Photo by Hana Ishihara ‘17  and Reine Pavlik ‘15

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Anastasia Gayol Cintron ‘17 and Maria Otto ‘17

Collaborative Writers

After a renovation that began in the beginning of last semester, Lafayette College Dining Services unveiled the new sushi bar at Lower this past week.

Anastasia: After last semester’s dining hall changes turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment—we lost the old Gilberts and the sandwich bar at lower, students rarely go to late-night anymore—the thought of a new sushi station was, frankly, frightening. My running mantra consisted of “they won’t ruin my favorite food; they won’t ruin my favorite food…”

Lower surprised me with the quality and selection of sushi they offered. Hesitant to try any raw fish, I purchased the spicy combo which comes with two pieces of spicy crab, two pieces of spicy shrimp, two pieces of tuna and two pieces of salmon. The best pieces were by far the spicy crab and the spicy tuna. The other two rolls only lacked the flavor level I expected for a spicy roll but the fish was perfectly fresh. I tried an avocado roll with brown rice and the roll was filling and a fitting meal—more so than one salad can ever be. In addition, the chefs created a signature Lafayette roll, spicy with buffalo chicken. The roll is on the heavier side but does seem to embody the spirit of the college diet.

The chefs were warm and friendly. I would get the sushi just to see their smiling faces, which can be so comforting in a busy lunch rush hour.

Maria: Leaving the fall semester with the promise of a bright future for Lower’s new sushi bar, I had felt somewhat skeptical about this latest dining hall change. Given the majority of the previous alterations had resulted in nothing but a stomach ache, sushi was definitely a scary thought. Yet walking into Lower, it was virtually unthinkable to go anywhere but the bar.

Don’t worry, there are samples. So if the sushi is not good, your lunch will not be immediately spoiled, a gesture already winning my trust and my appetite. And once the drum roll ended, the rolls were tasty. While they may not be the authentic restaurant quality that spoils a sushi lover’s desire, for a college dining option, they are very good. They also were good enough to convince me to risk a meal swipe on them.

Choosing the California roll for lunch, I was stopped by an incredibly friendly staff member who was thanking me for taking a roll. Getting thanked for eating one of my favorite foods? Really, thank you. The other employees working at the sushi bar all appeared very happy and sweet, genuinely excited to be preparing food for students.

Back to the sushi, the California roll was the first I tried. Safe and yummy, the roll was very filling. The imitation crab meat was quite a hefty piece, however this only added to the value of the roll. It is a great option for those seeking smallhealthy meals.