Food Battle 8 - Asian Cuisine

Pagoda v/s Sakura v/s Indian Flavours v/s Miso

My second pick for dinner is Asian food. Once again I am not calling them by their specific origins although the Indian food served seem quite authentic.

They may have nothing in common but they all share the average quality compared to other outlets on campus and this quality comes with a price. Surprisingly three of them are located very close to each other which facilitated me when deciding where to go to buy food. Miso was quite the oddball because it was located at the opposite end of campus quite far from the main eatery area.

Pagoda

Disillusion again as it's not Chinese food

Nevertheless they are okay but not as good

Combos or meals come in different price range

With rice or noodles, but both tasted strange

Tofu is the only Chinese related dish

But surprisingly they do not have any fish

They consider tofu in the section for vegetable

From what I learnt, this is totally acceptable

All of their sauce are too viscous if not ultrathick

Whenever I see that, it almost makes me sick

Sakura

Sakura adopts the Japanese "Teppanyaki" cooking 

It means cooking on hot plate which is so cool looking

They also have Korean dishes as well as dim sum

I prefer Korean bibimbap but dim sum is not so "yum"

On Thursday nights they even host karaoke night

I never went to one but participating must be a delight

I always wonder why Chicken Teriyaki so popular

Because I believe like grilled chicken, they are similar

But then Gamjatang is the number one delicacy

This is pork bone soup and it is quite spicy

Indian Flavours

Indian Flavours is what defines food authenticity

Their food is slightly above the average quality

Food is definitely much more expensive

And because of that I tend to be evasive

Everything is overpriced even the drink

Which always gives me some time think

The amount given is so limited yet so flavourful

But my wallet will not say that it is wonderful

Chinese and Japanese food is served by Koreans

But at least we have Indian food by Indians

Miso Stir Fry

Miso is your typical stir fry noodle "shop"

And one should find some time to go there for a stop 

Noodles include egg, soba, rice or shanghai

Sauces include pineapple, schezuan or red thai

I like their lantern shaped boxes; such cuties

Because I always see them in American movies

These noodles can be quite expensive

The amount varies too and this is so deceptive

Found at the opposite end of campus

It is hard to get there without making a fuss

Asian cuisine is perhaps the one that I would consider the best. Among the four, I would pick Miso. The main reason is that Miso have fresher vegetables and that they cook your food in front of you. Sakura does the same but I do not think it will have the same appeal as the Miso noodles. Pagoda falls short in this category because the food is too oily. It is unfortunate as the food from Pagoda fills one up very quickly. Indian Flavours is okay but everybody can tell you that having eaten there will get your clothes smell curry and also the price is a big drawback. Overall I rather have something quick, fresh and taste good at the same and that is why Miso is my best place for Asian campus food.

Pagoda

Price	$ $
Quality	★★☆☆☆
Atmosphere	★★☆☆☆
Service	★★★☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★☆☆☆

Sakura

Price	$ $
Quality	★★★☆☆
Atmosphere	★★★☆☆
Service	★★★☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★☆☆☆

Indian Flavours

Price	$ $ $
Quality	★★★★☆
Atmosphere	★★★☆☆
Service	★★★☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★★☆☆

Miso Stir Fry

Price	$ $
Quality	★★★☆☆
Atmosphere	★★☆☆☆
Service	★★★☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★★☆☆

Food Battle 7 - "Mediterranean" Cuisine

Falafel Hut Village v/s Jimmy the Greek

Dinner time and dilemma strikes back. Despite I could have dined at other places I mentioned earlier, my first year consisted mostly of rice dishes. Because it was most filling and that it is a good source of carbohydrates and sugar.

These included mostly Asian cuisine. However some friends and I found Mediterranean cuisine to be as good. I was also told by another friend of mine that the food we were having were of Greek origin. It made sense but somehow, after my disillusion about "Mexican" food, I rather keep the word Mediterranean. I believe Falafel Hut is private owned while Jimmy the Greek is definitely a fast-food chain outlet but both of them sell almost the same kind of food.

Falafel Hut

Relatively cheap, dinner at Falafel Hut is awesome

But restricted form of payment makes it bothersome 

Throughout campus, it boasts the best grilled chicken

And for that I will gladly give it an appreciation token

At certain times of the day you get a free drink 

So definitely you should go for it; no time to think

Often served with potatoes which are so salty

Their dishes always made me thirsty

Meals are served with rice, salad and sometimes pita

All are acceptable but I don't like when they add feta

Jimmy the Greek

Jimmy the Greek is way more expensive

And there is no need to be a detective

Compared to Falafel Hut, there are differences

For instance they have bigger chicken pieces

Everything is bigger, even Jimmy's potatoes

But both of them share my disliking of tomatoes

The people working there really love to smile

Ensuring that a visit there is worthwhile 

And when you order any souvlaki

A sweet lady will smile saying "You want tzatziki?"

