A New Adventure

Task for this Quarter - Food at UCSD

"Visit each of the eleven campus restuarant and write about them." (I hope :-)). Food, Food, Food are the three top most things I miss about India and IITK. Today morning itself Himanshu came over and we went for a short drive. And I said - "Agar abhi India mein hote to kachori kha ke aa rahe hote". :-( . I really miss the road side food stalls. In Delhi I could have found a 'Sundar Sasta Tikau Chola Kulcha' with a drop of a stone. In Kanpur Lala made it sure that we have OnDemand food from 2 in the afternoon to 2 in the night. And ofcourse there was MT for Chai-Samosas and ShopC for Cold Coffee, Patties and Milk Cake. If we used to get fed up with even these, there was the Famous Dosawala at the entrance. Once in a while IceSpice.

But here, its just Subway(Sandwitches) or Rubios(Mexican). And if one is a gastronome, he tries out Canyon Vista (mess type of arrangements) or some eateries in Old' Students Center. Even a pathetic coffee with all kinds of awful smelling chemicals makes you shell out a dollar. (I mean think by Indian Standards 4.5 Rs vs 45.). You can find better tasting coffee at Roma's cafe but that costs double. Anyways, no point cribbing cus the problem is not lack of eating options. The problem is lack of exploration. The UCSD website says there are 11 dining option on campus. And how many have I tired yet - Just two. Apart from these there are few more fastfood types of eateries in Price Center and Old Students Center and again I have a patheric experimentation count. So this semester I aim for trying atleast 10 different kinds of eatries. The parameters are cost, On-the-Go-Snacks and Vegetarian Options. - My aim is to find vegetarian option that fills your tummy for under $5 if thats a proper meal, or under $3 if its On-the-Go-Snacks.

1. Panda Express
Taste: 2.5/5
Location: Price Center
Cuisine: Chinese - that includes steamed rice, fried rice, chowmein and for sides mostly meat items, but also found tofu and a mix of stir fried vegetables.
Cost: $6 for half portion of steamed and fried rice each with a portion of tofu and vegetables. Tofu was patheic, cant take it the next time.
On-the-go-option: Nothing is available below $3
Vegetarian Factor: 2/5
Late Night: No.
Health Factor: 4/5
Comments: May be a bowl of rice and stir fried vegetables or chowmein can be the next experiment. That would also bring the price under $5.

To Try
Café Ventanas: 30 ft. floor-to-ceiling windows, an exhibition-style kitchen, a sushi chef, and more await you in this architecturally breathtaking restaurant.
Club Med: Begin your day with a cooked-to-order breakfast, or stop by for a HeartSmart lunch or fabulous Italian cuisine.
El Mercado: The best spot on campus for authentic Mexican foods.
Foodworx: Pizzas, salads, Quizno-style sandwiches, and much more.
OceanView Terrace: Serves open-hearth-fired pizzas with a breathtaking view of the Pacific.
Plaza Cafe: There's something for everyone with vegetarian specialties and rotating international specialties from the South, Middle East, Asia, and Mexico.
Plaza On The Side: Coffeehouse-meets-poetry reading-meets-live music.
Sierra Summit: With made-to-order wok, a vegetarian station, and "on the rock" ice cream.
Snackropolis: Catch a spectacular view of the ocean while enjoying grilled-burgers-of-the-day, specialty salads, and more.

posted by Nikhil @ 6:16 PM