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Joon Chang, chef at Sushi Ave. Photo by Rebekah Nelson

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Sushi Ave »
Address: 403 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 337-7726
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Sushi Avenue has become a go-to location on campus for affordable sushi and Korean food. In honor of their upcoming one-year-of-business anniversy, buzz magazine sat down with Sushi Avenue’s head chef, Joon Chang, to talk about his experience in the art of sushi-making.

buzz: How did you get started?

Chang: I started five years ago at Todai Seafood Buffet in Woodfield Mall (Schaumburg, Ill.) and then in restaurants in downtown Chicago. After living in Chicago, I moved to Las Vegas and worked at the famed Sushi Avenue and Steakhouse.

buzz: What is your educational training and background?

Chang: I started in the kitchen and worked my way up. It is through this that I learned the basics and then the technique.

buzz: Did you notice a difference in the way sushi is prepared in Vegas versus Chicago?

Chang:Yes, they vary. Each restaurant I have worked at has blended traditional Japanese sushi and their own technique to create new sushi combinations.

buzz: What is your biggest challenge when preparing sushi?

Chang: The timing. You prepare sushi with your hands, so timing becomes difficult when there is a dinner or lunch rush.

buzz: If someone has never had sushi before, what should they start with?

Chang: Our menu features regular rolls and special rolls. They should start with the regular rolls because they are based on traditional and popular sushi rolls. My personal recommendation to them would be the spicy tuna roll.