Having moved from Japan to New Zealand about three years ago, I've noticed an increase in the options for Japanese cuisine, such as sashimi and sushi.
However, I still feel that the variety of sashimi available is quite limited.
While New Zealand's specialties like oysters and salmon are commonly found in restaurants, it is challenging to find local Japanese restaurants that offer a full range of options, including tuna, squid, octopus, and scallops.
Conveyor belt sushi, in particular, is scarce, with Sushi Train in Auckland being one of the few options.
However, the prices per plate have been rising year after year, making it less appealing to visit.
But good news!
About a year ago, a new conveyor belt sushi restaurant opened in Hamilton!
Sushi Chew Chew: A New Conveyor Belt Sushi Experience in Hamilton
In 2023, a new conveyor belt sushi restaurant named Sushi Chew Chew opened in Hamilton, New Zealand!
We first heard about the new restaurant from a friend and decided to visit it the day after it opened.
It's really a conveyor belt sushi place!
We couldn't believe that Hamilton now has a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, and the prices are quite reasonable.
The plates are color-coded with prices ranging from $4 to $6.5, which is around 400 to 600 yen per plate.
While this might seem quite pricey when converted to Japanese yen, it's actually quite acceptable in New Zealand, where it's challenging to find places that serve fresh sashimi.
Unlike Japanese conveyor belt sushi restaurants that often have a two-tier system with a fast delivery lane for special orders, Sushi Chew Chew has a single conveyor belt.
Each plate is covered with a plastic lid and can be stacked up to three plates high.
Since it opened, we've been going as often as three times a month or at least once a month.
My favorite dish is the seared salmon.
New Zealand salmon is known for being quite fatty, and it's absolutely delicious whether eaten as sashimi or seared.
The sashimi plates are always served on a bed of ice, keeping the fish nice and cold—delicious!
Raw foods, including sashimi, are not very common in New Zealand, so having a place where we can easily enjoy them is truly valuable.
We usually order a medium-sized sashimi plate and share it between the two of us.
The regular menu includes salmon, tuna, and oysters.
However, since neither of us eats oysters, we always ask to have them replaced with other fish.
We are grateful to the chef for always accommodating our custom orders!
The assortment varies each time, but on our last visit, it included scallops and sweet shrimp, which made us extremely happy.
Another common sight in New Zealand is tobikko (flying fish roe).
We didn’t eat much of it in Japan, but since coming here, we've become hooked on the combination of scallops and tobikko.
The sweet, thick scallops and the popping texture of tobikko are addictive!
Enjoy japanese and korean food at Sushi Chew Chew
The menu includes Korean dishes like yangnyeom chicken alongside sushi.
This allows us to enjoy both fresh sashimi and Korean cuisine—two birds with one stone!
In addition to the dishes on the conveyor belt, we can also order from an à la carte menu.
We've tried dishes like okonomiyaki and ramen, but the katsu-don we ordered recently was particularly impressive.
It was reasonably priced and very filling!
The cutlet was thin and crispy, and it came with miso soup. The staff are all very friendly too.
If you rarely eat fish, there are options like vegetable tempura and inari, so everyone can enjoy their meal with peace of mind.
The restaurant is always bustling on weekends, often fully booked, and the atmosphere is lively.
While families are common on weekends, we've also seen people drop by alone on weekdays for a few plates before heading home.
One of the conveniences of conveyor belt sushi is that we can grab a few plates for a quick snack rather than committing to a full meal like in a traditional restaurant.
This makes it perfect for those times when we just want a light bite.
Takeout sushi is available
Takeout is also available, and we recently picked up some sushi for dinner on a weekday evening.
It's a self-service style where we grab a takeout container and fill it with our favorite items from the conveyor belt.
Hamilton's conveyor belt sushi, SUSHI CHEW CHEW
Hamilton has seen a lot of turnover in its dining scene, especially before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with many vacant spaces in the Hamilton CBD.
The rising cost of living suggests economic challenges, but Sushi Chew Chew has become one of our favorite spots in Hamilton.
We plan to continue supporting and enjoying this conveyor belt sushi restaurant!
Comments