A new revolving sushi restaurant is on its way to St. Louis called Sakatanoya Revolving Sushi & Ramen Bar. Located at 6683 Delmar Blvd., in University City, the restaurant is currently slated to open in February. The eatery is coming to the area from owner HongMing “Anthony” Wang, a recent college graduate with a background in design and restaurant industry experience.
Wang, who is 22, said he grew up in the restaurant business since his parents own a restaurant, and at the age of 16, he helped open a Chinese restaurant with his uncle in California. Although he recently graduated from Parsons School of Design, a private art and design institution located in New York’s Greenwich Village, Wang decided to take his life experiences and combine it, along with inspiration from living abroad, into his own restaurant.
“I lived in Japan for one year back in 2020, and I loved the culture. I wanted to bring a restaurant like that to the U.S.,” said Wang.
And the kind of restaurant Wang is referring to is a revolving sushi bar, which originated in Japan, but the concepts have slowly made their way to cities across the U.S. Sakatanoya Revolving Sushi & Ramen Bar will be the first revolving sushi eatery to open in St. Louis, according to Wang.
The design of the 3,300-square-foot interior will feature a two-tiered, revolving conveyor belt that will serve as a delivery system. Guests can order from a tablet at their table and the belts will make their way through the restaurant’s dining area, bringing food and drinks to guests at their tables.
When it comes to food selections, the sushi menu will focus on new and exciting flavor pairings and an interplay of textures, like blue crab wrapped in salmon and deep-fried crispy rice topped with salmon.
“We’re trying to create new dishes that can be appetizers,” he explained of the offerings.
Classic sushi rolls will also be on the menu, such as California and spicy tuna rolls. Other menu items will include ramen and entrees like the Japanese rice bowl dish donburi, along with yakitori, a Japanese dish that contains skewered grilled meat served with a dipping sauce. The eatery will also have a selection of authentic Japanese desserts, although the offerings are still being planned out.
In addition to the food and desserts, Wang intends to have a full bar, as well as a unique cocktail concept. Details are still being developed, but on Friday and Saturday nights, the kitchen will close and the conveyor belts will deliver guests smaller-sized cocktails, during which time the concept will operate as an “all-you-can-drink” bar. Wang sees the evening bar concept as a place the 21-and-up crowd at nearby Washington University will want to gather with friends to enjoy drinks.
The interior renovations are currently underway, and the decor will feature a modern and minimalist style, that will focus on darker tones and wood accents, along with exposed ductwork and suspended lighting fixtures above the tables.
“I designed the interior myself,” Wang said of the aesthetic.
The architectural plans haven’t been completely finalized yet, but Wang did confirm that the bar area is expected to offer seating for just over a dozen people, while the dining area will have around 28 tables that will be able to seat between four to six guests per table.
This article appears in November 2024.