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by KRISTIN LARMORE
Intern Lifestyles Reporter
They awake at around 4 a.m. Monday through Friday to cook rice, chop vegetables, mix sauces and slice seafood.
And it’s a long haul.
Sometimes, they don’t leave until 8 p.m.
Sushi chefs Victor
Wayne and his wife Sandra, who work at Rivers Street Café in the
Central Dining Facility, make about 300 packages of sushi, sometimes up
to 400, every day.
They produce all sushi for campus, sent to the Student Union, Trivette Hall and Sanford Commons.
Originally
from Burma, Thailand, the couple left the country in 1988 in search of
a more desirable government in the United States.
A graduate of Indiana University, Victor Wayne said he quit his job when his wife wanted to start a sushi business.
They
lived with their family in Florida for seven years, and ran a fresh
sushi market at Ponte Vedra Beach before coming to Appalachian State
University in August 2008.
Victor Wayne said he enjoys conversing with those who come over to the sushi bar.
“I love to talk because I love the students,” he said.
The ingredients used in the sushi are shipped in from many different locations.
The sticky sushi rice comes from Japan, while the avocados come from California and the cucumbers are shipped from Europe.
If
students wonder why sushi seems so pricey, Victor Wayne said a single
cucumber is $2, while avocados are a little under $2 each.
The preparation process includes a variety of steps.
Sandra
Wayne explained they use special vinegar in the rice containing salt
and sugar to get rid of any germs possibly contained in the raw meat.
It is
mixed in with the rice after it comes out of the rice cooker. The tuna,
salmon and squid are also basted in the vinegar before shipment.
“It is good for the flavor, the texture,” she said. “It kills the bacteria.”
The
Wayne’s won’t settle for anything but the freshest sushi, as they store
and display the raw meat at just the right temperature and throw any
leftovers away at the end of the day. Victor Wayne said two or
three-day old sushi is not fresh.
Not only is the sushi fresh, but it offers health benefits.
“Seaweed is really good for your skin,” Sandra Wayne said.
She said wealthy people often eat it even if they don’t like it because of its beauty benefits.
The soybeans they sell are good for your heart, Victor Wayne said.
The California roll, made of cucumber, avocado and imitation crab, is one of the most popular types they sell.
 Photo by The Appalachian.
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Victor
said the shrimp sauce, made of mayonnaise, chili sauce, sesame seed oil
and soy sauce is popular with the students, as well.
“[Students] want to order it, just like they want to eat at a restaurant,” Victor Wayne said.
He said they are more than willing to customize orders.
Additionally, the new sushi bar in Rivers Street Café takes party platter orders ranging in cost from $18 to $64.
Mondays
and Wednesdays are their busiest days, Victor Wayne said. He fills the
case in Cascades Café, and it is normally empty by 1 p.m.
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