By Ali Siemens (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: October 3, 2012
790 McKenzie Road
Abbotsford, BC
Hours: Every day 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Approximate cost: $7 to $14
We are approaching the season where soups and sandwiches are a comforting lunch item. Maan Farms (known to some as the Apple Barn), located right down the road from UFV on McKenzie Road, has those menu entries advertised on their message board outside. With Maan Farms being in such close proximity, I thought it would be a good idea to offer students a place of lunch refuge – an alternative to Sodexo or AfterMath.
As you walk into the barn-shaped business, you can see their kitchen is much like an indoor farmer’s market setting. There are two bistro tables inside, as well as lots of outdoor seating with umbrellas and picnic tables. A large chalkboard menu is hanging above the deli display, featuring a few different lunchtime foods: hot dogs, panini sandwiches, crepes and pizzas. All of the selections had descriptions, and they sounded high-quality.
For instance, one of their pizza choices was topped with goat cheese, blueberries and caramelized onions, which sounds delicious.
Unfortunately, we noticed a sign to customers stating that the menu above was not available, and to check on the sandwich board on the ground for the meals that they were providing that day. The server who was working explained that the kitchen was going through some changes, and they were revamping their menu; so the selection was not as wide as we had originally anticipated.
My compadre ordered a hot dog, which came dressed with prosciutto, caramelized red onions, smoked bacon and drizzled in a mystery sauce that looked like BBQ, but didn’t taste like it. The hot dog was of decent size, and came with a side of watermelon. I ordered the turkey panini made with Havarti cheese, lettuce, tomato, in house cranberry sauce and mayonnaise. The bread was a cranberry sourdough, which really tied it all together. Along with the watermelon side I also received, I ordered their chicken noodle soup.
Of the two meals we ordered, mine was the superior for two reasons. My pal’s hot dog came to almost $9 (a few cents short) and was not particularly memorable. Although the ingredients sounded decadent, like something you could find at Japadog, her review was that it was nothing special. Specifically looking for something on a student budget, leaving campus to pay exorbitant prices for a hot dog just seems a bit silly.
The bread used for my panini was really tasty, but overall, the sandwich as a whole was nothing to write home about. My chicken noodle soup came with chicken, but no noodle. It seemed like the only other ingredients besides broth and pulled chicken were corn kernels, but even those were far and few between. More importantly, it cost me $12 for a soup and sandwich that was mediocre at best.
I wanted to review Maan Farms specifically because of its proximity to the university. On those days where you need a break from campus and you are looking for something local and fresh to eat, Maan Farms seemed like a good alternative. The nice thing about Maan Farms is that it also makes many different kinds of homemade jams, canned pickles, beats and other goodies. Not to mention, their plethora of pumpkins and apples throughout the property makes for a great opportunity to support local as the fall season approaches.
The business works great as a farmers market, and I will definitely go back to buy some of their spreads and jams, but for lunch, I will either wait until they work out their kitchen difficulties, or find a new place for lunch.
