After several months of construction, the Stamp Student Union will get a new hibachi restaurant in about two weeks.
Hibachi-San is a fast-casual Hawaiian-Japanese fusion style restaurant that will offer sushi, rice and various types of protein including fish, chicken and steak, said Jenny Lee, the company’s area manager.
Customers will also be able to purchase poke bowls, a traditional Hawaiian dish that has recently become wildly popular. Poke bowls consist of chopped fish or meat tossed with rice, sauces and grilled vegetables. Poke means to chop or slice in Hawaiian.
The restaurant will be located between Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A in the Stamp food court.
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Many of the options at Hibachi-San are traditional Japanese cuisine.
“Hawaii has a lot of Japanese people, so I think that this is a fusion,” Lee said.
The restaurant is managed by Panda Restaurant Group, the same parent company as Panda Express, an already popular Chinese fast food option for students on the campus. Panda Express is also available in Stamp and the College Park Shopping Center near Route 1.
Hibachi-San has a successful and popular branch at Pennsylvania State University, which is a reason the company chose to open a store in Stamp, Lee said, adding that she believes students at the University of Maryland will like it as well.
The chain has 19 restaurants in 12 states, including Florida, Georgia and California, according to its website.
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Greg Thompson, a junior kinesiology and philosophy major, said there are too many unhealthy options in Stamp, so Hibachi-San will be a good addition.
“Even if you see a bit of green on the plate, it’s still not coming from the most safe places,” Thompson said.
Another important aspect of dining in the food court for many students is the distinction between establishments that accept Dining Dollars, those that accept Terrapin Express and those who do not accept either.
Hibachi-San will accept Terrapin Express, but not Dining Dollars.
While Terrapin Express is essentially a debit account students and faculty can access using their university ID cards, Dining Dollars come with some dining plans, or can be purchased in large bundles and expire at the end of each semester.
Dining Dollars are purchased at a discount; for example, it costs $237.50 to purchase 250 Dining Dollars, according to the Dining Services website.
Courtney Williams, a sophomore English major, said she didn’t like the lack of Dining Dollar-friendly restaurants in the food court.
Among the Stamp’s restaurants, Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, Auntie Anne’s, Sbarro and Subway accept Dining Dollars. The Maryland Food Co-op, McDonald’s, Saladworks, Moby Dick and Panda Express only accept Terrapin Express.
“I don’t eat fast food, so that really bothers me,” Williams said, adding that she was frustrated that “healthier” options, such as Saladworks, don’t accept Dining Dollars.
Hibachi-San is slated to be open for business by Sept. 27, Lee said.
Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story misspelled Hibachi San. This story has been updated.