All you can eat sushi restaurants offer diners the chance to enjoy unlimited quantities of sushi for a fixed price. For sushi lovers, this provides an irresistible opportunity to indulge. While it may seem easy to consume plate after plate of sushi, there are strategies you can use to help maximize your food intake and get the most value for your money at an all you can eat sushi restaurant.
Come Hungry
The most important tip is to come to the restaurant extremely hungry. Having an empty stomach will allow you to eat more right off the bat before you start feeling full. Avoid eating anything substantial in the hours leading up to your all you can eat sushi dinner. Consider fasting for a few hours beforehand or having just a light snack to curb hunger pangs. Arriving ravenously hungry sets you up to packing away sushi rolls immediately.
Hydrate
Drink plenty of water before and during your meal. Being well-hydrated prevents you from mistaking thirst for hunger. Plus, the water will fill your stomach temporarily so you can eat more before reaching that overly full feeling. Water also aids digestion, allowing you to empty your stomach faster for your next round of sushi. Green tea is another hydrating option that can be ordered at the restaurant.
Pick Your Plates Strategically
Carefully select sushi rolls that are low in rice and high in protein and vegetables. For example, sashimi (slices of raw fish) has no rice while some rolls are wrapped in cucumber or soy paper rather than rice. Load up on these rice-light options first to benefit from the nutrients and fill up with less starch and calories. Then move on to more rice-heavy rolls.
Go Slow
Take your time eating to allow your stomach to register fullness. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the signal that you are no longer hungry. Devouring your sushi too quickly can sabotage your efforts to eat more since you’ll feel uncomfortably stuffed sooner. Savor each piece and pause between orders.
Use Condiments
Take advantage of any flavored condiments offered to refresh your taste buds, like pickled ginger, wasabi, or soy sauce. Resetting your palate helps you avoid flavor fatigue or boredom with the taste of sushi. You’ll be able to enjoy more pieces without sushi fatigue. Just watch your sodium intake with soy sauce.
Rest Between Rounds
Take breaks between eating rounds by chatting with your dining companions or sipping some tea. Let your food settle before fetching another stack of sushi plates. These short rest periods allow your stomach to make room for additional food intake.
Wear Loose Clothing
Dress comfortably in light, loose attire to allow your stomach to expand without restriction for fitting in higher quantities of sushi. Tight waistbands from pants or belts create pressure that can limit space for food. Flowy tops also help conceal a food baby bulge.
Avoid Filling Dips
Skip creamy, heavy dips for your sushi that can fill you up quickly with fat and calories without much nutrition, like cheese and oil-based sauces. Stick to lighter dipping options like soy sauce, wasabi, or ginger to prevent fast feelings of fullness.
Strategize Ordering
Survey all the available sushi options first before ordering. Plan out which rolls you want to eat in which combinations and orders to maximize variety and fresh flavors. Avoid ordering too much fried or creamy sushi first as these can make you feel overly full too quickly.
Focus on Protein
Center your meal around sushi options with the highest protein content which will keep you feeling satisfied longer:
- Tuna sushi
- Salmon sushi
- Shrimp sushi
- Seafood salad rolls
- Sashimi
Eat Dessert First
If the restaurant offers dessert sushi, eat those pieces first when your appetite is strongest then move on to savory rolls. Sweet options like fruit or chocolate sushi will satisfy your initial cravings so you have more room later for additional servings of conventional sushi.
Stack Your Plate
Maximize each plate or bowl of sushi by carefully arranging as many pieces as possible in each serving. Strategize stacking them into piles vertically to efficiently use space instead of laying everything flat. This allows you to retrieve larger quantities of sushi in fewer trips.
Go During Off-Peak Hours
Plan your all you can eat sushi outing for weekday or early weekend hours when restaurants tend to be less crowded. You’ll likely receive quicker service with shorter waits between ordering rounds. Less competition also means more availability of popular items that may run out during busy shifts.
Pace Yourself
Finding a steady rhythm is key to eating a lot of sushi over an extended meal. Alternate between eating rounds of sushi then resting periods. Consume food slowly enough to register fullness between multiple courses. Stopping before feeling miserably overstuffed also reduces chances of getting cut off by the restaurant.
Make Reservations
Book reservations where possible to ensure you get a table and receive prompt attention. All you can eat sushi places with long waits or standing room only will cut into your eating time. Reserving ahead provides assurance you can maximize your time for focusing on food intake.
Avoid Distractions
Focus fully on the task at hand: eating endless amounts of sushi. Refrain from activities that can disrupt your food marathon like taking phone calls, watching TVs in the restaurant, or having involved conversations with your company. Limiting distractions lets you concentrate on strategically working through plate after plate.
Bring Antacids
Come armed with indigestion relief medications like Tums, Pepto-Bismol, or other antacids. No matter how strategically you pace yourself, serious sushi consumption can strain your digestive tract. Having these antacids on hand means discomfort won’t force you to cut your meal short.
Travel Light
Avoid having bulky bags, jackets, or layers with you that take up space in your booth. Travelling light ensures you have room to spread out sushi plates and comfortably eat more. Extra items crowding your tabletop can limit how much food you unpack.
Research Restaurants
Not all all you can eat sushi restaurants are equally generous with portions or serve top-notch fare. Read reviews and look for places praised for fresh quality sushi, speedy service, and lack of plate limits. Check policies ahead of time too regarding takeout options for leftovers.
Bring a Sapphire Card
Some sushi restaurants offer special discounts or unlimited dining deals for Sapphire credit card holders. Research ahead whether your card can score you a promotional offer to maximize savings on your all you can eat experience. Earning reward points on a giant sushi bill can be nice too!
Invite Friends
Making your epic sushi feast a group outing can provide meal motivation and cost savings. Having companions order additional plates means you can sample more variety across the table. Splitting the bill also reduces the individual price with higher collective consumption.
Pre-Scope Options
Do online menu research beforehand to have an eating strategy in place. Identify must-try rolls and ideal tasting orders. You don’t want to waste time hemming and hawing over options when you could be eating. Come armed with sushi intelligence to expedite ordering.
Mind Your Manners
While the goal is eating with abandon, exercise some etiquette so you don’t get kicked out for rowdy behavior. Don’t stack plates too high, hoard extra side dishes, or make a mess. Pace yourself discreetly and follow ordering policies to avoid causing a spectacle or offending other diners.
Plan Transportation
All that sushi will leave you pretty food comatose, so take public transportation or Uber to avoid any risks of driving while dangerously full. You also don’t want to limit food intake by having to drive yourself home from the restaurant after overindulging.
Bring Tupperware
If allowed, come equipped with large tupperware containers so you can pack up leftover sushi to enjoy later. Feast on take-home sushi the next day to double your consumption bang for your buck. Just don’t forget to tip on your original pre-takeout bill amount!
Conclusion
Gorging yourself with endless sushi may sound easy, but executing a successful all you can eat sushi strategy requires some finesse. Following these tips can help you make the most of the meal deal by packing away roll after roll until you’re fit to burst, all while avoiding getting booted for rowdy behavior. Come hungry, pace yourself, stay hydrated, choose wisely, take breaks, and don’t be shy requesting refills to get your money’s worth. With the right preparation and pace, an evening of boundless sushi can be yours to devour. Just be sure to have some antacids on hand for afterward!
