Arena 2020: Food Stalls Review
Written on January 24th, 2020 by {"login"=>"jcbitshyd", "email"=>"journal@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in", "display_name"=>"Journal Club, BPHC", "first_name"=>"", "last_name"=>""}ARENA 2020 is upon us and quite a few of us are mostly excited due to the huge variety of stalls available to satisfy our gastronomic needs. Braving the massive lines and crowds, you end up with a few brightly colored coupons clenched tightly in your fist. But the question is, where to go? What to buy? To solve this for you, BPHC's Journal Club has braved the crowds, sampled many food items across all of the stalls available, to help you decide where to spend your coupons. We've also compiled most of the menus of the food outlets to make it easier for you to decide what you want to have before setting out. Click here to download the PDFs.
Sugarcane Juice Stall
Menu: Just the one drink
Cost: Rs. 30
Review: A refreshing drink, and one of the actually healthy options with no soda offered at the food stalls. Worth the 30 rupees that would have otherwise gone into a cup of soda.
Rating: 4.5/5
Just Eat
Item Purchased: Roast Chicken Panini
Cost: Rs. 120
Consisted of chicken pieces, lettuce and mayo between the bread, very lightly toasted.
Taste: ⅘. There was a good amount of chicken, as opposed to it being 90% lettuce and mayo which was a welcome change. Taste-wise, it was fairly mediocre, a little on the bland side, similar to the Yummpy's sandwich (in taste, not composition). Better after adding the ketchup, in my opinion. (Which is not a very valid considering I add ketchup to everything, but still).
Value for Money: ⅗ For Rs. 120, the sandwich isn't very big nor is it particularly filling.
Conclusion: Definitely not the most filling option for 120 rupees if you are looking for a meal but worth a try, as a snack.
Item Purchased: Pulled Chicken Burger
Cost: Rs. 120
Very adequate burger and reasonably cheaper than its competitors at other stalls. Mildly bland - but still very tasty and with a very adequate amount of chicken. Fair value for money and decently filling as well.
Added plus, they use an actual panini press, which gives off a very “Chef” (the movie, duh) vibes.
Chinese Stall
Le Bistro
Review of Fish and Chips
Cost:200 rupees
Heard a lot of good things about them so decided to check it out for myself
(SPOILER: A disappointment)
I ordered fish and chips and got it quickly enough. The oil they used looked dark orange and reused (a little radioactive too).
The fries were quite hard and weren’t seasoned well.
The spices were out of whack and each one tasted a different type of bad. The fish fry though was what sunk it. The batter was very thin and the fish was basically spilling out. And the coating was overwhelmingly salty. I found it hard to get through my piece.
Price: ⅗
Quality: ⅖
I hope anyone else who goes there has a better experience but I would definitely not recommend bistro at all.
Review of the BBQ Chicken Burger
While 160 might seem like a lot to spend on a burger (and it is), the Barbeque Chicken Burger at Le Bistro almost makes up for the price. The burger is juicy, very nicely flavoured and extremely tasty.
However, it’s not remotely filling which is a mild let down. However, the food at Le Bistro is and always has been top notch and is a great place to try out. Pro tip: For a really filling snack, try the Jalapeno pops.
99 Variety Dosa Hub
One of the cheapest stalls at Arena 2020, the Dosa stall is a constant in almost all our fests. This time too the Dosa stall is up and running in front of Mess 1. The standard Dosa you could have is the Paneer Butter Masala Dosa which is pretty tasty although like most Dosas, it isn’t filling in itself. Most Dosas start from 80 INR with the highest going to about 140 INR. The line for the Dosa stall might seem huge but they make around 3 at a time so you’ll pretty much get your order in about 5 to 10 minutes maximum on normal working.
A fast moving line and cheap(ish) but tasty fare ranks it above most other stalls in my regard.
Papa John's
With pizzas heavy on veggies than cheese, its considerably healthier than normal pizza. Waiting time was around 10 minutes during off period. Price wise, it's on the heavier side compared to other stalls but quite satisfactory taste wise. Would recommend, if you have the money to spend and if you’re looking to splurge on comfort food.
