Saizen Sushi

Meh. I’ve experienced better is more appropriate this second visit. I had originally eaten here on a Sunday night and that review still stands as written. But on a weeknight it was a different experience. I’m not sure if it’s like this every weeknight since I’ve only been here twice.
On the first visit the owner (I’m assuming he’s the owner since he was the older gentleman and was worried/​concerned there weren’t enough customers) was making sushi and our waiter (maybe in his late 30’s) were the only staff. This second visit it was a much younger team. I’m not sure if this is the reason why but that is the difference I noticed. The sushi was just not visibly appealing and the taste was not great. There wasn’t as many options either.
On my original comment I stated I would return for the happy hour but come to find out they got rid of it. I didn’t mind too much since I originally liked the sushi, but after that night I don’t think I would return.

It’s very simple sushi. If you are in the mood for cheap california roll style sushi, then go here. No frills but worth the money for sure (we went on a $ 1.99 belt day.)
The rolls were fresh and some were inventive (california roll with a slice of salmon on top with some japanese spicy mayonnaise and panko bread crumbs on top for $ 1.99, delicious) The only slight disappointment was that the gyoza had gotten a little colder than I would have liked, but still were warm. We weren’t exactly sure what some of the items were. but we could have asked the waitress if we needed because she was very nice.
We were the only ones there, but its likely because of the low reviews on Unilocal.I am very glad I gave it a try because it was exactly what I was in the mood for.
My suggestion, try it once and see what you think for yourself.

They are currently offering a $ 1.99 special for anything on the conveyer belt. I tried salmon and tuna nigiri sushi, which was quite good. The spicy tuna roll was yummy too, as were the potstickers. I was the only one in there the whole time, but was impressed with the wide variety of items offered during a super slow time. I’ll be back!

After several visits to Saizen Sushi, I will give them mad props for consistency. Every time I have been here has been an identical experience and that is meant in a very positive way.
The friendly staff members are always running around tending to whoever needs help or getting people seated as they walk in and they seem to always have a smile on their faces. The restaurant overall seems very clean and well maintained with a minimalist décor that allows you to focus on the food and the people you’re with.
The food selection is good as far as kaiten sushi places go, although I have not experienced a wide variety for comparison. Everything I have had has been up to par, although keep in mind, I am not real big on sushi so my tastes for it aren’t real picky. My main gripe, especially for someone like me, is that there are no labels on the plates and I am all for full disclosure when it comes to sushi.
If you can, check this place out when they are offering the $ 1.99 for anything on the belt special, it makes for a great meal at a very reasonable price and from what I can tell, they don’t skimp on the selection when the special is on.

*shrug*

I walk by this place most days on my way back from work. I tried it once early on, and wasn’t impressed. The restaurant looks really nice and is clean at least. I figured I should go one more time before I wrote a review.
Both times I noticed a number of dishes that didn’t have covers. All of the sushi had them, but things like edamame, gyoza, and spring rolls have nothing. If there were other customers in here, I would have worried about them sneezing. To be fair, neither time I went was really during peak dinner hours (more like 5pm each time), but even at it’s busiest you see only 10 – 12 people in there at once.
With that few people, though, anything hot on the belt ends up cold. So, uncovered, cold potstickers– what a treat! Not only that, but it’s clear the sushi is sitting out for a while. If you get something right after it gets on the belt, it seems like they’re starting with decent fish. It gets dry and room-​temperature very quickly, though. Plus, after they started having all plates being $ 1.99, it seems like every roll is either a California roll or a California roll with some fish on top. If you don’t like imitation crab, this might not be the optimal dining experience.
I feel bad, since you can tell that the owner is a nice man who is just trying to make his business succeed, but at this point I wouldn’t recommend that anyone dine there. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a Catch-​22; their best option for improving is to have enough people to make their freshness and imitation crab situations go away.

I came in looking at the 1.99 on the belt special. For what I had, and the special going on this day, I’d say it was a good deal. What was unfortunate was the boring-​ness of all the rolls (OK I get it, you essentially just have california rolls with some sauce and fish on top). If I were to pay full price for this, I would be severely disappointed.
But I didn’t.
The sever was nice, the place itself looks really nice as well. But the variety in dishes for that day were dull!

I know my sushi. I have eaten it all over the world, so maybe I am spoiled. However, I love trying new places, and this place looked fun. Went here for dinner. At 1.99 a plate I was skeptical, but the atmosphere was inviting. The food however was not. I could only stand about 10 minutes in there after realizing that all 6 plates I tried tasted like a manilla envelope. Absolutely 0% taste. Much better choices on the hill.
The 2 stars is for the congenial staff and the attempt at looking hip and modern.

