Video and Photos by Lindsay Pytel
By Julius Saporito
HQ Press held a blind taste test on Sept. 13, where Quinnipiac students tasted the same sushi roll from three different Japanese eateries: Kumo, Sakura and Quinnipiac’s new sushi bar.
Kumo and Sakura are both local restaurants in the Hamden community, and they are well-known among Quinnipiac students as well as Hamden residents. Quinnipiac just opened the new sushi place in the upper cafeteria of the Mount Carmel campus, where HQ Press held the taste test.
Students seemed to share the same opinions when it came to the taste, quality and price of the California roll they tasted, which contains cucumber, avocado and crab meat.
The majority of the students said their favorite roll was from Sakura. At Sakura customers can get one roll, or six pieces of sushi, for $5. Students said it had the highest quality of taste and flavor.
Taking second place on the test was Kumo. A California roll costs $2.75 there and people said it was very similar to Sakura’s roll, however there was a lot of cucumber in it, making it the meat to cucumber ratio a little off.
Lastly, the Quinnipiac sushi was not mentioned as the favorite at all.
But the main question is, is the Quinnipiac sushi worth it if it costs more than local sushi restaurants – at a high price of $7.99 for a roll – if students say they prefer the taste and quality at other Japanese restaurants?
The positive side to Quinnipiac sushi is its quantity. Sushi rolls from Quinnipiac come with eight pieces, whereas competitors only come with six.
While some may prefer off-campus choices, convenience plays a huge factor. Kumo is 4.5 miles away from campus (13 minutes) and Sakura is 5 miles away (14 minutes), according to Google Maps. Although it came in last place as far as quality goes, the Quinnipiac sushi is located on campus so students have much easier access to this dining option.
“I think (Quinnipiac sushi) is worth it,” one student said. “I mean, I like it. It’s easy (to get to).”
Here’s a graph showing the results of the taste test.
