Ask any student what they’re thinking about, and trust me, most will say food. Being a student, myself, I have to say that the most exciting change this year wasn’t the train of new faculty members (Sorry!) or the addition of construction barriers to UNIS’ montage; it was the food!

Gone are the days of sloppy joes and meals drowned in indiscernible sauces; now comes the age of the healthy foods. The canteen has undergone a dramatic change, as J&J catering has been replaced by chef extravaganza, Adam Betz. Previously, Mr. Betz worked as a chef at the Salt & Lime restaurant, which, by the way, serves up pretty delicious burritos (in case you need a pinch of Mexican-American cuisine)!

Undoubtedly, Mr. Betz’s cooking style has been reflected through the noticeable change of the canteen food. Although I’ve heard some students describe the food as “bland,” I would describe it as “fresh” – this is what real food is supposed to taste like, minus all the MSG! It might take some getting used to; however, I believe that the healthy salt, pepper, and herb seasoning more than suffices – our health is always paramount.

However, that’s just my opinion…of course, the new food has brought up a melange of reactions, so here are a few comments to show you  that I’m not the only one who’s enjoying the change:

“It really is refreshing to at something new after so many years of the same menu.”

Anonymous, Grade 12

“I get to eat all this restaurant-quality food that I know is healthy! There’s still pizza too, but it’s so much more varied. Everyone can agree that the old pizza tasted terrible and was way too oily. ”

Anonymous, Grade 10

Just a side-note on the topic of pizzas, what happened to the Deli!? I must say, I was devastated upon returning to school, as my junk food galore no longer waited on me…If you’re like me, who, more often than not, never wants to be healthy, hot dogs, pizzas, and pastas were my solace…But now that the deli’s gone, replaced by healthy snacks, I guess that’s not on the menu anymore! On the bright side, however, I’m delighted with the newest additions – lime bars and croissants! Can you believe that they’re only 12 000VND each?! With cost-inflation always raising the lunch prices, it’s really nice that we can afford these snacks at the new deli…honestly, they’re not bad!

So many awesome changes have taken place, but the best one by far has to be the free refills. It’s been quite a while since we were allowed to have refills, so to all of you who complain about the canteen prices (me included!), it’s practically free flow lunch – get your money’s worth, and eat more, ok?