Jade jostles for food court supremacy
By Taryn Lentes, Staff Writer
April 27, 2007 | 4:31 p.m.
The new food court in Baker Center has created a stir with its new options and the dining dollar-spending frenzy. In the cafeteria-style West 82, fast food is everywhere; however, nestled between the grill and the deli, Jade provides an Asian alternative to pizza and burgers.
Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars Jade offers a different and tasty option by providing a made-to-order meal with customer-chosen ingredients; however, Jade may not be the best choice for those looking for a quick bite between classes.
Menu Selection: 4 stars Although Jade’s pho bowls are the only constant menu item, the “build-your-own” format allows a lot of room for creative ordering. First, the customer chooses three vegetables from around 10 options. These vegetables may vary slightly from day to day, but usually include mushrooms, broccoli, onions, snow peas, water chestnuts and carrots. The next step is choosing a meat from chicken, beef or shrimp and a stock (broth) from chicken, beef or tofu. The final decision the hungry students face is whether to get rice or noodles (thin or wide) and whether to order teriyaki, soy or hot sauce. The variety among the possible ingredients allows for different-tasting bowls each time. Customers may also omit the meat and choose tofu stock, which provides a tasty vegetarian option.
Price: 3.5 stars $3.50 a bowl is a bit pricey, especially on a college student’s thin wallet. However, thanks to the dining dollars attached to many meal plans, there is room to indulge in food court treats. Also worth mentioning is the large portions that the $3.50 can buy; each bowl is packed to the brim and should be enough to fill all but the heartiest eaters.
Food quality: 4 stars Jade’s bowls are both tasty and filling -- it’s hard to go wrong when the customer picks the ingredients. Everything is cooked in a wok and, despite the short amount of time it takes the cook to get the food from wok to bowl, the end result is hot and thoroughly cooked. The vegetables are surprisingly fresh and crisp, considering the usual cafeteria fare.
Service: 3 stars Getting your food at Jade in a reasonable amount of time seems to be a hit-or-miss experience. Attempting to eat there during lunch or dinner time is not advised if you need to be somewhere soon. Because of this problem, students cannot use their dining dollars from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as of the beginning of spring quarter.
The line at Jade has been known to wind through the middle of the food court. Even if the line is relatively short, it is not always a good indicator of how long the wait will be. It could be as short as 10 minutes or much longer before the order makes it to the wok. Despite this, when not overwhelmed with orders, the staff can keep the line moving quickly and manage to maintain a friendly, upbeat attitude.
Atmosphere: 3 Stars Once again, one should use caution when attempting to dine in any part of West 82 during peak times. Check-out lines can stretch on for what feels like forever, and finding an unoccupied table is a separate ordeal. Beyond that, the atmosphere does not reach far beyond the typical cafeteria dining experience, with one exception being the room-length windows that grant diners a picturesque backdrop.
Perks: Jade’s cuisine can be enjoyed in the food court or “to go.” The cuisine is very portable, as the bowls come with lids. Given the average college student’s less-than-ideal diet, Jade should get credit simply for its main dish, featuring three vegetables.
Jade Hours
11 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday
11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Friday
Closed Saturday and Sunday