Uobei Sushi, owned by Genki Sushi Co., Ltd, is chain of sushi restaurants found all over Japan specializing in affordable but high-quality sushi. Their store in Shibuya, not far from the world-famous Shibuya Crossing, is known as Uobei Shibuya Dogenzaka.
Uobei isn’t your typical traditional Japanese sushi restaurant. Neither is it a conveyor belt or rotating sushi (kaiten-zushi) restaurant. At Uobei, they do things a little more high-tech. You order from a tablet, with plates starting at 100 yen, and your food arrives in front of you at lightning speed, thanks to a sushi train.
So you might wonder, should I visit Genki or Uobei? It doesn’t matter. While Uobei is slightly cheaper, they are the same other than the name.
If you are looking for more information about Tokyo and Japan, I highly recommend you pick up a guidebook such as Lonely Planet Best of Tokyo 2020
Table of Contents
Arriving at Uobei
While Genki might be the more popular option in Shibuya, Uobei always seems busy, especially during the dinner rush hours and on weekends. If you visit during these times, expect there to be a wait. With quick turnaround times, the lines usually move along quickly.
If you avoid peak hours, as I did, you can immediately walk in and find a seat.
Just like Shibuya, the interior of Uobei was bright and full of color.
Every seat in the restaurant was counter seating only. Cramped is how I describe it. You may not want to visit with a large group. If you are dining alone in Tokyo, Uobei would be a great option.
The ambiance was not your quiet, intimate dining experience. It was casual, boisterous, and fun. And it was loud. You had the sounds of customers, workers, and trains delivering plates of food and the non-stop clicking sound of the tablets.
How to order at Uobei
Many people think that Uobei is a conveyor belt or rotating sushi (kaiten-zushi) restaurant, but this is untrue. Though similar, at Uobei, items arrived by train. More of that shortly.
The staff will hand you a clipboard when your seat is available. At the top of the clipboard will be a number. This number is your seat number. Above each seat will be a corresponding number.
When you find your seat, you can begin ordering immediately. There is no need to wait for a server to take your order. All orders, including food and drinks, were made by tablet. Each seat had its tablet from which to order.
The menu on the tablet had nine sections: Set Menu/Limited Time Items, Nigiri Sushi, Gunkan-Maki/Sushi Rolls/Inari, Side Menu, Deserts, and Alcohol/Soft Drinks. Select the items you want, confirm your order, and press order. You could order up to three items at a time.
After a few minutes, your items will arrive by train. Think of it as a food delivery train system. It’s a cool experience, especially if it’s your first time.
Remove the plates from the train when your food arrives and press the blinking button. The empty train will return to the kitchen. It’s not something you see every day.
Order a drink through the tablet? A server will deliver it to you.
Green Tea and Condiments
Everything else you need will be on the table in front or above you. On the table were soy sauce, ginger, wasabi, pepper flakes, chopsticks, powdered green tea, cups for tea, and hand wipes.
The powdered green tea (matcha) was complimentary. Just grab a cup, add a few spoonfuls of power, and fill the cup with hot water from the dispenser.
Red Center of Bluefin Tuna
First up was the Red Center of Bluefin Tuna.
This tuna was bright and beautiful. And it tasted as great as it looked.
The bluefin tuna was thin and tender but still had some texture. It didn’t just fall apart or melt in my mouth. There weren’t any fat or hard-to-chew stringy bits. The flavor was mild with a slight fishy, salty taste.
While there was nothing wrong with this piece of sushi, it was simple, and it wasn’t worth the upcharge.
Salmon with Onion & Mayo
Uobei and Genki are well known for their interesting takes on sushi. The Salmon with Onion & Mayo is one of those interesting combinations.
Sliced white onions and mayonnaise topped the thin piece of salmon. The salmon was fresh with a mild salty flavor. Exactly how it should taste.
The sliced onions added a crunchy texture to the otherwise soft fish. The mayonnaise seemed strange initially, but the sauce added a rich, creamy flavor to the fresh salmon and spicy, crunchy onions.
Shrimp with Green Onion & Chili Oil
Next up was the Shrimp with Green Onion & Chili Oil. It looked beautiful.
The shrimp was basic, with a briny flavor to each bite. The shrimp had a great texture and a good bite, almost like steamed shrimp.
Topping the shrimp was a combination of chili oil and sesame oil. While the chili oil wasn’t spicy, it added a smoky flavor to the shrimp. I wanted more heat, especially with no wasabi. The sesame oil added a wonderful aroma, which I enjoyed.
While the thinly sliced green onions added a crunchy texture, I felt they were too stringy for me.
