Genki Sushi, Chinatown Point

We have the most delightful couple of interns at our company and one of them is currently on a project with me. Naturally one of our common topics is food and like me, she's a fan of Japanese food as well. She loved Genki Sushi and it's almost cute to see her rave about it on a weekly basis.

When she first mentioned Genki Sushi, my first reaction was, Aren't they dead? Cue flashbacks of sad lunches at Forum Shopping Centre and International Plaza. She sure caught my attention one day when she said, "I think I prefer Genki Sushi to Sushi Tei." I don't want to sound territorial but it seemed like a challenge thrown at my end and I was more than happy to accept it.

The last few times I visited Genki Sushi, it was a tired and insipid conveyor belt chain so a few things stood out to me on a recent visit to their Chinatown Point branch.

These days, they have gone down the high-tech-or-highway route and invested in gadgets such as iPad menus and train serving systems. Gimmick or gizmo? Gee, you be the judge.

Though I have had far less satisfactory iPad experiences at Hai Di Lao and Menya Musashi, Genki Sushi's iPad ordering system was a breeze to use. The only catch is you can only up to four items each time and it is easy to get carried away (like we did) and rack up a bill; that said, I later realised you can check your bill on the iPad too.

After confirming your order, made to order items are sent to your table via a Shinkasen train. Please remember to press the button to return the train back to the kitchen or risk getting told off like a student at assembly (like me, boo).

Most items on the average conveyor belt are well, less than optimal from a freshness point of view and since our food was mostly made upon order, the freshness was undeniable.

Aburi salmon with pollack roe was a clear favourite that afternoon - we had seconds and would definitely order this again on future visits.

Another sushi that wowed us was the seared fluke fin.

The otoro was a relative bargain and likely repeat in the future.

The only meh sushi was the Ahi, which was more like, "A-bye."

The hamachi sashimi was a little sad but the amaebi was peaching pleasant.

We order a few agemono items that were all freshly made and warm to the touch upon arrival. Plus kewpie makes the world conveyor belt go round.

Love deep-fried oysters! These were insanely satisfying.

Another pleasing dish that we meant to order for Russell but we ended up eating 80% of it. Little man has a small appetite - he definitely didn't inherit that from me.

Squid arm that reminded me of my beloved squid head fritters from Old Chang Kee but these were sadly on the tough side.

We would not have ordered a don if not for Russell as they are usually stomach-fillers. However, we cleaned out this tendon of last bit of grain and tempura crumb. The one thing that really stood out for me was the Koshihikari rice used. I don't usually expect much from the rice used at sushi chains but this is a game changer in my books.

I won't proclaim Genki Sushi to be better than Sushi Tei as the menu at Sushi Tei offers great variety and a less sterile ambience but this was a great welcome-back visit and I'm happy we have an alternative when it comes to affordable sushi.