Testing out menu items at KPU’s reopened cafeterias

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After more than a year, Kwantlen Polytechnic University has finally reopened its cafeterias at the Surrey and Richmond campuses. 

While it’s not the Kinton Ramen restaurant I initially hoped KPU would install, as I mentioned in a previous story, at least there’s more food options at the Surrey and Richmond campuses now. 

Curious about the new menus, I went to try out their food. At the Surrey campus, I chose the “Kwantlen Poutine” since poutine is one of my go-to foods whenever I try out a new place. 

While it had the usual fries, gravy, and cheese curds you’d expect from a typical poutine, there was an additional sauce that made it stand out from other poutines I’ve had — something about it just tasted so good. It cost $8.49 before tax.

I’m not sure where the “Kwantlen Poutine” would go on my poutine rankings list, but this is one of the food items I’d recommend getting if you’re on the Surrey campus. (I got another one a week later because it was that tasty). 

I also wanted to try the sushi at the Richmond campus since it is one of my favourite foods. I tried the salmon avocado roll since there weren’t any California rolls available. It was also 15 per cent off at the time of my visit because there was a discount on sushi from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. 

This was the first time I’ve purchased cafeteria food at the Richmond campus, and I’ve only ever had California and deep-fried sushi rolls. I’ll be honest, the sushi wasn’t bad — I’m just not used to eating raw fish, and it was an awkward experience. But this time it’s on me, not the food. 

I’m hoping to try the California roll the next time I get food at the Richmond campus. Having deep-fried sushi options would be a nice addition to the menu. The avocado salmon sushi roll cost $8.49 before tax, but with the discount, it ended up totalling $7.58. 

I know the prices might be debatable for some, but as someone who’s seen poutine and sushi go for more than $10, I argue the prices are reasonable — especially for those on a time crunch. 

If I had to be critical, I wish there weren’t exclusive menu options between the Surrey and Richmond campuses. I’m not a huge fan of the menu offerings at the Surrey campus, besides the poutine. 

I like the sushi available at Richmond, but I can’t always make trips there just for the food, especially since I have no classes in Richmond this semester. It would be ideal if sushi were also available at the Surrey campus. 

Overall, I’m happy the cafeteria is open again after being closed for so long, and I hope to see menu offerings expand over time.