UBC Reports | Vol. 49 | No. 10 | Oct.
2, 2003
Cuisine goes “haute” at Place Vanier
By Brian Lin
Students returning to Place Vanier residence this fall were
greeted by a pleasant surprise sure to whet their appetites.
UBC Food Services unveiled a newly renovated cafeteria last
month, revealing a cozy and elegant space filled with aromas
of both hearty and exotic cuisine.
“It’s campus cafeteria meets Milestones,”
says Food Services director Andrew Parr, who supervised the
first renovation to the cafeteria in more than 25 years. “There’s
a strong movement in North America towards gourmet-style residence
dining and we are aiming to position ourselves ahead of the
curve.
“The response from both parents and students has been
overwhelmingly positive.”
The new cafeteria, complete with wall-to-wall scenic windows
and twin fireplaces, offers students, faculty and staff a
variety of choices from cook-to-order pastas and ethnic gourmet
to grab-and-go sandwiches.
“Integrating packaged food with individual gourmet stations
speeds up the serving process,” says residence chef Steve
Golob. “The other day 250 people came through at lunch
time, and we were able to serve everyone within 18 minutes.”
“Everything is prepared fresh daily,” says Piyush
Sahay, who brings more than 15 years of experience in restaurant
management to his new role as executive chef. “But students
can decide whether they want to have a sit-down meal or pick
up something quickly on their way to class.”
Sahay, who joined UBC this summer, has worked in resorts
and hotels in France, Bombay, South Africa and Mombasa. He
spent seven years at Vancouver International Airport supervising
the catering of more than 5,000 meals a day for Cathay Pacific,
Lufthansa, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines.
Food Services also launched its new brand, ThinkFood, with
brightly colour-coded packaging and gourmet fast food, available
at all Food Services outlets on campus. Favourites like potato
salad and chicken wraps now sit side-by-side with exotic palate-teasers
like Cuban grilled chicken ciabatta and Thai beef wrap.
“We’re also improving the quality and consistency
of our packaged foods by introducing a commissary chef to
the graveyard shift for the first time,” says Parr. “And
the selections will continue to grow according to feedback
from students, faculty and staff.”
Both Place Vanier and Totem Residence dining rooms are open
seven days a week (including holidays) for breakfast, lunch
and dinner. The dining rooms are open to all students, faculty
and staff. For menus, visit www.foodserv.ubc.ca.
