Sorority girls rejoice — KoFusion is opening a dollar sushi restaurant in Urbana. 

Though rumors have been swirling around sushi-snob circles for quite some time, the official soft opening of the restaurant happened over the weekend and employees attest that everything went according to plan. The soft opening was used as a trial run for the restaurant so that employees could work out all of the kinks before the restaurant opens to the public. 

KoFusion’s main restaurant is located in downtown Champaign and is famous on campus for having a dollar sushi menu on Sundays and Mondays. Students typically order the delicacy online and pick it up at the restaurant because dining in would require the removal of sweatpants and no one wants to journey down that road. 

Dollar sushi at KoFusion seems to have become an overnight sensation because it allows students who are on a budget to eat sushi without breaking the bank. On any given Sunday evening, you can observe sorority girls in clumps of three waiting for their online sushi order or couples leaning in over the tiny tables awaiting their sushi platter. Dollar sushi is the perfect place to go on a date — the lighting is dimmed, the decor is modern and the food is delicious. 

For those of us still in the single group, we can watch the perfect couples on their romantic date from the online order line by the register. The sushi still tastes as good even if you’re by yourself, I promise. 

On a regular day, KoFusion can be considered a pricier place to eat, which makes its dollar sushi deal all the more enjoyable. Students would not dare go to the restaurant on any other day besides a Sunday or Monday for fear of increasing their student loan debt. 

When KoFusion announced it would be opening a restaurant composed completely of dollar sushi, students on campus were thrilled because it is a nice restaurant with great food at a manageable price. Its decision to make the dollar sushi menu a staple at its new location in Urbana was an excellent choice because students only seem to frequent the Champaign location on the days when the deal is present. 

So, in the beginning of the school year when sorority girls from Urbana walked past Gregory Place and saw the “KoFusion: Coming Soon” sign on the glass window, they jumped for joy, spread the word and wanted to make T-shirts about it. 

Since then, students have been patiently waiting for the restaurant on campus to open up that only serves dollar sushi (good call KoFusion, that’s the only part of the menu we cared about anyway). In addition to their dollar sushi menu, the new restaurant in Urbana will also offer make-your-own sushi pieces and stir-fry.

This new location in Urbana is perfect for the sushi buffs on campus because it does not require a car to pick it up and is in walking distance from almost any location on campus. 

When the new KoFusion opens in Urbana, many will want to try sushi for the first time. Here is a breakdown of my favorite, must have pieces. 

While all the dollar sushi items are created equal, there are some staple pieces that make dollar sushi nights stand out from other restaurants. Students occasionally want to dine out with their friends, but don’t always want the typical Jimmy John’s sandwich. KoFusion offers exotic food at a reasonable price, something other restaurants on campus should strive for. 

The one and only Big Roll takes the cake for best item on the dollar sushi menu. Though it can be characterized as “Americanized” sushi because it is deep fried, that does not deter restaurant goers from ordering it time and time again. The Big Roll is stuffed with cream cheese, avocado, crabmeat, tamago and black mushroom — making it one of the fattest pieces of sushi I have ever seen. 

The creamy shrimp is another delicious choice that is stuffed with fried shrimp and cream cheese. If you prefer your sushi to be a little bit sweeter, I would suggest this option. The cream cheese brings out the sweetness in the shrimp that is sure to satisfy even the most reluctant sushi goers. 

If you prefer a more traditional route, then the Volcano Roll is for you. The Volcano takes a twist on the traditional California roll by adding shrimp, scallions and scallops on top of it. Don’t just get the plain California roll, that’s boring. The California Roll should only be used as a transition between other exotic sushi rolls. 

With the soft opening of the new restaurant behind us and a bright future with dollar sushi ahead of us, students are anxiously awaiting the final opening of the restaurant that will soon bring permanent hours.

Kate is a senior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected].