Photo: Sushi Train

Sushi Takahashi in Portland, Oregon follows the conveyor belt sushi convention – cheap, color-coded plates of nigiri, tempura, and spindly spider rolls circulate endlessly in front of diners seated at an oval shaped counter. Takahashi differs, however, in its use of a speedy model train to deliver its fresh catch. Fifteen flatbed train cars of sushi, clickety-clacking in a non-stop loop, is mesmerizing and charming, a juvenile pleasure mixed with a decidedly adult cuisine. But it’s also perilously fragile, taking little more than a wandering chopstick or napkin on the tracks to derail the entire train, sending forty plates of salmon, tuna and rice into the laps of unlucky diners. I’ve been witness to four derailments in ten years and like the NASCAR fan waiting for a crash, the spectacle is as rewarding as it is messy. Well worth a little unagi in your lap.