Scallop
The Scallop Nigiri Sushi was probably my favorite of the night. I love scallops, whether raw or cooked.
The fresh scallop was buttery and creamy. It just melted in my mouth. Though there was only one piece, the scallop was much thicker than I expected.
If you have never had raw scallops before, try it here. For the price, I felt like it was a steal.
Freshly Processed Yellowtail
I laughed a little when I noticed the name Freshly Processed Yellowtail, wondering if they freshly processed all the other items too.
Compared to the other sushi pieces, the yellowtail was very thin. The fish had a mild, delicate flavor, similar to the tuna. With such a mild flavor and with the piece so thin, it was hard to taste all the flavors of the fish.
I would skip the yellowtail next time. There were so many other great options on the menu with more flavor.
Seared Albacore with Pepper Mayo
The chef quickly seared the Seared Albacore with Pepper Mayo, similar to the Salmon with Onion & Mayo. The sear added a ton of flavor.
Not only was the fish seared, but so was the rice. This quick sear gave the sushi a great umami flavor. The smoky flavor complemented the rich and creamy pepper mayonnaise, while the pepper added a nice spicy kick without overpowering the albacore.
The albacore was fresh and buttery with a distinct smoky flavor. I usually want to taste all the fish flavors, but I was okay with the smoky flavor in this situation.
I only wish I had tried more of their seared sushi options.
Sweet Shrimp
Another one of my all-time favorite types of sushi is Sweet Shrimp. Sweet shrimp is always expensive, so I wasn’t expecting too much for the price.
While there was more rice than shrimp, the small amount of shrimp was still delicious and flavorful. Each piece was tender, almost melt-in-my-mouth. The flavor was a perfect balance of sweet and salty. I can never get enough of it.
As with the scallop and uni, there should have been one large piece of sweet shrimp rather than two smaller pieces.
Premium Fresh Sea Urchin (Uni)
Whenever I visit Japan, I love to sample some of the local sea urchin (known as uni in Japan). Some of the best and most expensive I ever had was in Hakodate in Northern Japan. I know I won’t find the best uni at a place like Uobei, but that didn’t keep me from trying it.
When I ordered the Premium Fresh Sea Urchin, my expectations were low considering the price. Uni is expensive. As with the scallop, there was only one piece of uni, which was understandable.
I immediately noticed a big difference between this uni and the one I had in Hakodate. High-quality uni is bright yellow or gold. This uni was closer to brown.
While the uni was creamy and rich, it didn’t melt in my mouth. It was slightly gritty. The flavor was also different. You want the flavor to be light and briny. The aftertaste was powerful, almost like a metallic flavor.
For the price, I can’t complain. I got some of the flavors of uni without shelling out $40. If you ever have an opportunity to try high-quality uni, I highly recommend it.
Tuna
Out of all the pieces of sushi I had, the Tuna might have been the most beautiful. The large pieces of tuna had a beautiful, deep, ruby-red color.
Unfortunately, while the pieces of tuna were large, they weren’t as flavorful or tender as I expected.
The meaty parts of the tuna were fine, similar to the bluefin tuna, but the white strings of fat running through the fish were somewhat chewy. Also, the tuna didn’t have as much flavor as I would have hoped for. The tuna tasted somewhat bland and had no wasabi. In other words, it was too plain for my liking.
Oyster Fries
Whenever I make a stop at Uobei or Genki, I make it a priority to order the Oyster Fries last. These panko-breaded, deep-fried oysters were delicious, especially for the price.
The thick, golden brown panko breading was perfect. Crunchy, flaky, and not too oily or rich.
Whenever I took a bite, there was an explosion of flavors. The salty juices of the slightly chewy oysters hidden inside immediately flowed out. I am getting hungry now just thinking about it.
The oyster fries were a perfect balance of crunchy panko breading, salty juices, and tender, chewy oysters.
Service
With ordering done by tablet at Uobei, the interaction with workers was limited. The workers I encountered were all friendly when arriving and departing, ordering drinks, and paying my bill.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a traditional Japanese sushi restaurant with only the freshest sushi hand-picked by the chef, then Uobei Sushi might not be the type of place you are looking for.
Uobei is a modern, high-tech, affordable, and fun place. Everyone needs to try a place like Uobei or Genki at least once.
Pros
- Large selection of affordable sushi
- Train food delivery system
- A great experience
Cons
- Expect a line during dinner hours and on weekends
- Many pieces of sushi were very thin
- No interaction with the sushi chefs (if this is something you care about)
Hours
Monday - Sunday: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Address
2-29-11 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
GPS Coordinates: 35.659467,139.697799
Map
Last Updated on February 9, 2025
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