THOUSANDS OF hungry students enter the cafeterias in Yonsei University’s Sinchon and Songdo campuses daily. However, due to reasons ranging from dietary restrictions to time constraints, some find the cafeteria services inadequate. Cafeterias are often the only option for students to eat a warm and satiating meal between classes. Given the important role of school cafeterias in sustaining the university community, The Yonsei Annals asked students about their level of satisfaction with the cafeterias and suggestions to improve their services. 

Park Ji-young (Junior, English Language & Lit.)

   I have lunch at the university cafeterias around 3 to 4 times a week. My go-to cafeteria is the Hangyeong Hall due to its proximity to the Widang Hall, where I take most of my classes. It is especially convenient when I am pressed for time in between lectures. Another reason for visiting the Hangyeong Hall is that it serves food in a buffet-style so I can choose from a varied selection of foods. Other cafeterias, such as Mat-na-saem or Burul-saem in the Student Union Building, only serve single-dish menus like ton-katsu[1]. One complaint I have about it is that, while having more variety than other cafeterias on campus, they often serve the same ban-chans[2], meat-dishes, and noodles. I therefore wonder whether having such a repetitive diet is healthy. 

In deciding where to eat, price is not an influential factor. I find the cost range between ₩5,000 and ₩7,000 to be reasonable, as it is similar to the prices charged by the restaurants in the university dormitory. It is also cheaper than delivery food and eating outside campus. The only times I eat off-campus are when the cafeteria is too crowded. Overall, I feel satisfied with the university’s cafeteria services, and—based on what I have heard—Yonsei, compared to other universities, has put in the effort to cook non-Korean dishes, which I believe should be credited. 

Assylzhan Kassymzhan (Soph., UIC, Quantitative Risk Management)

   Although the portions are smaller compared to that of a café or restaurant, pricewise, the school cafeterias are the best option for cash-strapped students. Since I am Muslim, I can only eat halal food, which means I often end up choosing dishes that do not contain pork. Moreover, halal requires meat to be processed according to certain standards and does not allow food that is cooked in pork broth or fat. Therefore, unless the cafeteria guarantees that a dish is halal, I feel uncomfortable eating it as it is impossible for me to know how the food is cooked. UIC is home to an international student community with varying dietary restrictions. Therefore, the school cafeterias should be more considerate of this fact when coming up with their menus. For instance, I have Muslim friends at other Korean universities who do not struggle with their cafeterias’ food because they provide halal options. As of now, I feel forced to adapt to eating meals without pork, which falls short of what a halal diet actually is. 

   I also find that most dishes do not have enough nutritional value, as the portion of carbohydrates is significantly larger than that of protein. Nevertheless, the side dishes offered by the cafeterias are generous with lots of vegetables. Also, the proximity of Songdo cafeterias to the dormitories allows students to grab a quick meal in-between their studying, saving both money and time especially during exam periods. When the cafeteria does not have an adequate menu for my diet, I often resort to ramen or kimbap from the convenience store. While these alternatives energize me for the day, I do not feel like I am having a balanced meal. 

Vo Thi Thuy Minh (Soph., UIC, Creative Technology Management)

   I go to the cafeteria 3 to 4 times a week, usually for lunch. Because most of my classes finish between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., I usually want to eat and go back to my dormitory right away to study and rest, making the cafeteria an ideal choice due to its proximity. Furthermore, the highest price of meals served at the cafeterias is ₩6,000, which I consider quite inexpensive. I also like the variety and nutritional value that every meal provides: one main dish with three to four side dishes with balanced amounts of meat, rice, and vegetables. I have no dietary restrictions so choosing an option from the menu is easy for me. Being a foreign student from Vietnam, I usually opt to eat outside whenever the cafeteria attempts to “recreate” my country’s dishes—such as pho[3]—as the flavor does not turn out very authentic. However, given the low price, the quality of their foreign dishes is reasonable. 

Felix Mario Villarreal Vera (Senior, Mechanical Engineering, Tecnologico de Monterrey)

   I visit the cafeteria often—around five times per week for lunch and dinner. Price and flavor are its greatest merits. While I have not liked every dish I have tried, I have come to find a few—mainly bul-go-gi[4], udon, and a hotpot dish called man-seo special—that are quite delicious. However, I did not enjoy my first meal I had in the Yonsei cafeteria, which was a dish made with kimchi; although I am Mexican, it was too spicy for me to the point of discomfort. The other reason for my dissatisfaction was the small portion size. I often find that this is a problem with the “Soban” section in Mat-na-saem: the portions of the soups are too small to fully satiate me. 

   That being said, overall, I am very impressed with Yonsei’s cafeteria. The prices here are lower and the food is more nutritious than the ones at my home university. My university’s food court frequently serves pizza, tortas[5], and nachos—while these dishes are not exactly ultra-processed, they are still far from being healthy. Meanwhile, recently in the cafeteria at the Student Union Building, I had rice, meat, and onions—which I found to be comparatively more nutritious. Furthermore, I consider the overall system of Yonsei’s cafeterias to be more efficient and ecological. The waiting lines are organized, and water dispensers are readily available whenever I want to drink water. I also like how unwasteful it is to return your tray after each meal, compared to discarding disposable plastic dishes. 

Kim Christina (Senior, Business Administration)

   I go to the cafeteria at least once a week for lunch. I really like the buffet-style cafeteria located on the second floor of the Hangyeong Hall as you can choose what you want to eat. I do not like the cafeterias in the Student Union Building because I have to wait in long lines, especially during lunchtime.The menus are usually the same every week, making it difficult for vegan students to find dishes that contain neither meat nor eggs. The only cafeteria that is somewhat vegan-friendly is the Hangyeong Hall. Because of this, my vegan friends usually end up going to the convenience store to have a meal. 

   I resort to eating outside of the cafeteria when the menus only offer spicy food. When I was living in the Songdo campus, there were separate Korean and Western menu options, and I wish we had something like that in the Sinchon campus. Many international students go to the cafeterias in the Student Union Building and it can be really hard for them to eat there because the menu is all Korean, with the food usually being very spicy with a lot of unfamiliar ingredients. Hence, it would be better if they provided separate Western menus with which international students are more familiar. 

   I do not pay much attention to nutrition, but the quality of the food is decent considering the price. Sometimes I eat a very tasty meal, and other times the flavor is mediocre, but I have never eaten something outright unappetizing. While the cafeteria is convenient, I usually eat outside of campus more often as the cafeterias’ schedules do not match mine. The cafeterias operate from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for dinner. With my classes usually ending at 3 p.m., I cannot go to any of the cafeterias as they have a break between 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.—I wish these schedules could change so that the opening and closing times of the cafeterias do not overlap. 

[1] Ton-katsu: Deep-fried pork cutlet

[2] Ban-chan: Korean side dishes 

[3] Pho: Vietnamese noodle soup

[4] Bul-go-gi: Korean meat dish marinated in soy sauce

[5] Tortas: Mexican-style sandwiches