Simply Asia vs Ocean Basket Sushi: Which Is Actually Cheaper?
Updated: August 2026
Both of these chains sell sushi, both are well established across South Africa, and they are the two places most people end up choosing between when the craving hits. They are not really competing on the same terms, though. Simply Asia is a Thai restaurant where sushi became a second identity. Ocean Basket is a seafood restaurant where sushi is one section of a much bigger menu. That difference shows up in the pricing, and the gap is larger than most people expect.
Overview
Simply Asia is significantly cheaper, and it is not close. You can start eating sushi at Simply Asia for R32. At Ocean Basket, the cheapest sushi option on the menu is R170. Simply Asia’s largest sharing platter, 15 pieces at R189, costs less than Ocean Basket’s mid-range Salmon Favourites at R225.
What Ocean Basket offers instead is a full seafood restaurant around the sushi, table service, and a salmon-heavy range. If sushi is the entire reason for the visit, Simply Asia wins on price by a wide margin. If sushi is one part of a bigger seafood meal, Ocean Basket makes more sense.
| Simply Asia | Ocean Basket | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest sushi item | R32.00 | R170.00 |
| Platter range | R89.00 to R189.00 | R170.00 to R345.00 |
| Individual rolls sold separately | Yes, 50+ options | Limited |
| Restaurant type | Thai, fast-casual | Seafood, sit-down |
| Branches in South Africa | 50+ | 130+ |
Getting Into Sushi Cheaply
This is the single biggest structural difference between the two menus. Simply Asia sells individual rolls and small nigiri portions, so you can order a small amount of sushi without committing to a full meal. Ocean Basket’s sushi menu starts at a set portion.
| Simply Asia Individual Items | Price |
|---|---|
| Avocado Maki, 6 pieces | R32.00 |
| Cucumber Maki, 6 pieces | R32.00 |
| Prawn Nigiri, 2 pieces | R32.00 |
| Vegetarian Inside-Out Roll, 4 pieces | R36.00 |
| Salmon Nigiri, 2 pieces | R38.00 |
| Prawn Maki, 6 pieces | R39.00 |
| Salmon Maki, 6 pieces | R47.00 |
| Tuna Maki, 6 pieces | R47.00 |
| Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Maki, 6 pieces | R56.00 |
| Tuna Sushi, 4 pieces | R69.00 |
| Salmon Sushi, 4 pieces | R72.00 |
| Seared Salmon Sushi, 4 pieces | R72.00 |
| California Special, 4 pieces | R73.00 |
Six pieces of Avocado Maki at R32.00 works out to about R5.33 a piece, the cheapest sushi on either menu by a considerable distance. Even the priciest individual item at Simply Asia, the California Special at R73.00, comes in well below Ocean Basket’s entry point.
Sushi Platters Compared
Platters are where most people actually order, and where the two menus become directly comparable.
| Platter | Chain | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Menu A, 6 piece salmon platter | Simply Asia | R89.00 |
| Menu B, 8 piece mixed platter | Simply Asia | R89.00 |
| Menu C, 10 piece vegetarian platter | Simply Asia | R99.00 |
| Menu D, 10 pieces | Simply Asia | R129.00 |
| Menu F, 12 pieces | Simply Asia | R159.00 |
| Sushi For One | Ocean Basket | R170.00 |
| Menu E, 15 pieces | Simply Asia | R189.00 |
| Salmon Favourites | Ocean Basket | R225.00 |
| Salmon For One | Ocean Basket | R260.00 |
| Sushi For Two | Ocean Basket | R345.00 |
Sorted by price, every single Simply Asia platter comes in below every single Ocean Basket option. Simply Asia’s biggest platter at 15 pieces for R189.00 sits R19 above Ocean Basket’s cheapest sushi item, and R156 below its Sushi For Two.
On a per piece basis, Simply Asia’s Menu C at R99.00 for 10 pieces works out to R9.90 each, and Menu B at R89.00 for 8 pieces comes to R11.13. Ocean Basket does not publish piece counts consistently across its sushi range, so a like-for-like per piece figure is not possible on that side without checking a specific branch menu. Worth keeping in mind before assuming the gap is quite as wide as the headline prices suggest, since portion composition differs.
