Omusubi Gonbei おむすび権米衛 — Restaurant in Edgewater

When I think of Japanese food, I usually think of high quality—but unfortunately, my experience at Omusubi Gonbei was beyond disappointing.

During my visit, I noticed several staff members preparing rice balls and packaging customers’ food while visibly sweating. Personally, this completely ruined my appetite. Not to mention the copious amounts of salt poured on. I felt so uncomfortable and grossed out that I ended up throwing my food away because I simply couldn’t bring myself to eat it. In my opinion, it’s extremely unhygienic for employees to be sweating so heavily while handling food. It’s something I’d expect from a greasy back-alley food truck, not from a place that prides itself on “Japanese quality.”

“Japanese quality” isn’t just about ingredients—it’s about the entire experience. Omusubi Gonbei has disappointed me beyond measure. As customers, we only have an outsider’s view when we walk into any food establishment. Seeing employees covered in sweat in a hot kitchen reflects poorly on management and makes me question both the quality of the food and the working conditions for staff.

As someone who has worked in customer service and tries to be empathetic toward other workers, I only want to support businesses that treat their staff with basic respect. Sadly, I’ll be crossing Omusubi Gonbei off my list. Even on the hottest days, other businesses manage to provide proper ventilation and accommodations so their staff can work comfortably and safely.

I sincerely hope management will consider improving ventilation and working conditions—not only for their employees’ health but also for customers’ safety and peace of mind. Seeing so much sweat while food was being prepared truly turned my stomach, and my wallet, sour. For now, I’ll be buying my rice balls from HMart, where at least they have proper ventilation.

I was truly shocked to witness this level of “Japanese quality.” I guess that phrase doesn’t mean...

At Omusubi Gonbei, I observed multiple employees coughing persistently in a very small food preparation area. One employee was repeatedly coughing with an open box of rice and onigiri they were shaping by hand. Staff were coughing on each other and into the open air while handing food to customers, with no masks being worn by anyone present. This situation poses an unacceptable health hazard. Allowing visibly ill employees to prepare and serve food in such close quarters creates a breeding ground for bacteria and increases the likelihood of disease transmission. By failing to enforce even the most basic precautions, mask wearing while someone is actively coughing and sick, management has shown disregard for vulnerable populations, including the immunocompromised, the elderly, and young children who are most at risk. They clearly have learned nothing from the pandemic, it is beyond comprehension and goes against basic human decency. It is evident that management is beyond money-hungry and greedy, prioritizing profit over the health of both employees and customers. Such callous disregard for food safety and public well-being should not be ignored. It is deeply concerning that Omusubi Gonbei would allow—or perhaps even require—employees to work while visibly ill, particularly in an establishment centered around literal handmade food.

Such practices show a complete disregard for public health and safety and reflects a deeply profound utter lack of respect for everyone who steps foot inside Mitsuwa.

As previously stated, it is evident that Omusubi Gonbei is a selfish business that prioritizes profit over responsibility, employee and customer safety, and basic...

I heard great things about the rice balls here and was excited to try Omusubi Gonbei but I'm definitely not coming back. While waiting to order, I watched employees sweating buckets as they made the rice balls. And it wasn't just them-everyone looked like they were about to pass out from the heat. Maybe sweat is the secret ingredient that makes these rice balls so damn salty? The only "AC" in sight was a sad little fan doing absolutely nothing. Seriously-what kind of business in 2025 can't spring for proper air conditioning? Not just for the staff's sake, but for customers who don't want bodily fluids in their food. Employee exploitation isn't trendy, and no one wants to buy rice balls from people melting 🫠🫠 in front of them. In the summer, especially in the stifling heat like this week, it's nice to get a break from it when entering a store...but I could feel the heat pouring off the counter. I'll be letting my friends know what I saw. If you're considering coming here in the summer, do yourself a favor and wait until management discovers that possible heatstroke is bad for business. This level of neglect is...