Kura Sushi's Times Avenue store in Kaohsiung sits near Dream Mall — a standalone Japanese-style building set at an angle beside Zhongshan Road, impossible to miss and every bit the global flagship. All in all: fair prices, a bright and roomy dining space, and capsule toys and mini games that add to the fun — a great experience and perfect for family meals. The food itself, though, is ordinary sushi; personally I do not find it much different from Sushiro, though it is more refined than Sushi Express, so keep your culinary expectations in check. Also note the 60-minute dining limit — plenty of time to eat, but if you want to linger and chat, you will probably get moved along once you are done, so keep that in mind if you like to sit a while.

Heads-up: you really must book ahead here — otherwise there is no telling when you will get seated as a walk-in. Kura Sushi takes reservations via E-Pai-Ke (link here), so definitely reserve before you go!

Kura Sushi Kaohsiung Times Avenue: Global Flagship Store

• Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Ambience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Food: ⭐⭐⭐
• Average spend: about NT$400 to NT$500 per person
• Google rating: 4.1 stars
• Restroom: available

Getting There

Getting here is extremely easy: take the MRT to Kaisyuan Station and Exit 3 brings you right to the door, or ride the light rail to Cianjhen Star Station and it is about a 5-minute walk. There is also a dedicated parking lot, so driving or riding a scooter is just as convenient.

Dining Environment

Unlike your typical conveyor belt sushi joint, the space here is bright and open with Japanese-style decor throughout. Every booth has its own curtain for privacy while you eat — a touch I think they got absolutely right — and the waiting area has plenty of seats while you wait for your table,

How to Order｜Menu

Ordering is done mainly by tablet. For hygiene reasons, Kura Sushi does not load the conveyor belt with lots of ready-made plates the way Sushiro and Sushi Express do, so most people order from the tablet. The menu is also available online, and anything without a marked price is NT$40, which makes it easy to estimate your bill. (Online menu: link here)

Nigiri, Fried Bites, Soups & Ramen

The selection is huge, and overall it tastes much like Sushiro — and definitely better than Sushi Express (the fish is a bit thicker-cut and fresher). The lineup covers nigiri sushi, soups, ramen, fried items and desserts.

The signature yuzu tuna nigiri was disappointingly sinewy — really hard to chew. The other sushi was decent; my family loved the mackerel nigiri, so give that a try. The fried shrimp and the ramen are both worth ordering. The clam miso soup is almost identical to Sushi Express's (the clams look suspiciously alike), but it is tasty, so soup lovers should get it. The desserts did nothing for me — I prefer Sushiro's shaved ice.

Capsule Toys & Mini Games｜Extra Fun at the Table

Finished sushi plates go into a return slot at your table, and for every five plates the system automatically runs a capsule-toy draw. We won 2 out of 5 draws this visit — about a 40% hit rate, which seems pretty generous! With some luck you will get a game voucher inside; after your meal, take it to the game room beside the lobby, where you can choose between a shooting game and a lucky draw. If you actually care about winning a prize, just do the lucky draw — the shooting game takes real skill, so you might as well leave it to pure luck.

The nigiri-shaped Pisuke (P助) keychain we won from the capsule is absolutely adorable — my family loves it.

Kura Sushi Times Avenue Global Flagship: Store Info

• [Address] No. 11, Zhongshan 3rd Road, Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung 806 (Google Maps link)
• [Hours] Monday to Friday 10:00~22:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:30~22:00
• [Closed] over Lunar New Year and holidays — check the Facebook page for announcements
• [Reservations] E-Pai-Ke booking
• [Facebook page] Kura Sushi - Kaohsiung Times Avenue
• [Instagram] Kura Sushi - Kaohsiung Times Avenue

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