Wow! I ready to just eat cheap mediocre sushi after reading the reviews, but I was surprised and delighted!
Everything on the conveyor belt was 1.99 a plate!
The salmon sashimi was the best, I ate 2 plates!
There was a delicious california roll with salmon, spicy tuna & roe on top that was super yummy.
The seating is kind of funny, it feels like you are having dinner with the people on the other side of the conveyor belt because they are facing you, but we introduced ourselves and it was less awkward.
My bf ordered a special roll from the menu and it cost 10bucks! It was huge! I didn’t know how we would eat it on top of all the plates we had gotten from the belt, but he managed to scarf it all down. Overall we spent around 30 bucks and we were stuffed and happy!
Timing, they put out a ton of food when were eating so you know it was fresh!
The music was old-​school, I think they played No Scrubs while were there. The stuff that you catch yourself singing along to and you’re like crap!
The have a sign that says everything is 1.99. I wonder if they lowered the prices because they were getting bad reviews, I think they have had time to practice and now the food is yummy!
I want to go back already!

I didn’t think it was possible for them to get worse than when they started out. But congrats! YOU DID IT!
All plates are $ 1.99 now? You can eat the same stuff cheaper in other kaiten places. No varieties, either. Some of the plates looked dry, sitting there for a long time, I assume.
I thought I would give one more try, but that was a wrong idea. I predict you, this place won’t last too long…

It’s a typical conveyor belt with more food on the menu. It is a waste of money. Plates start at 1.50 and range to 5 i believe.
The only good thing is that it’s better quality seafood. But their sushi is really plain. Oh, and good presentation though.
Their menu, for example, chicken teriyaki, was like 10 bucks. –_​_​– I can buy teriyaki for $ 5.
I think Genki is definitely better due to the yummy flavors. I think it’s good service, but it’s a little too pricey, and I can find better tasting sushi at Genki’s.
Sorry!

100 !!!
I have finally completed 100 Unilocal reviews of Seattle-​area Japanese restaurants. My compulsion has been satisfied. The obsession is over.
Saizen is a typical conveyor belt sushi place, however the atmosphere and service are much better than usual.

It was too hot to visit Samurai Noodle so we ended up here. It was my first visit to a sushi conveyor restaurant and so I don’t really have anything else to compare against. I found the selection intriguing, but as others have mentioned, nothing is labeled so you are left guessing if you don’t have an expert with you. There IS a conveyor belt menu, but we didn’t see it until we were on the way out and even then, it just lists the names, no photos. Some items are recognizable, but seem out of place — like chocolate cake. The other disappointing thing is that it may have been my ignorance showing, but most of the sushi rolls looked very similar and therefore there wasn’t as much variety of options of actual sushi that I would’ve liked to have — even though they do offer a wide variety of different items.
We did like the food we selected, and one great thing about the serve yourself conveyor belt is that portion control is a snap. The layout is really nice (you can easily snag stuff from either side of the belt) and the waitress was very friendly. Although we visited during a slow period, the food seemed fine and no one got sick, so that’s a win in my book.

Bottom Line — Prices high. Quality low. Pass on further visits.
My friends and I were in a sushi conveyor belt mood (one had never had it), so we thought we’d try this… Genki on the other end of Broadway is so bad… this place couldn’t possibly be worse, right? There were warning signs that this place may not be good (it’s always empty in there), but we thought we’d go in and just give it a try anyways.
We walked in and OMG it was so humid in there. They didn’t turn on the air conditioning (maybe to save money?). I made a comment to the waitress and she said «Yeah, it rained earlier and now it’s hot outside. We left the door open so more peoples would come in.» So needless to say, it was not very comfortable in there, and I was afraid to eat the sashimi going around the belt.
There were a lot of plates going around and around, but only 2 other tables with people in the restaurant. None of the stuff we grabbed was fresh (and no new items went on the belt the entire time we were there); the seaweed was really soggy on all the food we tried. Some of the stuff going around weren’t covered, and the humidity left condensation on things like the cheesecake… ick!
The quality of the food was so bad that I cannot imagine returning under any circumstances to give them another chance… this is why the 1-​star. I do have to say that other than the actual food, the restaurant seemed clean (more sterile).
Prices are high compared to places like Blue C or Sushi land. Most of the rolls were filled with imitation crab no matter the price of the plate. If you are on Broadway and are wanting sushi, go to Hana 3 blocks south. Conveyor belt sushi isn’t good in Seattle… the closest acceptable belt sushi is in Portland at Sushi Hana, or in Richmond, BC.

My front page is looking overwhelmingly positive right now what with all the four and five star reviews, so what better way to buck the trend than issue a two? This isn’t a two just for kicks, though. It’s legit. I promise.
1. Plates don’t come with descriptors. Yeah, you can figure it out 90% of the time, but what the shit is that pile of fried stuff with… onions? on top?
2. Most of the rolls are filled with krab. There’s the odd sashimi plate, though I would never get sashimi at a kaiten place, but seriously. I know krab is cheap but if I wanted a surimi platter I’d go to Costco.
3. There was a fruit fly under the plastic cover of one of the rolls. Yes, I only saw that on one, but still gross.
4. More expensive than it ought to be.
It gets a two because it’s the best kaiten in the neighborhood, although Genki sets such a disgustingly low bar that that’s not exactly a triumph. Service was super friendly but pretty sure this was a one-​time visit.

