Sushi Plus Rotary Sushi Bar - Chinatown — Restaurant in Chicago

What a whimsical experience! I have been wanting to stop by this place ever since I first saw it a couple of years ago, and finally got the chance to stop by for a late lunch with my wife. After seeing pictures, I had an idea of what to expect, but even so, Sushi + Rotary went way above my expectations.

Upon walking in, you are greeted with a futuristic-like atmosphere with an explosion of lights and bright colors. We were seated at our booth, a conveyer belt of sushi right next to it, and a tablet containing an expanded sushi menu and other foods and beverages. The wait staff was friendly, not just explaining the process of how it all worked (color-coded plates from the conveyer belt represented the cost of the plate, tablet could be used to order other food/drinks), but also served us water quickly and refilled it frequently throughout lunch. After giving us overview, we were left on our own to eat as we pleased. Given this was new to us, it felt a little weird at first just getting what we wanted from the conveyer belt instead of the conventional ordering, but that feeling went away after the first plate, and became fun! You got a chance to first read a description of the sushi that was about to roll in on the conveyer belt, and then got grab it if it looked appetizing, or skip and wait for the next set to come by. Very simple concept, however, very enjoyable.

As for the sushi, it's easy to assume that, given the sushi is standing in the conveyer belt, quality and taste is not the primary priority, and therefore, it is not as fresh or tasty as other places. This was my concern, and thought the concept was a way to hide mediocre sushi, but I could not have been more wrong. Every sushi piece I had tasted from good to excellent, and the plates rapidly stacked up as I tried multiple rolls that looked appetizing. The space, though not cold, was cool enough to keep the sushi fresh, yet, not so much that you needed to put a sweater or jacket on. The weakest link in my meal was a sushi that had hot Cheetos on top to garnish, as the chips ended up being stale. All other sushi did not taste or have a stale/old texture, and was crunchy if the piece called for crunchiness or tasted fresh. I also ordered the Rotary Sandwich, a sandwich take on a Maki roll, as I wanted to see the delivery train above the conveyer belt come out of the kitchen. My inner child couldn't help but smile when I saw the train come out of the kitchen with my sandwich, and thankfully, the plate itself tasted great. It was an excellent take on a Maki roll, providing all of the elements in a different structure without it feeling clumsy; a perfectly executed different rendition of a traditional dish that captured the textures and flavors of Maki.

In summary, after paying the fairly affordable and delicious meal, my wife and I left truly satisfied from Sushi + Rotary. The limited service is by design, but is great, the sushi is yummy, and the concept is fun! I would easily come back and bring other people with me, as it is a cool experience, and unique among the more traditional sushi restaurants in the area. I highly recommend checking...

I wish I had taken more photos to give a better idea of the atmosphere. It looks way different inside to what I expected from the street view. It's cool and has a fun modern feeling but still feels classy and even private. I didn't feel like we were right on top of anyone seated at any of the tables around us, and it was definitely packed.

The food was delicious. We got items from the conveyor belt, from the manual order on the little tram that brings your order, as well as hand delivered items from staff. Everything arrived quickly and was very fresh and well made. The sushi rice was perfect, it held together perfectly with the nigiri pieces.

The service was great. We'd never visited before and the two people I was with had never tried rotating sushi before. They were very friendly and polite in helping explain everything to us and showing us how to place orders via the tablet. When we used the tablet to request service, someone arrived to our table very quickly. They were also very efficient with removing the plate lids, so much so that I barely noticed it.

Honestly, I can't think of anything I'd change besides the prices. 😂 They're absolutely fair prices, it just adds up quickly when you're grabbing item after item because they all look so delicious. You may end up spending more than you anticipate when you see delicious new options drifting past your table throughout your visit. Give in at least once, try something new that looks visually appealing. You'll probably be delightfully surprised, we definitely were!

Be sure to visit on your birthday! Sadly I was a couple days late but they still gave me free dessert.

Their pineapple Dole soft serve is the closest thing to Dole Whip that I've ever had outside of Disney(land or World). It's seriously so close I'd need to have them side by side to tell the difference, and even then I'm not sure I could. I've had "pineapple soft serve" at other places outside Disney but nothing else comes as...

I’m going to start off by saying that if you must wait, it’s worth it. 100000% worth it to go in, get a table reserved when it’s busy, walk around Chinatown and pick up some candy or skincare from one of the stores and then get back for your meal. The staff are EXTREMELY accommodating and kind. The type of kindness that is above and beyond... once you are seated you will have a kiosk/iPad solely for your table to order from. There are items such as ramen, tempura, desserts, drinks and so on that you can have delivered to your table via a very cute bullet train! I last had rotary/revolving sushi in LA back in 2015 and missed it and this was a must while visiting Chicago. I am a sushi fanatic and can see/sniff good sushi/sashimi/nigiri a mile away. My photos are only visual proof. You’ll have to taste yourself but let me just tell you, if you truly love sushi of any kind this is the place to go. The sashimi options I had salmon (sake) and tuna (maguro) were so buttery and delicious; so fresh. I saw them and immediately had to grab them. I also had a Spicy Tuna Maki roll (yum), White Devil Maki (my favorite sushi/not sashimi), Philadelphia Maki, Garlic Steak Nigiri, Sakura Nigiri (my favorite nigiri), and a Boston Maki. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Garlic Steal Nigiri, the flavor was good but it was cooked rare and though I eat steak rare, this was not my favorite. Our table shared edamame and gyoza (recommend their gyoza!) and some of the items I had were shared. They keep a price indicator for the items right on the conveyor for each plate color so you can keep track of those items easily. I had a something Sunrise for a drink (maybe Sake Sunrise?) and it was delicious too. There on my birthday so I enjoyed a dessert. Every staff member was helpful and kept our glasses full. We had a great time! I will be back on every visit to Chicago.

Next time I want to try the Sunrise Maki, Volcano Maki, Broadway Maki, Norwegian Maki, and some...