Serious Eats
At Tokyo's Ushio, Order Sushi Without Saying a Word
When you sit at the sushi bar chances are you'll end up chatting with your sushi chef. This interaction is one benefit of sitting close to the action—you can easily express your preferences, find out what's fresh, and develop a nice rapport. If you're not one for small talk, though, you may like the new standing sushi bar Ushio, located at Shinagawa Station in Tokyo, where you can order sushi without uttering a single syllable.
How it works: Rows of tokens—each labeled with a kind of fish or beverage and marked with its price—are neatly stacked on the counter. Want some freshwater eel and tuna? Grab the anago and maguro coins and toss 'em in your personal tray. The sushi chef will take a look at the coins in your tray and wordlessly serve you your food.
Don't read Japanese? Not an issue: The English translation is also written on each token. It may not be the most traditional sushi bar experience, but it's certainly tourist-friendly and won't have you fumbling every few minutes for your English-Japanese dictionary. [via Watashi to Tokyo]