To sum up, I would say that the Mediterranean cuisine at the university is the perfect example of "similar yet different." As you have seen in the pictures, both are souvlaki dinners. The same name, the same ingredients yet different preparation methods. The potatoes were the biggest difference. At Falafel Hut, it almost seems that they baked it; maybe they did. However at Jimmy the Greek it's clear that they steamed the potatoes. it has softer skin and has a very soft texture. Based on the price factor, Falafel gets the upperhand but on quality, they are both even.

Falafel Hut

Price	$ $
Quality	★★★★☆
Atmosphere	★★★☆☆
Service	★★☆☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★★☆☆

Jimmy the Greek

Price	$ $
Quality	★★★☆☆
Atmosphere	★★☆☆☆
Service	★★★★☆
Revisit Factor	★★★☆☆

Food Battle 6 - Cold Cut Sandwiches

Subway v/s Tastes

When someone use the term fresh food, one usually think of the non-fatty sandwiches which are mostly cold cuts and other sides such as salads. However we will keep this trend about the sandwiches found on campus therefore, I will not cover salad in this section.

Subway and Tastes are the common places for cold cuts. Subway is a fast-food chain outlet while I believe Tastes is private-owned. Both Subway and Tastes are different in many ways and in my opinion the latter has such a funny name. Its official name is Tastes Healthy Foods and is so generic. As opposed to Subway which sells solely cold cuts sandwiches, Tastes offer students a wider variety of non fried products. They even have rice, soups, ice cream and frozen yogurts as desserts - a perfect "healthy eatery" place of all kinds.

Subway

For me Subway defines my university days

This place is always open even on holidays

Like Treats, they have restricted form of payment

Which surely did not bring me lots of enjoyment

I recommend meatball marinara as it is so tasty

Although after eating that I got very thirsty

Two sizes only; a foot long or six inches

Which I had on my several "dunches"

Something funny: before a bread is sent to bake 

I don't know why it looks like a snake

Tastes

Upon coming you'll notice the employees' greeting

They almost sound as if they were singing

The owners are always in a happy mood 

And Tastes is the place for cheapest food

There are fewer sandwiches on its menu list

But dinner combos with pop or soup does exist

Unlike Subway, Tastes allows debit card for payment

And for many students it is like a glorious moment

It is definitely a good place to go for lunch or dinner

Go with friends or take it to go if you are a loner

These are the two places I go when it comes to eat "Fresh." Subway is good but the problem was its restricted form of payment which is similar to Treats. I have not tried Tastes' frozen yogurt or ice cream because I am not too fond of these desserts although in my undergrad, I saw many students go there just for these desserts. Apparently the desserts cost much cheaper than other places which is true but in terms of quality, I will not be able to tell.

Subway

Price	$ $
Quality	★★★☆☆
Atmosphere	★★☆☆☆
Service	★★☆☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★☆☆☆

Tastes

Price	$
Quality	★★★☆☆
Atmosphere	★★★☆☆
Service	★★★★☆
Revisit Factor	★★★★☆

Food Battle 5 - "Italian" Cuisine

Pizza Pizza v/s Panzerotto Pizza

Aside of spaghetti what else Italian food is stereotyped for? Well pizza of course but there are much more than that in an Italian cuisine but somehow pizza seems to be the most popular. The perfect food for parties, social events and many more.

However despite its small size due to the fact that we buy in slices, it can be very an expensive meal. Pizza Pizza is a Canadian pizza food chain together with Pizza Nova. While there was quite a debate among my friends to determine which pizza place is the best, I always see all of them the same but perhaps I would give Pizza Hut the edge. On campus however, the competition is only between Pizza Pizza and Panzerotto Pizza which I believe is also Canadian. But Panzerotto Pizza sell more than just pizza and one of them is the famous Panzerotti which is very much like a pocket dough filled with pizza's traditional toppings.

