Campus Eats: York University

The 2013 Maclean’s University Rankings includes an examination of the dining on Canadian campuses. We found healthier options than ever, but also a new problem—high prices.

Maclean’s On Campus is continuing the conversation by having students review food on their campuses and showing what it costs to dine.

If you’re a student, you can help. Send us a review of an eatery at your university. Keep your receipts. If we publish it, we’ll reimburse you.

Here is the latest Campus Eats submission.

Indian Flavour at York University
Two out of five stars
Total Price: $9.00

While spending a Saturday night at York catching up on homework, I was forced to grab a bite to eat so my stomach would stop growling and I could keep working. Considering it was late and on a weekend, there wasn’t much to choose from. As I ventured through York Lanes looking for something affordable and satisfying—besides Popeye’s—I decided to try Indian Flavour.

After studying the menu, I settled on a medium-spiced butter chicken tandoori wrap. The wrap was much larger than I expected, which I was happy about until I took a bite. For a place that’s called Indian Flavour, the food tasted unconvincingly Indian. The wrap was oozing with a tangy mayo-like sauce that was not the least bit spicy. The chicken was shredded into thin pieces creating a mushy Tuna-like texture. Sliced cucumber and limp lettuce were soggy from the sauce. The only upside was the naan bread. It was a nice alternative to the pitas usually used for wraps on campus. It held everything together, was a good thickness and was neither dry nor excessively oily tasting.

Overall, the wrap satisfied my hunger, but not my taste buds. Being Indian-Canadian, I’ve indulged in better butter chicken many times at home and at restaurants. There was nothing authentic about the flavour and the sauce created a mushy texture. At $9.00, this is not an option I’d choose again.

The bill:
Butter chicken tandoori wrap: $7.52
Bottle of water: $1.48
Total (incl. taxes): $9.00