The smell of beef and chicken fill the air. Two-dollar Japanese soda is piled onto a table, ready to be sold. Students shuffle into lines to get Styrofoam boxes filled with rice, sushi, meat, and soup. The Japanese luncheon held by the Japanese club on Friday, December 11, was a success.

Fried udon, 焼きうどん, or yakiudon is a thick wheat flour noodle dish which was featured in the vegetarian platter. Other items served included ramune (or ラムネ), a Japanese soda most-known for its unique glass bottle shape sealed with a marble, and tempura (天ぷらor 天麩羅), a deep fried shrimp dish. Luncheon attendees approved of all of the foods served. All of the three platter options available (chicken, beef, and vegetarian) seemed to be a success among luncheon-goers.

“I realized that I hadn’t had Japanese food for six months, so I bought a ticket for a chicken plate,” junior Barry Xie said. “The tempura was good. I also gave my friends some of my teriyaki chicken. It was really good.”

Not only did the Japanese luncheon allow students the opportunity to eat food that they didn’t usually have, it helped fund the Japanese club. Sophomore Grace Xiong, a member of the club, noted that the profits benefited the Japanese club, and she offered insight on the incentive for selling tickets.

“If you sold ten lunches, you got a free lunch and ramune, so I aimed for ten lunches,” Xiong said. “But I also sold them because I wanted to help the Japanese club. I sold twelve tickets, and I got the vegetarian platter for free. The fried udon was delicious.”

Non-club members had similar reasons for buying tickets. Sophomore Eduardo Moeller commented that the luncheon was not only a good way to get one of his favorite sodas that he rarely finds in stores; it was his way of showing support for the Japanese club.

“I love ramune,” sophomore Eduardo Moeller said. “I’m glad that I could support the Japanese club with the funding, too.”

Many students enjoyed the $9 plates of food and $2 bottles of ramune served at the Japanese luncheon in the foyer to the auditorium. Moeller summed up the whole experience.

“The luncheon was really fun,” Moeller said. “I love it when clubs host events like that. I think it’s important for them to be able to raise money. Plus, I get food out of it. It’s a win-win.”