Genki Sushi at City Square Mall is the Kitchener Road outpost of the kaiten (revolving) sushi brand that started it all — founder Fumio Saito pioneered conveyor-belt sushi back in 1968, and today Genki Sushi Singapore operates 21 outlets island-wide with more to come. The idea has stayed the same across six decades: quality, contemporary Japanese cuisine at an excellent value, with a bit of technology doing the legwork.
What sets a Genki visit apart is the Kousoku Train. Alongside the familiar revolving belt, a double-rail express carries dishes you have ordered straight to your table, placed through the chain's BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) system from your own phone. It is fast, a little bit of theatre, and the brand says the train is greatly adored by Genki fans.
The menu covers the kaiten sushi classics: nigiri, aburi (seared) sushi, gunkan — the ikura gunkan headlines that category — maki rolls and temaki handrolls, sashimi, appetisers, sides like the okonomiyaki skewer, desserts, donburi and noodles including ebi tempura udon, plus the hearty Dai Man Zoku range. The foundations are taken seriously too: 100% premium Japanese rice imported directly from Japan, vinegar from Gifu Prefecture specially formulated for Singapore, and premium shoyu from a producer with a 200-year history.
Beyond dine-in, there are takeaway sushi platters such as the Salmon Deluxe Set, and Genki Sushi offers island-wide delivery through its own online store as well as foodpanda and GrabFood.
Genki Sushi's City Square Mall outlet sits at #02-37/38 of the shopping centre on Kitchener Road, bringing the brand's take on kaiten — revolving — sushi to this part of Kallang. It is one of 21 Genki Sushi outlets across Singapore, a chain built on an idea that dates back to 1968 and still shows up on every plate: good sushi, delivered in a way that makes people smile.
The Genki story begins with Fumio Saito, a 24-year-old sushi chef who dreamed of a modern sushi restaurant with an unusual feature he called 'kaiten' — literally, 'revolving'. In December 1968 he pioneered the revolving conveyor belt, pairing traditional sushi with modern technology. The idea caught on: kaiten sushi became a household name across Japan, Genki Sushi Co. Ltd was established in 1990 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1991, and the brand went international from 1992, with outlets today in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, the Philippines, China, Australia, Cambodia, Thailand, Hawaii and Singapore.
Innovation did not stop at the belt. In 2008 Genki launched the first 'Kousoku Express' store in Japan, and in 2011 Genki Sushi re-entered Singapore at Orchard Central as the first sushi restaurant here to deliver sushi via that system — and the first 'Kousoku' Genki outside Japan.
At the table, that heritage is easy to see. Alongside the familiar kaiten belt, dishes ordered through Genki's BYOD — Bring Your Own Device — system are delivered by the Kousoku Train, a double-rail express that carries food straight to diners' seats. It is quick, a little theatrical, and, by the company's own telling, greatly adored by Genki fans. Tap in your order on your own phone and watch it make its entrance.
The menu runs broad and comfortably familiar. There is nigiri sushi, aburi (seared) sushi and gunkan — the ikura gunkan fronts that range — plus maki rolls and temaki handrolls, sashimi, appetisers, sides (the okonomiyaki skewer appears among the light bites) and desserts. Dai Man Zoku, a name that translates roughly as 'total satisfaction', is the hearty signature range. Rice and noodles cover the donburi and noodle dishes, with the ebi tempura udon among them. For gatherings, takeaway sushi platters such as the Salmon Deluxe Set pack the belt into a box.
Underneath it all is a stated mission: value-for-money sushi without compromising on quality. It shows in the foundations — the shari is 100% premium Japanese rice imported directly from Japan, the su is vinegar from Gifu Prefecture specially formulated for Singapore, and the shoyu comes from a producer with a 200-year history.
The City Square Mall branch offers dine-in, takeaway platters and, for nights in, island-wide delivery through Genki Sushi's own online store as well as foodpanda and GrabFood. Promotions rotate — recent campaigns include the 'Kyushu Adventure' and a Genki Sushi Lunch Set — and there is a membership programme for regulars. The company is also notably open about hiring, welcoming candidates with no experience and providing on-the-job training.
Whether you come for the fish or for the train, Genki Sushi at City Square Mall keeps things simple: sit down, tap your order, and let dinner arrive.