Chew On This: The Canteen
Summary:
3.3
Whether it’s a quick coffee on the way to a lecture or a long lunch during endless free periods, food is an inevitable part of student life. Every fortnight, John A. Navarro dishes up the latest on the eateries on and around the university campus. We’ll start with the obvious: the canteen.
Though students stuck in the middle of a two-hour lecture may be inclined to disagree, time tends to pass quite quickly, at least for an excited first year student. Almost one month in, most university students have by now settled back into their winter routines, and freshers like me have finally familiarized themselves with the campus well enough to get to lectures without too much trouble. However, besides the halls we all know (and love), a staple of university life definitely has to be the quadrangle and canteen.
Like it or not, students spend a large amount of time there, whether it is to grab a quick bite to eat, pop down to the bookshop for that textbook that never seems to be in stock, or simply to meet up with friends.
A month is more than enough time to get familiar with the fare on offer at the canteen, and after having gradually tasted a selection of it, I can say with confidence that I was pleasantly surprised.
Always one to start off gingerly, the first thing I tasted was a chicken wrap, which was toasted by a polite and helpful lady behind the counter. The wrap was a definite winner as the meat inside was tender, the greens were a far cry from the sad, limp lettuce often found in wraps, and just the right amount of mayonnaise had been added to the mix. The baguettes are just as good, especially since the fillings are generous and the bread satisfactory.
Though I haven’t heard especially great things about the pasta and rice dishes on offer, I cannot say this definitively as I have yet to try any of them. On the other hand, my friends and I are for once unanimously in agreement about the pizza: the mozzarella-laden cheesy crust makes it hard to beat. Recently, after an action-packed day, my famished friends and I headed straight to the canteen during one of our free lectures and bought a whole pizza, which we then shared. The taste was fantastic, and the pizza was so filling that most of us were content with just two slices. I would definitely recommend sharing a whole one as opposed to buying individual slices, since apart from it being better value, it is less likely to have been sitting under the display for a long period of time.
Despite preconceived ideas many have about canteen food (mediocre at best, inedible at worst) I must admit that after a week or two of trying a little of this and a whole lot of that, my opinion has changed somewhat. The university canteen exceeded my expectations as it is well lit and relatively clean and the staff is friendly. For cheap, no-frills food, the university canteen should not be overlooked.
I have to admit that I am a bit surprised by your ratings. While we both agree that canteen food is absolutely not as horrible as it is rumoured to be, I think I would shift a few things around in your review.
First off, canteen’s selling point is clearly value for money. Nowhere around campus (except for meat and eat maybe) do you get such low prices for such an amount of food. The quality is not pristine but for the busy university student, it’s exactly what you’re looking for. The pizza is the cheapest around, not the healthiest but the most filling and probably the best-tasting too. Meals of the day and pasta portions are generous and for around €4 you can get satiated for a day. There are also several other options for vegetarians and people watching their weight.
On the other hand, I find the service to be a bit frustrating. Don’t get me wrong the staff are nice, but it can sometimes be hard to get their attention of find enough of them to efficiently reduce the numbers in a queue that’s piling up.
To sum up, I’d have given a 4 for value and a 3.5 for service. I’d also up the rating for ambience slightly – seating is not that cluttered and it’s more well-lit than place’s such as Pasha or Pizza by Luca.
Good review nonetheless, glad to see an objective take on this that dares to counter traditional opinion. Great initiative too, I think for most UoM students finding the right place to get their lunch (if they don’t get from home) is essential information.
I can’t quite understand the final rating either but for different reasons. The canteen doesn’t quite cater for vegetarian students let alone vegan ones. When I once did visit, bending over with hunger, I found absolutely nothing to much on. The staff weren’t very helpful either in telling what the ingredients were.