Vacations are finite things, so when a friend from Japan said, “Ooh, you should try kaitenzushi!” when I was planning my trip, I was happy to tell her that I’d already had one of Japan’s most famous: Kura . Admittedly, when I rolled into Kura’s first Orlando location back in May of 2023, I was skeptical. Really, I wanted to see the robot waiter. I didn’t expect much from the food, but wow! The selections were fresh, with hot items zipping straight to your table via conveyor after a quick tablet order, and way more fun than I’d bargained for. Empty plates deposited at the table rack up points and before you know it: BOOM! Out comes a prize! Plus-ultra eatertainment (and a killer, deep-fried taiyaki that’s museum-of-art beautiful and state-fair decadent). Re: Kyuramen — It’s cute. And with those neat, little booths tucked into the honeycomb, and private nooks alongside, more atmospheric and potentially date-nighty than most chain restaurants, but none of that would matter even a little if I didn’t dig the food so much. In particular, the hangover-worthy omurice and genuinely tasty Kyushu tonkatsu shio ramen with black garlic. Batting cleanup (with margaritas!): Torchy’s Tacos . Fun food. Fun place. Has a bar. And a sense of humor. I dug it.
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