On Sept. 16, the LaFortune Student Center introduced FujiSan, a sushi and bubble tea counter, which now stands among Taco Bell, Starbucks, Street Fare and the Huddle Mart. FujiSan occupies the space formerly held by Flip Kitchen, which had, since the 2022-2023 school year, served salads, rice bowls, smoothies and açaí bowls.
FujiSan’s menu features a variety of freshly prepared rolls, such as California, spicy tuna, shrimp tempura and rainbow, plus vegetarian options like the “Very Veggie” and Buddha rolls. Sides like pork bao, chicken gyoza and seaweed salad are also featured alongside a range of boba teas and poke bowls.
Student opinion on FujiSan and its replacement of Flip Kitchen has been mixed so far. For some sophomores, such as Caroline Parillo, FujiSan fills a gap in campus dining options and provides a quicker food option.
“We didn’t have sushi anywhere, but this spot fulfills that need. A lot of the Flip Kitchen food was stuff you could get at the dining hall,” Parillo said.
Upperclassmen seem to be more skeptical. Senior Alejandra Ricardo, who has not yet been to FujiSan, expressed her regret that Flip Kitchen is gone. “Flip Kitchen was the more affordable and healthy option on campus, compared to places like Chick-fil-A or Hagerty Cafe,” Ricardo said. However, she was interested in trying FujiSan, saying she “heard good things about both the sushi and the boba.”
Another senior, Isabella Rishmawi Hawit, tried FujiSan’s crunchy California roll and decided the portions were fair, but said she would have been more likely to buy Flip Kitchen’s pita breads than the sushi.
“I love the idea of a poke bowl, but I don’t like seafood. If they had more options with chicken or steak or even vegetarian options, that might make me buy more,” Hawit said.
Junior Rita Barhouche voiced reservations about FujiSan’s limited menu, which doesn't include many options beyond sushi rolls and poke bowls. “[Sushi] is not something I crave throughout the day, so I don’t have any incentive to go and order food from there,” she said. “It is more targeted towards the people who really love sushi, but they don’t really have other things for people who don’t love sushi, whereas Flip Kitchen did.”
