See it before you eat it at Sushi Station

If you're like me, sometimes you're stumped about what to order in a new restaurant - especially when it's something like sushi, which you might not be all that familiar with.

The folks at the new Sushi Station restaurant along Randall Road in Elgin have a solution.

The restaurant uses a Kaiten Sushi concept, where the food is served on a conveyor belt.

Each dish passes before you, letting you see what you're going to eat before you take it.

When you walk into the restaurant, you get a seat in front of the conveyor belt, and the food moves in front of you. Near the food is a little sheet, telling you what you're thinking of eating.

As soon as you're seated, you can start picking. You pick what you want and are charged based on the color of the plates you choose.

So, if you've never tried sushi, you get to see what it looks like before you try it.

And once you see it, if you're still not ready to eat raw fish, there are plenty of other things you can try, owner Aki Yuki said. For example, he said, the restaurant offers items such as Texas rolls, shredded Cajun chicken and vegetarian items.

But for experienced sushi eaters and new daredevils, they also have fresh fish flown in daily and use ingredients such as king crab and eel.

"We tend to accommodate sushi connoisseurs, as well as beginners. Because it does go by you, you get to see what you are going to eat before you get it, instead of just waiting until it comes to you," he said.

In all it takes about 18 minutes for the entire array of food to make a revolution, with the food moving at about 10 centimeters per second. As it travels, it goes at the perfect speed, allowing you to look, decide and take, without getting bored waiting for the next dish, Yuki said.

"It's like fast food speed, but with a much higher quality," he said. "Our motto is affordable, fresh and fast."

Many sushi fans are rejoicing at the restaurant's presence along the Randall Road corridor.

They've tried Sushi Station before in Rolling Meadows and are happy to see the restaurant join the corridor.

In fact, Yuki said, the restaurant's first 20 customers were regulars at their other location.

And a developer of The Grove, where the restaurant is located, is a big fan of the restaurant, he said.

"We were definitely looking at an area that didn't have a lot of sushi," Yuki said. "We knew people wanted us out here."

For details, visit the restaurant's web site at www.sushistation.us/english.

Gas Fighter special: With gas prices topping $4 a gallon, Garibaldi's owner Stephen Carlson is hoping to give consumers a little break this summer when they eat out.

This summer, he's offering up a new "Gas Fighter" special at his popular Randall Road Italian eatery in Carpentersville.

All day, every day, he's selling his much-craved 16-inch cheese pizzas for $8.99. There is no coupon necessary, he said.

Carlson said he knows how tough it can be for some people in this economy, and he wanted to offer a special that would allow families to still dine out, and enjoy a night out together eating delicious food.

In addition to the pizza specials, he said, he also has several new lunch specials in his restaurant.

Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from South Elgin to Crystal Lake. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or at (847) 894-5036.