The Specials Situation
This is where Simply Asia extends its lead, and it is worth knowing about before you decide where to go.
Simply Asia runs half-price sushi at some branches. The Durbanville location has offered half-price sushi daily between noon and 6pm for sit-down customers, and branches including Gateway and Westwood have run half-price sushi on Wednesdays. These are branch-specific and they change, so confirm with your local store rather than assuming. But when one is running, it roughly halves an already cheaper menu.
Ocean Basket’s most recent sushi special has ended. Its Epic Catch promotion included a Sushi 11 plus Soda combo at R99.00, which was genuinely competitive. That range ran from 1 February to 30 April 2026 and is no longer available. Ocean Basket launches new seasonal promotions periodically, so it is worth checking the Ocean Basket app for what is current.
Vegetarian Sushi
Simply Asia wins clearly here too. It sells a dedicated 10 piece vegetarian platter, Menu C, at R99.00, plus a Vegetarian Inside-Out Roll at R36.00 and avocado and cucumber maki at R32.00 each. That is a genuine vegetarian sushi offering rather than an afterthought.
Ocean Basket’s sushi range is built around salmon and seafood, with limited meat-free options. If you are ordering sushi for a group that includes vegetarians, Simply Asia handles that considerably better.
What Else Is on the Table
Price is only part of the decision, and the two restaurants offer completely different experiences around the sushi.
Simply Asia pairs its sushi with a full Thai menu, curries, noodle dishes, stir-fries and Thai desserts. Noodle mains sit in a R76 to R105 band and the Traditional Phad Thai at R95.00 is the most ordered dish. It is fast-casual in feel, built more around eating quickly or taking away.
Ocean Basket is a proper sit-down seafood restaurant. Sushi sits alongside grilled fish, prawns, calamari, mussels and its well known sharing platters, which run from R235.00 for a Platter for One up to R695.00 for the Full Deck. Many branches are licensed. If you want a longer meal with table service and seafood beyond sushi, that is the difference you are paying for.
One small detail worth flagging if you have dietary restrictions: Ocean Basket uses honey in some of its sushi sauces.
Which One Should You Choose
Choose Simply Asia if sushi is the point of the meal, you are on a budget, you want to order a small amount rather than a full platter, you need vegetarian options, or your local branch runs a half-price sushi day.
Choose Ocean Basket if you want a sit-down meal, you are eating with people who want fish or prawns rather than sushi, you specifically want a salmon-focused range, or you want a licensed restaurant. It is the better restaurant experience. It is not the cheaper sushi.
See the Full Menus
Simply Asia vs Ocean Basket Sushi: Quick Answers
Which has cheaper sushi, Simply Asia or Ocean Basket?
Simply Asia, by a wide margin. Its cheapest sushi is R32.00 against R170.00 at Ocean Basket, and every Simply Asia platter is priced below every Ocean Basket sushi option.
What is the cheapest sushi platter at each?
Simply Asia’s Menu A and Menu B both cost R89.00, for 6 and 8 pieces respectively. Ocean Basket’s cheapest sushi option is Sushi For One at R170.00.
Does either run sushi specials?
Simply Asia runs branch-specific half-price sushi promotions, including daily deals at some locations and Wednesday-only deals at others. Ocean Basket’s Epic Catch promotion, which included a R99.00 sushi and soda combo, ended on 30 April 2026.
Which is better for vegetarians?
Simply Asia. It offers a 10 piece vegetarian sushi platter at R99.00, a Vegetarian Inside-Out Roll at R36.00, and avocado and cucumber maki from R32.00. Ocean Basket’s sushi range is salmon and seafood focused with limited meat-free choices.
Why is Ocean Basket sushi more expensive?
Ocean Basket is a sit-down seafood restaurant with table service, a much wider menu, and licensed premises at many branches. Its sushi is sold in set portions rather than individual rolls, and the range leans heavily on salmon, which costs more than the avocado, cucumber and prawn options that anchor Simply Asia’s cheaper end.
Both chains vary prices by branch, and delivery app pricing runs above in-store prices at both. Simply Asia’s sushi specials are branch-specific and change over time. Always confirm before ordering.