Best belt place on the hill, but some of the items you had no idea what they were. e.g. deep fried oreo. WTF how am I suppose to know what that is. But really the food is fine. I mean this is belt sushi, what are you expecting? Of course it’s not going to be as tasty as HANA but it is 1000% better then Aoki, and 10 000% better then that dirty mismanaged belt place down the street. I refuse to even say its name.
I will go back.

I really had a hard time deciding on a star rating for this review. I came in right around the dinner hour of 6pm within the first week or so of opening (7÷14÷11), and even though I really want to love this place, there were some problems that I hope are simple growing pains.
GOOD:
1. Clean, spacious, good décor
2. Friendly, genuine service
3. Large selection of kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi as well as a full menu *and* a sushi bar
BAD:
1. Belt was full but everything I chose was lukewarm
2. Many items on the belt weren’t covered properly
3. Several rolls fell apart when I touched them
4. Many of the rolls tasted the same
5. Nothing was labeled. Unless you’re a pro, it’s tough to know what you’re eating
MEH
1. The Glee Soundtrack was playing too loudly and pretty incongruent for the style of the restaurant
2. I prefer actual chairs to the ottoman-​like stools for seating at the booths
3. There might be too many plate colors to keep track of without better signage
And the kicker: my menu item (agedashi tofu) was pretty inedible. Despite being post-​workout ravenous, I could barely choke down ¹⁄₃ of the dish. The batter used on the tofu disintegrated in the ponzu sauce, becoming *goopy*, rubbery, and impossible to cut. The tofu pieces themselves were too big to eat without cutting. And the ponzu sauce was sparse and bland.
Pricing was pretty fair, a little higher than Genki (which has definitely cornered the Cheapest Belt category), and I’m willing to try again in a few months, but when I can’t finish one of my favorite dishes, it’s not a good sign. I hate feeling like I wasted $ 15 here, when I could have had a better time at HaNa.

I think Saizen might be my new favorite kaiten sushi place!
The BF and I used to be regular Genki goers, but it seems to have dropped off a bit in quality lately, and that’s saying something, since it’s already on the low end :/​
Driving down Broadway, we spotted the Grand Opening sign, and decided to check it out. Expect general Capitol Hill parking frustration.
Walking in, there is a hostess to greet you, and a roomy seating area with not only a kaiten belt, but a sushi bar with seating as well.
The belt was FULL of amazing looking rolls and small plates, with a wonderful assortment to choose from. Everything looked fresh and was presented well.
We perused the menu but decided to stick with just pulling from the belt.
Nothing disappointed! The servers were attentive (albeit their first day and didn’t always have an answer about menu items), prices were fair, and we left fat and happy :)
Needless to say we were back the next weekend and ordered a few menu items. The name of the roll ordered escapes me… it may have just been «spicy roll,» but it was an explosion of color and great flavor! (and it better be for $ 15 :P)
The tempura udon was delicious ($ 8.50, huge bowl!) and the ahi poke ($ 9.00) very nicely done. We could barely finish it all. Yum!
I think Saizen has the right idea, and in a few months will get comfortable and have all the little glitches worked out. I know I’ll be back to check the progress :)

This is the best kaiten sushi restaurant I have ever been to.
a) the conveyer belt was continuously full of new items.
b) both directions of the conveyer belt are within reaching distance, so you don’t have to wait forever for the item you want.
c) the fish is fresh (and not previously frozen!) and beautiful and delicious and I’m not scared to eat their sashimi like I am at Genki and Sushiland.
d) service was great and my huge water glass was refilled and the waitress came by to check on us twice.
The only downfall is that the prices are a bit higher than the other kaiten sushi restaurants, although it’s definitely worth the higher price with the quality and service.

The latest addition to restaurants in the Joulee apartment complex is another sushi-​go-​round. But wait, there’s more!
It also has sushi bar on one corner. I like the modern interior which has better appeal than Genki Sushi (also on Broadway) and more space than next door Aoki (yup, Broadway). But wait, there’s more!
It also has a table area for menu diners. The selection is good, but last night I wanna try what’s on the carousel.
The sushi and nigiri are better prepared than Genki. However, it must be the opening night jitters — a plate dropped, soy sauce bottle empty, I have to reach two seats out for wasabi and pickled ginger, the service has much to improve. I asked for shrimp tempura (I never get the one on the belt, which are always cold and makes the batter unappetizing). The server gave me a cold tempura. The display for price per plate is only on one side of the wall — the far side of the wall by the sushi bar — which was a challenge to see. It was half past 8 and not much variety is on the belt.
Genki is understaffed, this place, however, is overstaffed. Per my count: 6 servers, excluding front desk, 2 sushi bar chef, 3 kitchen staff, and 3 other who looks like managers watching the floor. There were about 10 diners.
Overstaffed. Underwhelmed. I’ll give it a try again. See if the variety and service improves long after the opening week.