Pizza Pizza

Pizza is one of my favourite food of all time 

They are tasty whether for lunch or at dinnertime

The pizzas they serve are fresh from the oven

And the aroma makes you feel as if you're in heaven

However one slice will be quite expensive

Thus buying a whole pizza might be effective

One day I ate a whole pizza in one meal 

But my friends saw it as an ordeal

Eat it in Fall, Winter or Summer

Pizza Pizza is the Canadian Pizza for any newcomer

Panzerotto Pizza

They have pizzas as well as other Italian food

But then, their pizzas are not as good

The food to pick would be their panzerotti

And worst would be the tomato sauce with spaghetti

Why panzerotti? because it is very well made

And I think for that they deserve an accolade

Why spaghetti? because it feels lazy and lame

And one could go home and make the same 

Warning though, their foods are best when served hot

Otherwise you'll make a face as if you got shot

While some get positive reviews, some get negative reviews. That was the unfortunate case for another Italian food place named "Mangia Mangia Mangia." Closed down this summer, this place was known as the place to avoid; or according to my rating system: "No next time". "Mangia Mangia Mangia" offered a wide array of food choices which was not only restricted to Italian. It had a smoothie, alcohol and a salad bar. However none of them seem to have made a positive impact. While I agree that they had flaws, I would say that they were the cause of their downfall. Freshness of food was the main discussion but there is also the fact that they heated the food in the styrofoam containers way too long that the food began to taste like plastic. I also heard that they overpriced their items and this one is just a rumor.

Pizza Pizza

Price	$
Quality	★★★☆☆
Atmosphere	★★☆☆☆
Service	★★☆☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★☆☆☆

Panzerotto Pizza

Price	$ $
Quality	★★★☆☆
Atmosphere	★★☆☆☆
Service	★★★☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★★☆☆

Food Battle 4 - Hamburger Sandwiches

 Wendy's v/s Grill Works

If one does not like chicken sandwiches perhaps one can consider option II and they are the most common summer food. They are hamburgers which for me can swing from liking to disliking at any given time. One thing is certain; burgers fill me up very easily.

To begin with, I should say that in my first year, I was so expecting to see McDonald's and Burger King on campus but I guess I was not too hopeful. Despite all odds, I have eaten tastier hamburgers in Canada than back home. What really struck me was Wendy's logo. I always wonder why they do call it Wendy's because the girl on the logo looks like Pippi Longstocking / Langstrumpf from the Swedish children's book.

Wendy's

If Popeye's Chicken buns were amusing

Wendy's squared burgers are just amazing

The only place where we can have the three sizes

Small is okay, medium is decent and large traumatizes

Relatively cheap, it is a form of self-satisfaction

But eating there all day can surely cause indigestion

Notably with a burger called the "Triple Baconator"

So huge, so fatty that I call it the hunger exterminator

They operate quite fast and closes very late

Ideal when you have a lot of material to assimilate

Grill Works

          Grill Works make things more interesting

     Because it allows you to select your own topping

Similar to Wendy's style of piling burgers like a stack

I always have only one patty for dinner or snack

These hamburger patties are really thin but juicy

That perhaps explains their low price policy

However its sides are its biggest flaw

Only fries or onion rings but no coleslaw

Slightly the above average burger in my opinion

And sadly too little to share with another companion

To conclude this segment about hamburgers, it should be mentioned that there was another place by the name of Blueberry Hill which used to sell top notch hamburgers. It was not a hamburger place but its hamburgers have built a strong reputation there. They were known as "Thrills". In "Small Thrill", the regular patty as in Grill Works were used and they were quarter-pound whereas the "Big Thrill" used a third-pound patty much like McDonald's Angus. A new burger place is going to open in September. Its name is Hero Certified Burger and a friend of mine told me that it's even better than McDonald's and Burger King. I definitely want to taste and feel the real difference.

Wendy's

Price	$ $
Quality	★★☆☆☆
Atmosphere	★★☆☆☆
Service	★★★☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★★☆☆

Grill Works

Price	$ $
Quality	★★★★☆
Atmosphere	★★★☆☆
Service	★★★☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★★☆☆

Food Battle 3 - "Mexican" Cusine

Z-Teca v/s Taco Bell

To my great surprise their specialty namely the burrito served at these two places are not even Mexican food despite the Mexican name. Instead I was told by some of my Mexican as well as South American friends that they are "an Americanised Mexican version" of the burrito.

However despite being not authentic, it was my first attempt at something new compared to other foods I could have in my homeland. Both places have other "Americanised Mexican version" food types like the taco whether hard or soft shell. In general, burritos are just the classic order, tacos are like the mini version of it and much cheaper. Together, we can called these toasted wraps in case someone cannot pronounce the word "burrito" which is very likely. But what's not authentic you might ask. In the genuine Mexican and South American version, burritos do not contain rice and that is what my friends were complaining about.

