Don Don Donki Opens Conveyor Belt Sushi Restaurant, Has Epic Shrimp Cocktail Chawanmushi

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Called Sen Sen Sushi, its made-to-order sushi concept is not new, as the Japanese discount chain previously launched it at its Jurong Point outlet last November before bringing it to the Paya Lebar Quarter store.

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Conveyor belt sushi

But what is new is the restaurant’s expanded, upscale-looking dine-in space and high-speed conveyor belt order delivery system. Instead of a few tables placed at a sectioned-off corner of a Don Don Donki store, Jem’s Sen Sen Sushi restaurant can fit 134 pax with an assortment of booth and counter seats.

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‘Shinkansen’ sushi delivery 

Like at Sushiro or Genki Sushi, your orders are speedily delivered to you via a ‘Shinkansen’ rushing down the conveyor belt. While there isn’t ready-made sushi rotating around the belt, customers can order food by scanning a QR code.

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And here is what it looks like at the kitchen end of the conveyor belt, before the train zooms out to the tables.

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For those who enjoy watching sushi chefs at work, you can also plonk yourself at the 12-seat counter where sushi is made on the spot and served directly to you.

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House-made sushi rice

The shari (sushi rice) here is made with Koshiibuki grains (a premium type of Japanese rice). It is mixed with a proprietary blend of red vinegar and daiginjo vinegar, so the rice balls — which are formed by hand in-house — have a reddish brown hue.

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The menu prices

Prices start from $2.50 for a single piece of nigiri sushi topped with ingredients like Red Clam and Swordfish. But most of the a la carte, made-to-order sushi here average around $2.80 to $3.50 a piece, with picks like Seared Salmon with Mentaiko Mayo ($3.50/pc), Bluefin Tuna Akami ($3.50/pc), Scallops ($3.50/pc) and Salmon Roll ($3.50 for eight small pieces).

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Wagyu and uni sushi

For more luxe options, there are sushi picks like Seared Wagyu with Sea Urchin (pictured, $8.80/pc), Tempura Squid ($4.80/pc), Seared Bluefin Tuna Otoro ($4.80/pc) and Fresh Sea Urchin with Ikura ($9.80/pc).

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Set meals

There are reasonably-priced set meals too. Each set comes with a warm chawanmushi and clam miso soup, like the Tsukiji Set (pictured, $13.80), which gets you six pieces of sushi like Horse Mackerel, Tuna and Squid. 

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You can also go for the Okinawa Set ($19.80), which has conger eel sushi and tamagoyaki.

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Oshi Sushi Set, $6.80

The restaurant also serves Osaka-style oshi sushi, where rice and toppings are pressed into a long rectangular wooden box to create a distinctive compressed shape. You can get a la carte pieces or an Oshi Sushi Set ($6.80) with four kinds of toppings like eel, shrimp and salmon.

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Shrimp chawanmushi

There is the typical sushi restaurant chawanmushi here ($2.80), but we are pretty entertained by this over-the-top Japanese Steamed Egg with Shrimp ($12.80), which arrives like a steakhouse shrimp cocktail with over a dozen shrimps and the scallop, crabstick and edamame-loaded chawanmushi hidden underneath. Hilariously epic. The Seared Salmon Belly ($5.80) here is not bad too. 

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Baked sweet potato with ice cream 

For dessert, there is a selection of matcha ice cream and mille crepe cakes, but we say go for the Baked Sweet Potato with Vanilla Ice Cream ($5.80), which has half of Don Don Donki's famous baked tuber topped with torched caramelly creme brûlée-style custard and a scoop of ice cream. Very fun.

Sen Sen Sushi Jem opens 28 Jul, 2023, 11am at #03-27/29 Jem, 50 Jurong Gateaway Rd, S608549. Open daily 11am-10pm (last order at 9.30pm). www.dondondonki.com.

Photos: Yip Jieying

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