To those of us in Brookings who have a craving for raw fish, wasabi and soy sauce, our prayers have finally been answered with the arrival of Sake Sushi & Hibachi. The new restaurant, located on 22nd Avenue South beside Hy-Vee and the Brookings liquor store, just opened last Friday, Sept. 7, but owner Ben Lin said that business is already growing “a little more every day.”

When asked why he decided to open shop in Brookings, Lin said, “So the college and community doesn’t have to go all the way to Sioux Falls for good sushi.”

What a relief! Because every fellow sushi lover on campus knows that Hy-Vee sushi just doesn’t cut it when you’re craving a little sashimi and a spider roll.

Not only is Sake conveniently close, but the prices are nicer, too. Especially for us poor, struggling college kids. The restaurant even has a great, modern atmosphere, complete with an arrangement of tables, booths and a sushi bar.

“We rushed to open, so we only have hibachi in the kitchen right now,” Lin said. “But later we will have grills at the tables so you can watch the chefs cook.”

In the meantime, if you want to see hibachi action, you can watch it through a window behind the sushi bar.

Before opening Sake, Lin and one of his sushi chefs, Kevin Lin, worked together for about a year at Tokyo on East Tenth Street in Sioux Falls. The menu is similar to that of Tokyo, with the exception of a few Sake specialties and much friendlier prices. Even if sushi isn’t your thing, there are still plenty of other dishes for you to try, including hibachi style meals, noodles and rice, katsu, tempura and—the eternal crowd pleaser—dessert.

“I’m not that big a fan of sushi, but I’ve never had hibachi before. I’m excited to try it,” said sophomore entrepreneurship major Danielle Moravec.

That’s okay, Danielle. That just means more sushi for the rest of us! If you’re as stoked as I am about Sake opening in Brookings, you should definitely go check it out.

Sake Sushi & Hibachi is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9:30 p.m.