By Bertin Rodriguez
Online Editor
Delectable eats or just another meal?
I had high hopes for the Renegade Room, and I was let down by almost every aspect of the food.
The Renegade Room’s menu for the day was Pacific Rim Buffet, and upon walking in, the aroma that filled the air was amazing. I immediately smelled the barbecue ribs and my mouth started to water.
Jana Fidler-Wiggers was running the front of the house where she greeted us with a big smile and seemed genuinely happy for us to be there.
She sat us down and asked if we wanted anything to drink besides the water they had waiting for us at our table.
I started by serving myself a mixed greens salad, which I found myself enjoying despite the simple presentation. It wasn’t drowning in dressing and the greens were crisp and fresh. I regret not getting another plate because I enjoyed it the most.
After I finished the salad, I made a beeline for the main course, which consisted of fried rice, “jap noodles,” ribs and salmon. The rice was good and full of flavor despite it being a bit too dry.
As for the noodles, they had me wanting more flavor, as some of the noodles were plain and didn’t have any sauce.
This was my first time trying salmon and I must say that I hope all salmon doesn’t taste like what I was served at the Renegade Room. It was really dry like almost eating filo dough with an earthy taste. I think it may have been in the banquet trays too long.
The food that caught my attention was the barbecue ribs and I was excited to try them. I took a bite and was immediately greeted with a punch of flavor.
The ribs were a bit dry also, but at least the flavor element was there. This was the saving grace of the main course.
The options for dessert were blueberry pie and apple dumpling. I tried the apple dumpling and with the immediate puckering of my lips, the table knew just how tart the dumpling was.
It was also really sweet so both flavors were battling and the only thing losing the fight was my mouth. The dough was soggy and didn’t add anything to the dumpling.
On a high note, the wait staff including Fidler-Wiggers was always willing to talk to us and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the entire meal.
“These customers that are here are like always here,” said Fidler-Wiggers about the room being so packed. “The reason we are so comfortable is because we are always here [together].”
The service clearly outshined the food, but because the Renegade Room’s food is cooked by students of BC, I still suggest you go at least once to try it. They are still learning and they will only get better.