly 150 items, the selection is limited to some extent. Kura knocks off all the essential sushi boxes and spins the most popular ones (tuna, salmon, shrimp) into permutations topped with finishes such as a dash of garlic and bright, citrusy yuzu or “umami” oil. There are various cut and hand rolls made from the same selection of seafood, beef and vegetables. It’s enough variety to feel satisfied; just don’t expect to find as exciting a roster of fish as you’d get in higher-end restaurants. The aim at Kura is to offer quality through volume, which reduces the cost but also calls for a higher level of standardization.
The hot dishes at Kura include gyoza, garlic beef and tempura. The french fries and crispy chicken I had on one of my visits were both quite satisfying, though I suggest skipping them and bulking up on nigiri and hand rolls because you can get better fries and fried chicken elsewhere. Many of the cut rolls are overly garnished, at least for my taste, so I’d consider letting those, and the so-so beef offerings, roll on by too.
Sashimi, oddly, is listed with the cold sides, and the only other options from this section on my visits were dull edamame and a good summer watermelon salad. The menu is rounded out with a few variations of ramen and udon.
It’s a high-energy room, perhaps overstimulating for some people, but welcomingly lively for others (count me in this camp). Drink-delivering robots play cheerful video-game-style music as they deliver pop and water (sake and beer, delivered by people, were introduced last week). Those robots are fun, though perhaps unnecessary, since the restaurant was well-staffed enough to answer any questions I or the other patrons had.
Occasionally, the menu on the screen is interrupted with a short segment from a game-like animated adventure; every time you drop 15 plates into the slot, you get a prize, such as a magnet, and an update on the adventure.
There’s a kiosk outside the front door where you’ll add your name and party size to the waiting list; you’ll get a text when your table opens. There was brief wait at noon on two lunchtime visits, but the estimated time was 70 to 100 minutes when I hoped to return at 7:30 p.m. for dinner on a Monday night at the 127 seat restaurant. There’s plenty to do in the area if you have to wait, as well as an abundance of outdoor seating in the square. If you’re looking for some certainty, Kura has an app with a feature that shows you how long the current wait is and add your name to the list if you want.
This style of sushi service is meant for a quick and enjoyable meal, meaning you can be in and out in less than a half hour if you want to be. There’s no rush, however, if you’d like to linger and eat to your heart’s content. I never felt like I was missing any bites I was craving when I sat in the middle of the room on my first visit. If something wasn’t available on the first pass, it generally showed up on the next one. And I always had the express option at hand.
So, about that hype.
Kura isn’t going to knock you on your knees and have you shouting to the gods like a gorgeous omakase will (but you also won’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get that feeling). Nevertheless, I enjoyed my experiences significantly more than I thought I would, mostly because I crave that hands-in-the-air feeling delivered by a top-tier omakase bar and can be a little pugnacious in the face of hype. Even so, I found Kura thoroughly enjoyable. The nigiri, gunkan and hand rolls are well made and outstanding value for money, and visiting the restaurant made for a delightful time on both occasions.
If its local management keeps the place humming as smartly as it has for the first few weeks and the wait time is reasonable, count Kura as a new spot in the rotation.
415 Cinema Drive., South Side; kurasushi.com
Hal B. Klein: hklein@post-gazette.com, Twitter @halbklein and IG @halbklein.
First Published: October 9, 2023, 9:30 a.m.