SHINJUKU STATION REVOLVING SUSHI BAR — Restaurant in South Plainfield

I came here after seeing a promo video online, excited to check it out with the family. We drove an hour to see what all the hype was about, but I have to admit, my expectations were high. Maybe I set myself up for disappointment, or maybe I’ve just been spoiled by good sushi over the years. I have family members who work in sushi restaurants, so trust me when I say I know my sushi. Unfortunately, everything on the rotating conveyor belt felt more like what you'd find at your local grocery store—cold, dry, and lacking the quality I was hoping for. The texture was off, and I just couldn't enjoy it. I’ll give credit where it's due, though: they clearly spent a lot of money on the décor, trying to mimic a Japanese train station vibe, specifically Nishi-magome in Tokyo’s Ota ward. But that's where the positives end. The "5-minute, 5-item" ordering restriction? It’s a joke. Nearly 95% of our time there was spent adhering to this, simply because the conveyor belt sushi was so unappetizing. Anything fried had clearly been re-fried—yes, it was "made to order," but it tasted like it had been sitting around too long. The chicken and oysters were chewy, like something you'd expect from an old rubber tire. Honestly, I wouldn’t even feed this to my dog. Dinner did offer some redeeming moments with the soft shell crab and pieces of beef steaks, which was actually decent. These were the only dishes that didn’t feel like it had been refried, probably because it's exclusive to dinner service. However, I was disappointed to see that there were no special Ramune Japanese sodas available, even though they were pictured on the tablet menu. It felt like a bait-and-switch—like they added the pictures just to say, “Look at this amazing drink you can't have, but we're going to spend all your money on our décor instead.” The 100-minute time limit only added to the frustration, especially with the restriction on the number of items you can order at once. You’re allowed to order 20 rounds, but each round is limited to five items. So, imagine coming with a group of six people, seated at a table of 6-8 people, everyone’s left waiting forever for a few pieces of made to order sushi. It’s not the dining experience I was hoping for. If you really want to try this place for the first and last time, and you have more than 4 people, you may do better to just splitting into two tables just to maximize your ordering rounds, you will get 40 rounds, less waiting – maybe you leave a tad more satisfied, but again, its sushi, all rice. Don’t expect to get sashimi here, unless you want to throw all that rice away and make your own sashimi. That’s the idea, fill you up with cheap stuff, and let the next round of hungry people in. Here’s how I’d rate the experience: • Décor: 8/10 (Beautifully designed, but it’s all style with no substance) • Food: 3/10 (Not worth the drive or the money) • Value for Money: 1/10 (With cheap ingredients and a time cap, you’ll never feel that you will get your money's worth) • Atmosphere / Privacy: 6/10 (Fine for a group meal, but nothing special) • Temperature: 8/10 (HVAC- You will not be sweating through your armpits, since a lot of power is required for the lighting, LCD, and décor, the HVAC is a must to keep the temperature down) • Likelihood of Returning: 1/10 (Only if someone else is footing the bill, and if I am craving crappy sushi—otherwise, never again) It’s a shame because I really wanted to like this place. But in the end, it’s just not worth it. Remove the conveyor belt aesthetic from this place, now see if this place can stand...

A Reservation for Disappointment: A Critic’s Experience at Shinjuku Station

If you're seeking a memorable venue to celebrate a special occasion, or simply hoping to enjoy a well-prepared meal, Shinjuku Station in South Plainfield is a masterclass in what not to do. What’s marketed as a trendy dining hotspot is, in reality, a disorganized, over-hyped chaos machine that left this food critic with nothing but a growling stomach and a bruised sense of dignity.

The evening began as a small party consisting of 5 people wanting to celebrate my son’s birthday; who made the decision to forgo a Somerset Patriots game in favor of what was promised to be a culinary experience of excellence. We arrived, only to be greeted by an astounding hour-and-a-half wait. It seems foolish to wait that long for a table at a restaurant that claims on their website “No wait, no limits—just fresh sushi, fast“; but after all, how bad could it really be?

Bad. Very bad.

There is no real waiting area, unless you count a lonely four-person bench and the pavement outside. While clinging to the hope that the hype might eventually justify the hassle, we waited. Then, finally: a text message. Our table was ready! Or so we thought.

Instead, we found ourselves at the end of another line; this time to speak to a beleaguered hostess overwhelmed by a flood of walk-ins. As we inched forward, famished and fatigued, we were told that our five-minute seating window had expired… while we stood right there, in line, trying to check in.

The proposed solution? Rejoin the waitlist which was now a daunting hour and forty-five minutes….but don’t worry, we’d be "next”. Next, apparently, is a flexible term at Shinjuku Station in South Plainfield New Jersey. Over the next several minutes, we watched multiple parties (some incomplete, mind you) be seated while we loitered near the entrance like forgotten extras in a culinary tragedy.

When we pressed for answers, the flustered hostess blurted out, “Management is awful here.” A rare moment of honesty.

This candid confession summoned the manager, who promptly launched into a defensive and remarkably rude monologue, insisting we were on the list and would be seated in just according to the waitlist. He pointed at the list like it was sacred scripture. No apology. No acknowledgment. Just irritation thinly veiled as authority.

Ultimately, we walked out; unfed, disrespected, and disillusioned.

And yet, perhaps we dodged a bullet. The food we glimpsed in passing; conveyor belt-style sushi shuttled around by a toy robot which looked gimmicky at best. The ambiance screamed novelty over nuance, and the level of service wouldn’t pass muster in a fast food joint, let alone a restaurant pretending to be a destination.

Shinjuku Station in South Plainfield New Jersey may be popular, but from this critic's point of view, its reputation is nothing more than a high-gloss mirage. I’d advise readers to skip the hype and save their time, money, and dignity for a place that values patrons...

Great theme and tech, but the sushi on the belt? Rough. Stopped in because the train station theme looked super fun—and it was! The decor and vibe are honestly top-tier. Very immersive and creative. Plus, they have this awesome setup where fresh orders are delivered by a robot train that zips above the conveyor belt. If your food is too big for that train, a little butler robot on wheels rolls right up to your table with trays. It’s a whole show—and we loved that part.

That said, the actual sushi on the conveyor belt was… disappointing. Plates were really spaced out—like one every 2–3 feet—so the selection felt sparse. Worse, none of the sushi was labeled, even though the plate covers had slots for names. We had no idea what anything was, so we ended up ordering rolls directly from the tablet instead.

The made-to-order sushi that came on the robot trains? That was way better... fresh, neat, and actually looked like someone cared when putting it together. The stuff on the belt looked like it was made by someone in a hurry (or maybe in a sushi arts & crafts class). Sloppy, falling apart, and often drowned in sauce.

Service wasn’t great either. Our waitress pretty much disappeared after the first drink order. She came by once to refill a drink, then vanished until I finally flagged her down to ask for the check.

And while this isn’t the worst thing in the world, the dirty plates sat on our table longer than expected until a random waiter/busser picked them up. Other revolving sushi spots usually have a slot or system to clear them, but not here. Combined with the fact that each plate only had two pieces of sushi (compared to the 2–4 pieces we usually get elsewhere), the plates stacked up quickly making the table cluttered at times and kind of annoying to eat around.

All in all, the atmosphere and tech were awesome, but the sushi quality (especially on the belt) and the service need serious improvement. Worth checking out once for the novelty, but not somewhere I’d rush back to unless they tighten things up.

There are other revolving sushi bars between here and Northern NJ that may not have all the glitz and glam, but they get the most important things right—the sushi,...