Have you ever tried sushi or heard people talk about how tasty it is? If not, now is your chance to grab a bite—the time for sushi in Belle Fourche has finally come.
Lynn’s DakotaMart has implemented a new sushi station inside the store. Jim Grapentine, the owner of Belle’s DakotaMart, said that the sushi project has been in the works for over a year and with perfect timing, everything recently came together. The grocery store worked with a New York company, Family Fresh, to connect with its two skilled and trained sushi chefs, who are originally from Myanmar, Asia. The company also provides fresh fish. Chefs Vi and Bawi make the sushi fresh in-store every day; you can stop in and watch them make it right in front of you. Chef Vi said that before moving to South Dakota, he lived in Canada and then spent five months in Custer before transferring to Belle Fourche. He and Chef Bawi have been in the area for two weeks.
Todd Odson, who works at Lynn’s DakotaMart, said that he bought four boxes of sushi for lunch when it was first added to the store’s daily offerings, and he ate them all in one sitting. “It’s the greatest sushi in the world,” he declared. Grapentine also noted that the people of the community love it, and that he himself didn’t even know that he would like sushi until he tried it; he now eats it almost every day. “It’s been a very nice addition,” he said. “We get lots of positive comments.”
Sushi is also available at the Lynn’s locations in Custer, Lead, Summerset, and Sturgis. A variety of options are offered, ranging from shrimp tempura and Hawaiian rolls to Chef’s Favorites. One interesting tip when shopping for the perfect lunch or dinner option is that boxes with red stickers include raw fish, while gold stickers indicate cooked fish. Sushi itself is a Japanese dish that is typically made of rice, seaweed, and fish. It’s a staple in coastal American cities; being landlocked, South Dakota isn’t the first place one thinks of in terms of availability of sushi. But thanks to Lynn’s DakotaMart and the hard work behind the scenes, our community can finally indulge in this delicacy anytime!
Chef Vi, left, and Chef Bawi, right, are the skilled chefs from Myanmar, Asia that work hard to provide fresh in-house sushi daily at Lynn’s DakotaMart. Heitz photo 
Chef Bawi puts together a sushi dish. The assembly of sushi is an art in itself. Heitz photo
