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YO! Sushi opening in Flatiron, bringing the conveyor belt restaurant chain to NYC

Why ask someone to bring you your food when you can just snag whatever looks good off a conveyor belt?

Such is the experience at YO!, the first New York City outpost of the chain that brought kaiten, or conveyor belt sushi, to the United Kingdom, opening March 16. The menu features 83 items – standard sushi, “aburi sushi” that has been seared, kushi katsu (deep fried veggies and meats), ramen and soba, bao and more. If that seems a little overwhelming, the menu highlights a few recommendations from the chef – including the Nori Taco, an item exclusive to the Manhattan menu.

“What we’ve done is try to do the best menu, so we’ve mixed it up completely. New York’s a food revolution, it’s where all the innovation is happening — so we’re also trying to bring the best menu,” YO!’s group executive chef Mike Lewis said. “I think New Yorkers will embrace the sort of fun element of it — it’s easy, it’s easy to understand, it’s quick, and the menu is so varied there’s something for everyone.”

If you’re wondering how to keep track of your check, each dish on the conveyor belt is on a colored plate, denoting a price – from $3.50 (green) to $8 (yellow). When you’re done eating, the restaurant will count your plates to tally the bill. If this seems overly complicated, you can just order off the menu with a server.

There are also hot menu items that, for obvious reason, have to be ordered from a server — to summon one, you press a little button near your seat. Here’s a look at what you can sample, on the belt and off, when the restaurant opens March 16 at 23 W. 23rd St.