To enhance campus dining and introduce students to the flavors of the surrounding community, a new hibachi-style restaurant has opened at Hubbard Hall next to the Indian restaurant, Oda’s Indian Cuisine.
A familiar face is behind the latest addition to the restaurant at Hubbard Hall: Kurogi Hibachi, a new hibachi style restaurant, recently opened for Texas Woman’s University students. TWU collaborated with Kali Yang, owner of the popular Bunsen Tea Lab also in Hubbard Hall, offering students fresh meat, vegetables and rice bowls prepared with a hibachi cooking style.
The addition of the hibachi restaurant is part of the university’s initiatives to encourage students to explore what Denton has to offer in terms of culinary experience by incorporating locally sourced ingredients and focusing on interactive dining. The school hopes to broaden students’ palate while introducing them to different cultures through food.
Kurogi Habchi was added in direct response to student feedback from TWU’s Voice to Vision survey, conducted last October. Through this survey, TWU acquires insight on how to better enhance student’s experience on campus dining. “One of the biggest things students asked for was more Asian cuisine on campus,” Samantha Seiss, the dining hall marketing director explained, “we wanted to meet that demand and hibachi is a great, healthier option that offers something different from the typical fast food choices”. The appeal to this restaurant is the food’s freshness and the interactive dining experience that Kurogi Hibachi offers.
Kurogi has quickly established itself as a student favorite with long lines forming during lunch hours. Many students have praised the taste of the food. One student, Leah Parra, a freshman, mentions, “I would definitely eat it consistently.” They are one of the many students who had positive remarks about the restaurant. Some have voiced that they find it to be a healthy alternative as compared to fast food which is the purpose of Kurogi Hibachi, freshman Hannah Morrow says, “it’s pretty healthy.”
Among the songs of praises for Kurogi, there has been an established student favorite among the menu offered to students, specifically the chicken and the shrimp entrée. Kamdilichukwu Izundu, a freshman, gives her favorite from the menu, “my favorite menu on Kurogi is the chicken fried rice and why I like this is because of the unique savory flavor it has.” This sentiment is shared by many students who enjoy the flavorful taste of food that Kurogi provides.
Their attentiveness to the likes and dislikes of students have continued to help them be a popular choice for students. The chef, Nawni Maran, describes how they study what students are not a fan of, then change it to fit the needs of the students, “we study what the students want and then we find out [their likes] slowly and make it better each day.” The attentiveness displayed by Kurogi Hibachi depicts how much they care for students as well as the meticulousness involved in catering to students.
By bringing in a familiar face and a popular local business owner among students like Kali Yang, TWU not only adds variety to student meals but also encourages the students to explore the different delicacies of Asian cuisines. The restaurant has continued to do well among students, “I would say so far it’s been really good. A lot of students have been there,” stated Samantha Seiss. With its success, Kurogi Hibachi will possibly continue to remain among the meal options for students.
Amanda Ezeigbo can be reached via email at aezeigbo@twu.edu
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