It's fresh, it's homemade, and thanks to one man, it's ready and raring to go.
When it comes to providing sushi for Auburn University dining, Kyaw Soe Lin is on a roll.
Responsible for keeping Auburn's campus stocked with fresh sushi, Lin produces an average of 250 boxes a day at the Student Center's Outtakes alone.
Lin, 33, came to the U.S. from Myanmar when he was 15 years old.
He has been making sushi since 2001 and now has his own company, Tsunami Sushi.
"I wanted to be my own boss," he said.
Lin said he likes the creativity involved in making sushi.
"It's fun," Lin said. "Sushi is a creative food."
Lin's company also provides sushi for the Krogers in Auburn and Opelika, for Fort Benning in Georgia and for Columbus State University.
While Lin makes the sushi for the Village and Outtakes himself, he said he has eight other chefs working for him at other locations.
Lin said he gained his knowledge of the art of sushi-making from many places, specifically at culinary school.
"It's all about taste," he said. "If it looks good and tastes good, people are going to love it."
Among the varieties of sushi offered at Outtakes are the California roll, cream cheese roll, crunchy shrimp roll, dragon roll, full moon combo, marina combo, veggie combo and many more.
Lin said it is hard to tell what the most popular kind is.
"Whatever you make, they buy," he said.
Lin's favorite is the crunchy eel, a flavor he has developed.
He said he has no least favorite.
"Everything's fun to make," Lin said.
Outtakes employee Tonya Johnson, 38, said the sushi is the store's most popular item.
"They love it," Lin said. "It tastes good."
Lin said the reasons people love sushi differ from person to person.
Some enjoy it as a diet food, while some love the taste and don't care about what ingredients are in it or its nutritional benefits.
Reid Bishop, freshman in undeclared business and already a sushi lover, recently discovered the sushi offered at Outtakes.
"I was walking by, and I saw the Olo Sushi sign," Bishop said, "and I thought, 'All right, I'll just try it.' Ever since then, like every other day, I've been to get sushi."
Brittney Beatty, freshman in pre-nursing, often gets sushi twice a week on campus.
Her favorite is the crunchy shrimp.
"I love sushi," Beatty said. "I eat it whenever I can."
Lin also takes special sushi orders.
Customers can now request sushi to suit their individual tastes.
Leave a written request ahead of time with the worker at the register, and then come back later to pick it up.
For sushi enthusiasts, or individuals who simply want to learn to do it themselves, Auburn is offering a free, single-session class where students can learn the art of making sushi.
The class will be Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. in Terrell Hall on the Hill.
The class has 16 slots, Lin said, but they fill up fast, so students should sign up now.
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