Go East

Just got back from lunch at East. This is my favorite near-work lunch spot. It is a chain of Japanese restaurants in the New York area. This particular locale, the only one I have been to, has a center prep-area enclosed by a conveyor belt. (Their other locales might have conveyors too, but I'm not sure.) The belt rolls by long bars with mounted stools, and a handful of booths. Sushi and other yummy treats coast by on small, color-coded plates. A white plate costs $1.00, pink $1.50, green $2.00, red $2.50, etc.... You can order from a menu, or a la carte, or you can simply sit there and pluck plates from the belt. It looks something like this, but more appetizing.

The prices are good to begin with. Most of the basics (tuna, salmon, whitefish, eel, crabstick, etc...) cost $2-$3 for a plate with two pieces. And there are many roll plates, with half a roll (3 pieces), for $1.50-$3. They do charge more for things like yellowtail, toro, etc... but the prices are generally good for the basics. In addition to all of the basics, they always have some interesting new things to try. Special combo rolls, Japanese desserts, potato fritters, bean cakes, etc...

The real coup at East, though, is their Monday and Tuesday discount program. Monday all tuna items are half-priced, and Tuesday all salmon items are half-priced. So on a day like today, I was pulling white plates with two pieces of salmon off the belt for $1. You can't beat that. Granted, the fish is not Tomoe or Blue Ribbon quality, but it is always fresh and good. And certainly a good value. And maybe it's because I am a kid at heart (or maybe it's because I am a fat-kid at heart...) but I get a kick out of just sitting there, watching all the plates roll by on the conveyor belt. Not to mention the chuckle I get when I am reminded of the scene from the Johnny English trailer where Rowan Atkinson gets his tie caught in a similar contraption at a Japanese restaurant. (Trailer chuckle aside, I have yet to bother with the movie.)

The cherry on top of this coolness sundae (made with green tea ice cream, of course) is the East Club. To join the East Club you fill out a sign-up form and fork over $20. In return, you get $20 in gift certificates (2 $10 certs) and a membership card that entitles you to 10% off all meals for a year. Basically, you get 10% off for signing up. So those white plates with two pieces of salmon I was so psyched to pay $1 really cost me 90 cents. Does it get any better than that? Not in my world.

One word of caution. I have never been there for dinner. I'm not sure what kind of traffic they get, and I would be reluctant to take from the conveyor belt at dinner. If you go in the evening, make sure to order from the waiter, and have your sushi cut fresh. A la carte prices are the same as from the belt, so there is no harm in ordering from a waiter. It's just not nearly as fun. As for me, Tuesday lunch can be a real treat. Me, a mounted stool, a book, some tea, some water, and lots of good, inexpensive sushi.