 Z-Teca

Z-teca's burritos are both huge and filling

But my wallet becomes thin and dwindling

Typically served on white or whole-wheat
You pick your protein and additional topping to eat

They have very good deals on special occasion

And on these days it is quite hard to make a decision

Mild, medium or spicy, all have different ingredients

Satisfying most of its possible clients

Sadly I already know that it is not Mexican food

But when hungry it will restore the happy mood

Taco Bell

Unlike Z-Teca, Taco Bell's burrito are lame
Adjoined with KFC, it might share the blame

Inexpensive and having a strange look

That's one huge miss off their notebook

They have so little fillings and still of poor quality

That I cannot believe I ate this oddity

I could have shown some kindness

But Taco Bell is the definition of cheapness

It is a quick lunch or snack on the go

This is why they haven't seen me a long time ago

Sadly these are the two places that offer these "Americanised Mexican" food. Formerly there was a better place both in terms of money and quality and it was a place called Taco Villa. They were "Americanised Mexican" food just like the two mentioned above. Closed down for unknown reasons, Taco Villa was indeed the best despite having foods of comparable price as that of Z-Teca. Additionally they had fries with melted cheese which tasted so good.

Z-Teca

Price	$ $
Quality	★★★☆☆
Atmosphere	★★★☆☆
Service	★★★☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★★☆☆

Taco Bell

Price	$
Quality	★☆☆☆☆
Atmosphere	★★☆☆☆
Service	★★★☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★☆☆☆

Food Battle 2 - Chicken Sandwiches

KFC v/s Popeye's Chicken

It's lunch time and one has a dilemma; which food place to pick from; there are so many to have places lunch. Fortunately if one is fond of or have a diet restricted to chicken, it is not a problem at all. Indeed there are many places which offer chicken products on campus. However two fast-food chains have built a solid reputation on campus based on chicken products.

They are the world's famous - Kentucky Fried Chicken and the one growing in popularity - Popeye's Chicken. Both places do not operate until 10 a.m. but when they do, the cashiers always have a hard time to deal with the long line especially in the weekdays. Both taste very different from each other yet offer fried chicken whether à la carte or as a combo meal and many other possible other menus.

KFC

An attractive menu that have left me shaken

Tasty indeed, but it has definitely left me broken

One of the few places which allow free drinks refill

But from there, everything is going downhill

Besides their fries, other sides were never appealing

Coleslaw and other salads left me hair-pulling

They have the double-down which appears small
But eating it always feels like eating an oddball 

Closing as early as 10 p.m sharp as I failed to score
I do not think I will come here anymore

Popeye's Chicken

Unlike its counterpart, Popeye's is different

But nevertheless it still leaves me indifferent

Its irregular-shaped buns are cute-looking 

But their chicken left me choking

Too much fat underneath the chicken's skin

Which require more than their already oily napkin

À la carte chicken comes in mild or spicy

Mild is okay but spicy is a delicacy

Chicken Bowl is the best combo on the menu lists

Eaten with a spork; a utensil hard to believe it exists

To be honest I have rarely taken lunch on campus because I had almost all of my classes between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m consequently lunch is always delayed. I liked Popeye's Chicken slightly better despite being not so healthy. While KFC offers Pepsi products, Popeye's Chicken offers its rival; that is Coca Cola products and Popeye's does not include free refill. As I mentioned their Chicken Bowl is the best thing Popeye's Chicken offers and most of the time it is the one that I order. It comes with rice, beans, grated cheese and some chicken strips cut into small pieces. I only wish that one day I will be able to prepare my own Chicken Bowl.

KFC

Price	$ $
Quality	★★★☆☆
Atmosphere	★★☆☆☆
Service	★★★★☆
Revisit Factor	★★☆☆☆

Popeye's Chicken

Price	$ $
Quality	★★★☆☆
Atmosphere	★★☆☆☆
Service	★★★★☆
Revisit Factor	★★★☆☆

Food Battle 1 - Bagels

The Great Canadian Bagel v/s Treats Coffee Emporium

Another morning just started, as one wakes up for breakfast with only a few places open at that time of the day. But one is in a hurry for early morning classes, one could go to another place and order a traditional breakfast known as The Big Breakfast."

This "big breakfast" meal consists of 2 slices of toasted bread with or without butter, 2 sausages or bacon strips, 2 eggs to the person's style and 2 hash-browns. Despite being highly appealing, it takes quite some time for the order to be processed and to be ready. Therefore it is not what one will be looking forward on a hasty morning. What one needs is breakfast on the go. It needs to be ready very quickly while being cheap and fulfilling. One possibility are the bagels from either The Great Canadian Bagel or Treats Coffee Emporium.

