Campus cafeteria
Ham and cheese sandwich
$5.92
Presentation and service
Jason: The service is good, quick, and friendly. As expected, we got a sandwich thrown on a paper plate. The sandwiches are made to order, which is great for options, except the baguettes are skinny, so grab a fork because you’ll be eating half the sandwich off the plate.
Tyler: Honestly, the people at the Campus Caf are real sweethearts, all across the board. The service was friendly, attentive, and fast. It’s too bad that we waste all those paper plates here at Camosun though. I wonder if the cafeteria would be better off hiring a dishwasher instead.
Taste
J: From its half-melted cheese and lukewarm temperature it’s clear this sandwich was microwaved rather than toasted. And that’s a good way to describe the taste: lukewarm, average. It’s like watching an episode of Seinfeld thinking you haven’t seen it before, then realizing halfway through that you have, but you finish it anyway because you have nothing better to do.
T: I couldn’t possibly follow what Jason just said, but I will continue the analogy by adding that there’s a reason you keep watching those Seinfeld reruns: they’re still better than most shows you haven’t seen yet. The veggies were fresh and the ham was hammy, but the cheddar definitely overtook the sandwich.
Moka House (Hillside Mall)
Ham and cheese sandwich
$4 .75 plus tip
Presentation and service
Jason: The service was sufficient, and the wingback chairs were quite comfy. The sandwich, hot out of the panini press, came with a fork and knife. Nice touch, but unnecessary. Come on, it’s a sandwich. Eat it with your hands.
Tyler: Jason didn’t even use his hands. I had to quickly pull my half of the sandwich away before he buried his face into the plate. One thing the Moka House really has going for it is ambiance. There’s a reason so many students study there; it’s an awfully nice room. We couldn’t figure out how to turn on the fireplace though, which is probably for the best.
Taste
J: The sandwich actually had temperature this time, and the pretzel bun was a great compliment to the plethora of other flavours on the inside. The reason for all this scrumptiousness were the wholesome ingredients like Edam cheese, spring greens, and what tasted like chili spice, which gave it a little kick.
T: The red peppers weren’t diced into tiny, unmanageable bits like at the cafeteria, and the spring greens made me feel like I was eating something that Grace Kelly would have liked. I spent the whole time imagining myself in a long, white dress, on a patio in Monaco, awaiting my prince. No take-backsies. The Edam was a great touch, too; subtle and complimentary.
And the winner is… Moka House
Verdict:
Jason: They turned the boring ham and cheese staple into a first choice rather than something you live with because you couldn’t think of something better to eat.
Tyler: And they managed to make it cheaper. While the Moka House’s offering was smaller, it was something I could eat over and over again. The Campus Caf sandwich, although passable, felt more like something I wouldn’t mind eating if I had to.