On a blustery day in Penn Quarter, I discovered the meaning of “instant gratification.” Dashing indoors to escape the wind, I sat down to the revolving counter of Sushi-Go-Round as series of saran-wrapped bowls came down the line. The bowls sat on red-rimmed plates, meaning “$5 each.” Grabbing the first that passed, I found four long, delicate slices of eel neatly brushed with barbeque sauce and draped over a mound of rice. The rice was still steaming and seasoned with vinegar. Sprinkled on top were sesame seeds and a spoonful of briny masago (smelt roe), the small orange eggs that are Icelandic in origin but most popular in Japan. While I’d been inspecting my catch, a glass of water, wasabi and ginger, and chopsticks materialized courtesy of an unobtrusive waiter. I scooped up my first bite, feathery eel contrasting pleasantly with the grit of caviar against my tongue.

Heaven in under 60 seconds. Also: impulse shopping.

Dining in kaiten restaurants—where a conveyer-belt delivers a steady variety of small-plate options, dishes color-coded according to price—is one part novelty and one part efficiency. Yoshiaki Shiraishi opened the first kaiten in Osaka in 1958 after he was inspired watching beer bottles work their way through a brewery. The trend registered in Washington with the nearly simultaneous openings of Sushi-Go-Round (in the Chinatown neighborhood) and Wasabi (off Farragut Square).

Some purists scoff. But in a sense, sushi was always meant to be fast food. Mixing rice with fish during the preservation process was an ancient convenience that evolved into something tasty. Sushi became popular after World War II, when the industrial boom in occupied Japan necessitated lunches ready for large, on-the-go crowds. The best chefs learn to palm together a perfect piece of nigiri—shaping the rice bed with their fingertips, laying a slice of fish on top—in about five seconds.

When the fish is good, as is the salmon at Sushi-Go-Round, simple preparation is a treat. Three slices of salmon sashimi disappear instantly—one eaten plain to savor the mild, satiny sweetness, one stolen by my dinner partner, and one gathered up with shreds of daikon (white radish), dipped into soy sauce, and folded into the shiso leaf (edible garnish, a kind of Japanese mint). Both eel and sushi make delicious appearances in more complicated rolls as well, wrapped inside-out and layered with avocado.

A warning to novices: ingredients are not labeled, and a plate might pass by several times before you have the nerve to pick it up. The chefs should catch on that things heaped with chopped crab or bonito flakes go untouched partially because no one can see what is IN the roll; there were a few “mystery meals” every time I visited. Yet it isn’t a substantial problem because a kaiten menu focuses on reliable, recognizable and cost-effective favorites such as seaweed salad, shrimp tempura rolls and every conceivable spicy roll. The spicy rub is notable for its chipotle kick—a smoky, slow burn—rather than the usual juicy, front-of-the mouth fire. If you’re looking for octopus or uni, order it off their standard menu. When mackerel makes a surprise cameo (one chef seems to use it generously, another not at all) the oilier, saltier fish is slightly mushy but still flavorful, finished with a chewy sliver of seitan.

The tuna is the only true disappointment, deep purple in color, mealy and sour. Some plates were decorated with rosettes of tuna sashimi, an odd extravagance and a hint that someone knew the fish was subpar. It’s a bad sign when they’re willing to give it away. Also flawed was a garden roll of asparagus, lettuce, cucumber and avocado. Since most futomaki are obscenely swollen with veggies, I was happy to see these sized for an actual human mouth. But the lettuce, while adding pretty height in the presentation, is a bit bitter and overwhelming. A crunch of gobo (mountain carrot) or red pepper would have been better.

Those two vegetables, along with mushroom and kanpyo (marinated gourd), are traditional elements mysteriously absent from the carousel. But avocado lovers, rejoice—it’s the dominant accessory, creamy and a healthy green in pallor.

While you eat, you may notice wait staff leaving your dishes to stack up. This isn’t inattentiveness; it’s financial prudence. A “roll” in small-plate parlance means two or three pieces, instead of the standard six-piece maki. With most plates in the $3 to $5 range, the bill adds up quickly. For bargain-basement shoppers, $2 will get you three bites of a California roll (eh) or a crab dumpling, topped with black caviar and drizzled in wasabi mayo (worth a shot).

Think of this as Las Vegas: sure, you’ll lose money on the tables, but you pay the tariff for entertainment. Plucking plates off the line is just plain fun.

When I asked the waiter if they had a sake selection, he said, “Oh, yes. Hot or cold?” Not exactly the range I was hoping for. The hot sake decanters are beautiful Murano-style glass but overly wide-mouthed, allowing drinks to cool too rapidly. Cold sake (Hakushika brand) fares better, served with its own icing system. I was happiest with a draft Sapporo.

If drink variety falters, food variety succeeds. In addition to the full sushi menu there are a la carte options for tempura and teppanyaki, brought to the counter (the “tapas” referred to in the name). Tempura is a light, not-too-greasy way to pad a meal with sweet potato, eggplant or chicken—fearers of raw food, take note. “Teppanyaki” indicates things grilled on an iron griddle, and I liked the use of shorter skewers, more like cocktail forks, instead of the usual (and unapproachable) 8-inch stakes. The most conceptually promising item, scallops wrapped in bacon, let me down on multiple attempts with undercooked pork. Luckily a waitress steered me to the real treat by recommending the shitake teppanyaki. These savory mushrooms were briefly seared on the grill, placed in a mellow soy broth, and served over mixed greens. The dish was lovely, and a refreshing break from fish.

Sushi-Go-Round is tucked into the Gallery Place entertainment complex, under a Clyde’s and next to a Bed Bath & Beyond. At times it has a palpable “mall” atmosphere, and the music selection is pure flashback. One night all we hear is the early ‘90s pop of Letters to Cleo and the Cranberries; another day it is Cyndi Lauper and Barbara Streisand, circa 1987.  The hermetic sliding doors seal out drafts, atrium noise and, occasionally, potential customers who pull and push helplessly at the glass.

All that is easy snarking. So this isn’t the ideal place for a candlelit dinner proposal. (If you snuck a diamond ring onto one of those little plates, someone would snatch it up before it ever reached your girlfriend.) But this is a great place to bring a friend or not-so-significant other. The centrality of Sushi-Go-Round is key—a restaurant for people on the go needs to be near places they are going to. As your meal wraps up, skip the decent but perfunctory cheesecake and pumpkin pie, sitting obediently on the conveyer belt. Head out to any of the fun things within 50 paces: a basketball game at the Verizon Center, bowling at Lucky Strike or a movie upstairs.

Maybe if you pick up your friend’s bill for sushi, he’ll buy your ticket.  After all – what goes around, comes around.

Sushi-Go-Round & Tapas
705 Seventh St. NW
202-393-2825