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When Harvard students returned to Cambridge for the fall semester, many spotted a new addition to the food options in the Smith Campus Center: Kome Sushi & Bowl, a new sushi restaurant which opened over the summer.

The new sushi counter, which occupies the location in Smith previously filled by the short-lived Dominican restaurant Las Palmas, offers a range of customizable sushi bowls and rolls.

It also serves as a dedicated, easily accessible option for sushi in the heart of Harvard Square. Previously, students, staff, and locals seeking sushi would have to choose between Cafe Sushi further down Massachusetts Avenue or one of the area’s sit-down ramen restaurants — or else settle for a poke bowl from Pokeworks.

Tomoki Matsuno ’25, the former president of the Harvard Undergraduate Japan Policy Network, said Kome might serve as a less pricey alternative to Cafe Sushi — especially for larger groups.

“I haven’t tried, but I had a chance to look at the menu for the restaurants and I noticed they have a catering option as well, so that might be convenient for student organizations,” Matsuno said.

Onovughakpor M. Otitigbe ’25 found out about the restaurant after walking through the Smith Campus Center in late August and decided to try it out. Her review was mixed.

“I thought the menu options were limited, but for a basic California roll it was good,” Otitigbe wrote in a text message — though she added that she could get the same order for less at Whole Foods.

For Emmanuel N. Gitu ’28, the new establishment provides a convenient opportunity for him to try sushi for the first time.

“Now that it’s in the Smith Center, and I’m usually around that area a lot, I might be more inclined to go there, especially with new friends, trying out new foods and stuff like that,” Gitu said.

Sophie C. Deinert, a tourist visiting Harvard from Germany, said the new restaurant would be a welcome presence for Asian students spending time in the U.S..

“I think it’s nice to have food from your home country, so that maybe it feels like there’s a part of home here because you study here for many years,” she said.

—Staff writer Mandy Zhang can be reached at mandy.zhang@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @mandyzhang08.