Hunger Pangs: Trying To Find Food on Campus

Will Irvine (he/him)

It’s become a truism at this point that developing an in-person study routine is crucial to ensuring academic success. The ideal student is the one sitting in the corner of Kelburn library with an iced matcha, a notebook bursting with sticky notes, and a shining MacBook covered in protest stickers. Yet studying on campus can be cost-prohibitive. If you’re a big fella like me, the need for food will impede your ability to focus. If you’re choosing between being too hungry to study and depleting your bank account for expensive sushi, you’re not going to be able to be as productive as you need to be. Over the last week, I’ve set out on a quest to find the most affordable ways to survive on campus. 

KELBURN

Kaibosh

If you’re an early riser, Kaibosh is an excellent option. Every Friday morning, the VUWSA building is stocked up with bread, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and more. You can even score a block of chocolate or free biscuits, if you’re lucky. Everything offered at Kaibosh is 100% free, so it runs out quickly. Get in.

Krishna

Krishna is the time-honoured favourite of hungry students across the world. Hare Krishna food is warm, delicious, and fully vegan. While it might not be the best option for protein lovers, at $8 for a full and satiating plate, Krishna is hard to beat. If you’ve got a little extra cash to spare, Krishna also offers drinks and other hot food refreshments, like $5 samosas and even cheaper hot chips. 

Ramsey House

The chaplaincy at Ramsey House offers a great deal on $2 toasties and hot filter coffee. The building is just beautiful to relax in and study, and it’s a nice tranquil alternative to the hustle and bustle of a cafe. You don’t need to be a Christian to drop by - the space is open to everyone, and the volunteers are lovely people. 

Maki Mono

While buying campus sushi is normally a death sentence for your piggy bank, it’s still possible to get a good deal if you know when to go. Maki Mono does half price sushi after 4:30PM, and if you can beat the line, you can get a full plate of sushi for relatively cheap. The post-4:30PM quality may be a little blah, but it’s a cheaper option if you can’t quit the sushi cravings.

Making Your Lunch at Home 

This is the option your mum is going to tell you to pursue when you call home and complain about campus food prices. It’s not glamorous, and the reheated rice in your backpack is definitely going to get chunky and gross, but it is cheap. Kelburn Campus, especially in the smaller buildings, is dotted with microwaves, so in a pinch, bringing a tupperware full of tuna and rice is definitely a solid option.

PIPITEA: 

On Pipitea campus, your nearby options are Maccas, which is nutritionally and morally questionable, or Subway, which is slightly better but suffers from similar problems. If you venture into the train station, there’s Trax Bar and Cafe, which is decent, but without the New World Metro, is the train station even worth the visit? The Lab doesn’t appear here for the same reason it doesn’t appear on our Kelburn list - it’s cost-prohibitive (aside from getting your tenth coffee free). If you have 15 minutes, though, take a stroll down Lambton Quay, you can check out Fujiyama Cafe, a hole-in-the-wall sushi cafe that does a killer katsu sandwich for a very affordable price. Whilst I’d love to recommend Belen Vegan Bakery, the price ranges are simply exorbitant for anyone who isn’t a full-time Salient editor. 

TE ARO

Te Aro is possibly the ideal study campus. On a sunny day, settled in the middle of the lawn or under the wide-open central study area, it’s hard not to relax into a comfortable study rhythm. Te Aro also benefits from its proximity to Cuba Street, which gives it an easy lead by sheer number of available food options nearby. Even though Cuba Street food isn’t always cheap, you can still usually find a bargain nearby. Faves include Raglan Roast, Ekim, or Fred’s (if you’re feeling fancy). My personal pick is the iced coffee at Cosmic vape shop, which is surprisingly good.