From 11:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every weekday, students of NYU Shanghai flood into the B1 Cafeteria, file into the white circle tables with white trays filled with foods from sandwiches, to little crunchy chicken nuggets, to economically-filled salad and fruit bowls, to bowls of rice, to little 包子 and most things in between. From the outside, this is what the cafeteria looks like nine weeks into the semester. During the first week of orientation, breakfast at the cafeteria consisted of undercooked eggs, cold 包子 and bread rolls. I observed the way in which the ladies were cooking the eggs, and a few of us noticed that they were undercooked - so there was a simple solution. We did not complain, or suffered in silence, but simply asked her to flip the eggs over and let the eggs cook a little longer. With a little Chinese and hand gestures, this problem was solved. However, this was not the only issue that needed to be addressed. About a week or so later, I noticed that students were beginning to get antsy and frustrated at the state of the cafeteria - people had started labelling it overpriced, unhealthy and extremely limited. However, as more and more started voicing their concerns, more was done. The prices went down - rice is currently at 1 RMB a bowl, whereas Family mart sells a cup of rice for 6.70 RMB. The availability of choices began to rise, as we saw the introduction of halal options (which meant that for those who only eat halal, a trip to the halal noodle restaurant was no longer needed) and vegetarian options. Cereal was also introduced as a breakfast item for 8 RMB. It may seem ‘unreasonable', except a lot of us have to remember that it's no longer an item taken out of the pantry and the fact that imported cereal is just expensive in China. The introduction of the café was also a great addition to the school. A 6 RMB sandwich and a proper coffee are just what we need between classes - but then there’s the issue of the line to the cafe after an 8:15a.m. class. So, yes, all in all, the options have expanded. We have properly cooked eggs, cereal, vegetables, salad choices, vegetarian, dessert, halal options, french fries, water, and meat - there was even a roast with mashed potatoes and vegetables the other day. But is this all that fully functioning college student needs? For a start, there needs to be an increase in access to fruit and vegetables all day, rather than just at specified times, as not every single person can make multiple trips up to Health and Wellness to fulfill their daily servings of apples. The next thing that needs to be addressed is the nutritional value of the food we are eating. There have been several complaints about the amount of oil used in the vegetable, noodle and meat dishes. In multiple cases, students also questioned the use of MSG (味精 or monosodium glutamate), and whilst the use of MSG is prominent in Chinese cooking, is unacceptable to serve in a communal setting. Maybe the cafeteria is taking the saying “加油!” a little too seriously. Keep going, but add a little less oil, please. Furthermore, do we have enough choices? Since the population of NYU Shanghai comes from six continents and over 150 countries, NYUSH should be catering to each and every one of our individual needs. So where are the vegan options? What about those with severe allergies? Or asthmatics, such as myself, who cannot eat MSG due to the health risks associated. But in reality, NYU cannot cater to that one out of the six hundred students who does not eat specific items, for example kidney beans. Personally, I don’t like kidney beans, but I’m going to adapt and simply avoid the little red beans. The cafeteria does need improvement. However, the only way for improvement to occur is through suggestions and voicing concerns - and we have seen this already happen. And as much as we NYUSH students want to change everything as soon as possible, we need to remember that this is the first year at our Pudong campus, and the cafeteria has only been open for nine weeks now. Also, try eating there for a change. It’s not all that bad, it’s convenient, and it’s a chance to socialize with your classmates. This article was written by Isabella Farr. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Kevin Wang