Until now, our knowledge of kaiten-sushi, a fast-food style from Japan, where plates of sushi revolve around the restaurant on a conveyer belt, was restricted to YouTube videos and TV shows. Although the dining phenomenon can be traced to the 1950s, India got a taste of the technology only last year when Tanushree Roy, director, Chiffonade Ventures Pvt Ltd, introduced it at her Pune restaurant, Autobahn. But instead of the raw fish roll, the space offered a variety of Indian food.

A year later, Autobahn has travelled to Mumbai. The modern Indian restaurant, located on the third floor of R-City Mall, Ghatkopar, is a 120-seater that is "more about food than automation". "If you see our website and social media page, you'll notice that we don't really harp on the technology," says Roy. "Automation is simply for efficiency, which helps in quick service and delivery."