The Great Canadian Bagel

Those bagels are not as cheap as I expected

And as I pay I always feel cheated 

They do things very fast almost like an assembly line

Perfect when I am in a hurry or on deadline

One can pick from a wide array of topping

Enough for some top notch advertising

Same goes for bagel choices; anything you need

Whole-grain, plain, herb, cheese, poppy, sesame seed 

A decent place for breakfast in the morning

But eating bagels all day will be surely frightening 

Treats Coffee Emporium

Bagels for breakfast at Treats are the cheapest

As I wonder whether this bagel place is the best

As expected, they process orders at a very fast pace
Maybe something they learnt from another place
However the choice of bagels are restricted

Which at times have left me dejected

It feels like a greenhouse with to lots of windows

Sitting, eating while watching other hasty fellows

However it does fail and with a big crash

 I can only pay using meal plan card and cash

Breakfast on campus is definitely one unique experience. I ate at those bagel places but somehow I would still prefer "The Big Breakfast" which unfortunately is not served at these two places. But regarding to bagels alone, the difference in prices vary between about $1 or $2 but when you compare the wide array of choices that The Great Canadian Bagel offers, it is no wonder. Both of them offer coffee for around $1.50 extra which I always pass. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" my parents always tell me, it is true but as long as I can get myself some cereals and milk, I can say goodbye to bagels.

The Great Canadian Bagel

Price	$
Quality	★★★★☆
Atmosphere	★★★☆☆
Service	★★★☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★★☆☆

Treats Coffee Emporium

Price	$
Quality	★★★☆☆
Atmosphere	★★★☆☆
Service	★★☆☆☆
Revisit Factor	★★★★☆

Prelude to Fast-Food Battles

We all need food, yet there are times that we have to decide what to eat and where to eat. During my undergrad years especially when living on campus, there were times when such decision had to be made. On the main campus of the university, there are more than 25 fast-food chain outlets as well as different places one can go to eat.

I would say, that there are just two places to go to eat on campus namely in the Student Centre and in the York Lanes. Each one has several fast-food outlets to pick from. We were offered a wide array of choices and although different, they are almost the same. The comparable food items do not differ by much and so were the quality, along with the amount given but I have to admit that there were some exceptional cases. However in my second year, I mentioned something that changed my way of viewing the various campus fast-food outlets:

"The hardest challenge is to look for what is acceptable among all."

At first, it does not seem to make much sense, but then when you consider factors such as having to eat campus food countless times over the year when I was living on campus via their mandatory meal plan, you will surely get the point I am making. My rating system for food changed and there was no more a scale of appreciation but a scale of opinions about the food I was given.

Over the weeks to come, I will try the various fast-food outlets on campus and I can see that it will be a quite an expensive project. However it is something I always wanted to do since my second year of university but due to lack of motivation or time, I always cancelled it. Eating food from the various food places on the university campus; from fast food chains, to privately owned restaurants and to cafeteria places will now finally be a reality.

Unfortunately there will be some places that I will not have access. Some of them will be used for another project. One thing is certain, If all the places were still operational, there would be nearly 40 food places to eat on campus. Since my first year till today, I did eat at most of the places I will be reviewing.

It will be a massive hit to my monthly budget. Eating at all these places which are open this term, might require at least between $300 and $350 which is quite a hefty sum of money to spend just on campus food and that is why this project might take a long while to reach completion.

What makes it hard is that in addition to the grad lounge which is restricted to graduate students, there are three places which have closed down and will not be accessible but can I still make a review. Henceforth no picture would be posted.

Food Place	Inaccessible / Future Project
Blueberry Hill	Closed Down
Mangia Mangia	Closed Down
Taco Villa	Closed Down
Maclaughlin Cafetaria	Future project
Complex 1 Cafeteria	Future project
Complex 2 Cafeteria	Future project
Blumont Bistro	Future project
Freshii	Future project
La Prep	Future project
Underground	Future project
Orange Snail	Future project
Executive Dining	Future project

However despite all these challenges and that eating fast food is quite unhealthy, it is something that will bring self-satisfaction. I only hope that I will not have food-poisoning or be sick. As I mentioned earlier, the food they serve on campus are different yet similar in some ways and as this project goes on, one will see that the similarity will be more obvious. I would also like to mention that it is based on my point of view therefore it might differ from anyone else. Despite having mentioned my own rating system, I will use another scale and it will be based on 5 criteria: price, quality, atmosphere, service and revisit factor using star and dollar system with ★ meaning a filled star, ☆ as empty and the "$" represents the amount paid for the food. 1 "$" is capped at 6, and each additional "$" is at $2 increments. 

So let the food battles begin!