Students got their first taste of the fresh international
flavors of the new Rendezvous restaurant in a pre-opening
taste-testing Tuesday night.
Rendezvous, located at Rieber Terrace, has two separate dining
areas, one serving Mexican food and the other serving Asian
food.
The new restaurant will open next week in shifts to different
parts of the Hill, so as to gradually open the restaurant to the
flow of on-campus residents, said Connie Foster, associate director
of Dining Services.
It will initially open next Tuesday to Hedrick and Hitch
residents only. Next Wednesday, it will open to Rieber and Saxon
residents, and by next Thursday the restaurant will open to all
residents on the Hill.
Initially opening from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Dining Services plans
to have the new eatery open continually from 9 a.m. to midnight
starting next fall quarter, Foster said.
The taste-testing was the first time the Policy Review Board and
Dining’s focus group of students, who have been working with
Dining Services to plan dining options on the Hill for some time,
were able to sample the fruits of their debates and
discussions.
Student reactions to the new restaurant were overwhelmingly
positive.
“(Rendezvous) is above and beyond what everyone would
expect,” said Mike Weiss, a fourth-year anthropology student
and member of the Policy Review Board. “The aesthetics and
the food are amazing.”
Some students said they were impressed by how good the Asian
food options were.
Third-year Spanish and linguistics student Andrea Ma said she
doesn’t usually like the Asian food provided on the Hill, but
thought Rendezvous’ Asian options were surprisingly good.
“I think it’s better than Panda Express,” Ma
said.
Peter Wong, an Office of Residential Life staff member in an
exchange program from Hong Kong, also said the food was very
good.
“We might implement something like (Rendezvous) in Hong
Kong,” Wong said.
Rendezvous has a modern design and decor with an environment
similar to that of De Neve Dining Hall, with multiple tables and
booths inside in addition to an outside dining patio.
“It’s pretty cozy,” said Jessika Herrera, a
second-year linguistics and anthropology student. “It feels
more homey than Puzzles.”
Some students said they were sad Puzzles will close when
Rendezvous becomes fully operational. But even so, many said they
enjoyed Rendezvous’ food and atmosphere better.
“I think (Rendezvous) is higher quality than Puzzles,
Crossroads and Bruin Cafe,” said James Engler, a first-year
English student who lives in Sunset Village.
Engler, who said he loved Puzzles and joined Dining’s
student focus group when he heard it would be closing, said he was
now happy with the addition of Rendezvous to the Hill’s
dining options.
Students also said they enjoyed Rendezvous’ Mexican food
options.
“The quesadilla here kicks the quesadilla at
Crossroads’ ass,” said Dianne Tanjuaquio, a second-year
sociology student.
But some students worry whether Rendezvous will be able to fill
the roll that Puzzles now plays on the Hill.
Though Rendezvous will only be open until midnight, Dining
Services plans to extend Bruin Cafe’s hours to 2 a.m. every
night starting next year, Foster said.
Rendezvous will also start serving breakfast items similar to
those currently available at Puzzles, she said. The new restaurant
may also offer Asian breakfast food items, though those details
have yet to be determined, she added.
In addition, the menus at Bruin Cafe and Crossroads will change
next fall quarter.
Bruin Cafe will offer some new items that were once at Puzzles,
and because Rendezvous will serve Mexican food, Dining Services
plans to change the type of food offered at Crossroads. It plans to
convert the eatery into a 1950s-style diner, serving hamburgers and
shakes, Foster said.
She added that these foods will be of higher quality than the
options currently available in residential dining halls.
Aaron Israel, a second-year political science student on the
Policy Review Board and resident of De Neve Plaza, said he
supported changing the role of Crossroads.
“I think the residents of De Neve are ready for a
change,” he said. “Plus, Rendezvous is worth the walk
up here.”