Campus Caf
Lansdowne campus
Chicken teriyaki stir-fry
$6.82
Presentation and service
Jason: The staff here is excellent, but not being able to order lunch before 11 am is ridiculous. Who has the right to deny you stir-fry for breakfast? Nobody. And stir-fry in the morning is delicious.
Tyler: Yeah, I get why there are hard and fast rules for the breakfast/lunch switchover. But these guys were on some down-to-the-minute rigidity.
Taste
J: It’s really good. I’d be so bold as to say it’s the best thing in the cafeteria. Fresh veggies, choice of protein, the rice doesn’t taste old or stale, and a large portion for under seven bucks. If I have one critique it’s that the chicken was a little rubbery. Normally, I would make some sort of witty anecdote but it’s hard to be funny when you actually like the food.
T: Papa Saliani is right: the stir-fry is the single best thing Camosun’s cafeteria puts in a Styrofoam shell. In terms of cost, size, and taste, it’s a never-miss option. I probably get it 85 percent of the time I go there for lunch. I’m not too chicken to say that my only beef is I would like more protein options, but I wouldn’t want the campus to dig into its pork barrel for such a simple thing.
Shogun
Hillside Mall
Chicken teriyaki stir-fry
$7.13
Presentation and service
J: It was pouring rain when we walked to Hillside and my jacket didn’t so much repel water as it did just hold it in, so I needed something to warm me up, and quick. Shogun didn’t disappoint. They were kind, fast, and the food was hot. The portion was a bit smaller than the cafeteria, but still plenty of food.
T: The Hillside Mall food court reminds me of when I failed grade 10 P.E. because we used to pile into my buddy’s Oldsmobile and go to Taco Time instead of getting a little exercise. We’d see who could eat the most spicy sauce and watch the retirees get their midday walk.
Taste
J: I like the way the chicken is cut better; it’s shaved rather than diced, and the sauce isn’t as sweet, which is good, but the veggies aren’t as fresh tasting as the cafeteria. It’s a tough call, they’re both so similar; for all-around deliciousness, it’s Shogun by a margin, but for price and convenience it’s the cafeteria. It’s a photo finish for taste.
T: I guess the chicken is thrown into a chicken randomizer. The sauce is straight up better than the caf’s. But the veggies pale in comparison, and the dish is smaller and more expensive.
Verdict: The Lansdowne cafeteria wins. In the end, Shogun just isn’t worth the trip. At the cafeteria you get bigger portions, fresher veggies, you don’t have to leave campus, and all for less money. On top of that, waiting for your food to come up at the cafeteria is one of the best ways to make conversation with members of the opposite (or same) sex. Bring your appetite and your A-game because the cafeteria’s stir fry and maybe even some sexy times await.