Sora Sushi runs a special on conveyor belt sushi from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and select rolls from 3-5 p.m. 

Food

Sora Sushi reopened its conveyor belt on May 11 at its Redmond and Bend locations. The belt runs daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a happy hour special on black plates (considered the top tier sushi rolls) for $3.95 and green plates (second tier) for $2.95.

I arrived at the Redmond location a few days after the conveyor belt reopened. Most of the sushi rolling by looked the same, but I decided on two black plates. The raw fish on top of the rolls differed, but once the rolls were sitting directly in front of me I realized both had the same California roll filling of imitation crab, cucumber and avocado.

The filling inside tasted slightly sweet and the raw tuna and salmon on top were fresh. But I did have a tinge of regret. Since they were so similar, I wished I had only chosen one.

Several minutes later, I saw what I thought was a raw salmon roll with cream cheese. The salty scent wafting up towards my nose when I opened the lid told me I was wrong. I hadn’t chosen raw fish, but a smoked salmon roll. It tasted salty — even with a dollop of cream cheese.

As the plates traveled past me, there was not quite enough time to make a proper decision. I was still considering whether or not to grab the plate when all of a sudden it would be too late and the sushi was on its way for another loop around the restaurant or to someone else’s table.

My last choice was a roll, sliced and laid flat with sweet sushi sauce drizzled on top. The sauce slightly overwhelmed the raw salmon, cucumber and avocado inside, but the overall flavor was simple and delicious.

Just as I was finishing up, a number of plates with nigiri rolled by. The large chunks of salmon and tuna were tempting but unfortunately, I was no longer hungry.

If only I had waited a little bit longer.

Service

I was encouraged to seat myself and not long after that, the server brought out a glass of water. After that, I was mostly left to my own devices, but another server was quick to take care of my check when I grabbed his attention.

Atmosphere

It feels light, airy and comfortable inside. Photos of Japan line the walls and wooden light fixtures carved into the shape of fish hang from the ceiling.

More info

Location: 3853 SW 21st St. Suite 109, Redmond

Contact: 541-923-9867, www.sorasushiredmond8.com

Hours: 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. daily

Price Range: $2.95-$38.95

Happy Hours: 11 a.m to 4 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Happy Prices: Conveyor belt sushi is $3.95 for black plates and $2.95 for green plates from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and any two rolls from a select menu are $17.50 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Cuisine: Japanese