Taste - 4/5
Price - 3.5/5
Prem Kulcha
If you’re looking for some hearty filling food, Prem Kulcha offers some great options at a very reasonable cost. The taste is also pretty decent. However, the quantity can leave you a bit hungry, which is a small black mark. Irrespective, Prem Kulcha is offering some pretty different food. The low wait times are a great bonus too. It’s a great option for anyone looking for vegetarian food. They serve Jain food too, which is a huge win for the Jain community.
Cooking Club
One of the most reasonably priced stalls of ‘em all, the Cooking Club stall makes sandwiches, pancakes and fries, along with an assortment of other dishes. With fries and pancakes priced around Rs. 60 and sandwiches at Rs. 50, this stall definitely gives you one of the highest bang-for-the-buck in terms of quantity. While the wait time might be high at times, and some items out of stock at times, the cost-effectiveness makes this stall a must-visit. The students taking care of the stall were well organised, polite and ensured that most orders were given within 5-7 minutes. Pro-tip: Try the fluffy delectable pancakes with caramel. Quite possibly one of the best dishes this ARENA. Coming to the taste, I was very happy. They were full of flavour, cooked to a crisp and I was left hungry for more.
Taste: 4.5/5
Value: 4/5
Bahar Cafe
Review of the Chicken Biryani:
Price : 150/-
The Biryani seemed to look tasty but once you take a bite you realise it's got a lot of chilli in it instead of the spice. The chicken is soft and the rice is properly cooked. Overall the dish is fine with good quantity but not really worth your 150 bucks unless it is the only choice you've got.
Taste: 3.5/5
Price: 3/5
World of Tortillas
The quesadillas and burritos at the World of Tortillas are a definite must-try. However, this place too does leave quite a dent on your SmartCampus account - but it is rather filling and very tasty. Would definitely recommend as a late night dinner spend.
Tacos - While the pricing is definitely not easy on the SWD account(or wallet, based on your preference), it definitely it a unique taste from most, if not all, previously held fests.
The waiting time is significantly lower than most of the other stalls, however, a safe warning to those who have sensitive noses would be wise to stay away from the front while the wind is blowing. Surely the rich spices will send people scurrying away coughing and sneezing until they savor their dish.
House of Pops
This classic has been a regular at fests for quite some time now.
However, looking at the competition, 80 might seem a little too steep for Popsicles especially with gelato and ice-cream pretty easily available for only a little bit more.
Irrespective of the price, if you do happen upon this stall - the Oreo Freeze, Alphonso Mango and Black Grape are pretty must tries for refreshing popsicles.
Taste - 3/5
Quantity 3/5
The Mocktail Bar
The Mocktail Bar in ARENA has to be the snazziest outlet this fest.
With options aplenty - the Mocktail Bar is filled with vividly coloured cool drink options at a fairly reasonable price of 80.
The fizzy drinks are absolutely perfect for the sapping heat outside. Leaving aside their Instagrammable frames - they taste exceptionally good too.
Without venturing into the dangerous realm of sickeningly sweet, the Mocktail Bar provides a great portable pick me up option.
Would recommend - Blue Berry
Quantity - 4/5
Taste - Depends on how dehydrated you are
Frankie Stall
By far one of the most economical stalls this Arena, the Frankie Stall packs a large variety of food for everyone. While it may be on the spicier side for some - the taste was actually rather good. Given its compactness, it's a great snack to grab if you're feeling peckish during the basketball or tennis matches. The Frankie's are also one of the best options if you don't want to commit to having a proper meal. Overall, a pretty great tasting portable Frankie which'll sooth those spice cravings should be a definite go-to.
Taste - 3.5/5
Quantity - 3/5
Makers of Milkshakes
Oh So Stoned!
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Apart from these 20+ stalls, mess 1 also had its special menu for lunch and dinner. While most BITSians could be found at stalls, a decent number of BITSians could be found trying out the special menu at the mess.
While the options here are limited, if you're looking for inexpensive food that you can get in less than ten minutes, this is worth a try.
