BY JAEEUN LEE
There are over 7,00 rolls made in the Slayter sushi section everyday. Twenty pots of rice are cooked and still there are limited supplies of sushi. The popularity of not only sushi rolls but also the demand for rice-based food is increasing, breaking stereotypes of Asian food. And I’m one of those who has experience of better expectations for this type of food.
Whenever I finish my classes and head to Slayter to get lunch, there is always a long line waiting for newly-cooked sushi. Within a month at Denison, there was a huge innovation in the Slayter sushi market. Here’s what happened!
A few days after the critique of the sushi at Slayter was published, there was a movement to change the entire system of production and sale of sushi on the campus. One day, I went to Slayter to get some food from the market, not expecting to eat sushi. When I was about to pass the open fridge that often displays sushi, I found sushi with unfamiliar labels. I took a look at it and realized that the company of this label is Snowfox– the biggest Grab-N-Go lunch box company.
Finally a day came that the whole section for World seasonal food converted into a sushi corner. Three to four crews from a company took the space and began to make sushi everyday until 4pm. With great excitement of students, sushi continues its reputation in Slayter, attracting people to make them bear a long line to wait for this great sushi. From my point of view, the two big changes occurred in Slayter sushi.
- Diversity of menu.
Increased in number of choices and its innovative system for making the food. The crews not only make sushi rolls, but also develop new dishes. My all-time-favorites are Spicy Salmon Rice Bowl and Donburi. Despite their insane prices, a lot of people including myself cannot help eating them. Other than rice-based food, they make a calamari salad and mochi, different exotic cultural food that even I have never had. It is not a wise decision to go to Slayter to eat sushi for every meal; however, when one gets tired of eating sushi rolls, now you can have choose among rice bowls, seafood salad, rice cake desserts, rice wraps, or donburi. What a great variety of food on this small campus!
- The guarantee for fresh food
Because some people may not be used to eating raw fish especially in an inland area, showing the whole process of making food sends a message that the company has nothing to hide in the production to their customers. Sometimes, it is pretty scary to see it when the staff are piling twenty rolls on the counter , saucing like robots. However, it is a great idea to expose the process to capture interest from potential customers.
While there has been amazing implementation of introducing new cultural type of food in Slayter, there is something that still needs to be improved. The price of sushi is too high for students and the amount of food in one container is not enough! You need at least two sushis rolls for one lunch, which is twice times as much expensive than a lunch in the dining halls. It is a great comfort for people who stay away from home and miss their soul food, and those who have had limited chances to experience new cultural food.
JaeEun Lee ‘22, undecided, Ilsan, South Korea