Mr. Pi’s Sushi

KEIRA CHEN (V)

I’ll be the first to admit I’ve got a bit of a history with Mr. Pi’s Sushi. As a kid, I took dance classes near the restaurant, so every Tuesday, my dad and I would make a stop there to grab my standard takeout order—fried rice, no green onion, sometimes with a bottle of strawberry ramune, a type of Japanese soda—before heading home. As I grew older and quit dancing, I visited the establishment less often. However, my family remained loyal customers as we returned again and again on holidays and weekends to have a meal. The owner, Mr. Pi, always greeted me with a smile and a high five before starting a conversation with my dad. For years, Mr. Pi’s Sushi remained far above any other restaurant in my eyes. But then COVID happened, and Mr. Pi’s Sushi shut down. Luckily, they were not gone forever; the restaurant decided to move from my hometown of Warren to Highland Park. Being busy with school, I only had the chance to go to their new location a few months ago. The new location is much bigger than the previous establishment, with the seating arranged in a large L shape that wraps around the corner of the building, and has a few private rooms. I was there to grab takeout, so I didn’t get a good look at everything, but one thing was for sure: Mr. Pi’s Sushi was no longer the same

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restaurant I knew as a kid. While the location changed, the restaurant also rebranded, adding “Kumamoto Ramen” to the name to signify the menu’s newest addition: ramen noodles. Of course, I tried some, and went home with a bowl of crispy chicken ramen and my other orders. Before Mr. Pi’s Sushi moved, I had a single dish I ordered every time: the signature fried rice. To me, that rice was the pinnacle of food, heaven on a plate, or in a takeout box. Beyond that, kani salad, shrimp tempura, squid rings, miso soup, gyoza, and edamame—which always tasted better than when I made it myself— were all dishes that frequently appeared on my family’s table. My parents typically ordered sushi or sashimi on the rare occasions we dined in the restaurant, and I found the udon and desserts—mochi ice cream in particular—were quite good. However, after my first bite of the new fried rice, I wondered what had happened to the cooking staff. The rice I remembered was simple but miraculous—fried eggs, carrots, and peas tossed in golden-brown rice that made any other fried rice I ever had seem incomparable. The rice now in front of me was completely different; the color was paler, and there were green beans for some reason. Seriously, who puts green beans in fried rice? Disappointment sank in.

Don’t get me wrong, the rice was still good, but it just could not live up to what it had once been. I was, however, pleased with the ramen, even if the amount of soup and noodles were suspiciously lacking compared to the size of the takeout bowl. Although I was not completely satisfied with what I ordered, I am looking forward to trying more of Mr. Pi’s dishes, especially as I had not branched out much when I was little. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even find a new favorite.

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DIEGO GALVAN (IV)

The University of Georgia ended this year’s college football season by embarrassing Texas Christian University in front of a national audience with a 65-7 win. This was the largest margin of victory for a national championship in college football history. This game perfectly represents a