Chicago's Only Rotary Sushi Restaurant Opens in Uptown

What might be Chicago’s only rotary sushi restaurant is now open in Uptown. Wabi Sabi quietly began serving customers last week. And though a few of these rotary — sometimes called conveyor belt — sushi restaurants exist in the suburbs, in recent years Chicago hasn't been so lucky to experience the joy of kaiten, as it's called in Japan.

Wabi Sabi in Uptown shouldn’t be confused with a similarly named sushi spot on Kedzie in Albany Park.

Rotary sushi restaurants feature sushi dishes rotating around on a table side track. Diners peer at the sushi assembly line and then grab the food that entices before the items pass by. The color-coded dishes indicate how much the dishes sitting on the belt cost. For example, an item on a yellow dish costs $2.50, while a purple dish costs $6.50. Besides the conveyor belt items, Wabi Sabi serves ramen soup, stir-fried noodles and entrees like a teriyaki beef ribeye steak.

Rotary sushi spots in the suburbs include Sushi Station in Rolling Meadows and Sushi + Rotary Sushi Bar in Aurora. According to the latter’s website, they’re planning a second location in Boystown. Wabi Sabi’s opening could mark the start of a trend in Chicago.

Wabi Sabi, 4521 N. Sheridan Road, open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. No phone number or website yet.

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