On Wednesday, Jan. 25, the Memorial Union Building’s  (MUB) Union Court debuted its newest culinary addition: Sushi with Gusto. The sushi restaurant now occupies the space previously used by the smoothie bar, Freshens. 

The grand opening was held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the University of New Hampshire’s website advertised the event stating, “There will be sampling, giveaways, a sushi-prize spin wheel, and more!”  While many fans of Freshens were upset to hear that it was replaced, a new community of Sushi with Gusto fans emerged.

Sushi with Gusto prides itself in its fresh sushi, as their “Promise of Quality” reads, “Sushi with Gusto takes tremendous pride in offering the best-tasting sushi on the market. Our sushi is prepared on-site daily by skilled chefs trained personally by our executive chef to ensure that we consistently deliver the freshest, highest-quality sushi at every Sushi with Gusto location.”

There is a chef on site making new sushi throughout the day, as well as special orders. The customer can also grab “to-go” sushi packages from the fridges located in front of the new vendor.

I enjoy eating sushi, and was excited when I first heard that UNH was opening Sushi with Gusto. Unfortunately for people who enjoy eating sushi, Durham only has a limited amount of options: Mei Wei, Hannaford supermarket and Holloway Commons (HoCo) if you go on Mondays for sushi night. In comparison to the other options available throughout campus, Sushi with Gusto takes the lead on my personal list. I was able to try the “TunaCado Roll” which consists of raw tuna, avocado, brown rice and seaweed. For only $7 I was able to enjoy nine pieces of fresh sushi, which is a generous amount when it comes to sushi rolls.

Some students were upset that they had no say in the switch over of Freshens to Sushi with Gusto, mainly because they favored the smoothie spot. Other students were excited that they could enjoy a new option for lunch. Despite both arguments, I think that students will adjust with the change and grow to like Sushi with Gusto.