By Jessica Wind (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: February 6, 2013
Thanks to UFV’s culinary arts program, it is possible to enjoy fine dining as a student. If you’re looking for a classy, four-course meal this Valentine’s Day, consider checking out Rivers Dining Room.
I went on date night with my husband, Shea; we were seated to our table; the hostess pulled out my chair and ice water was prepoured and waiting for us. This is all due to the fact that they request guests make reservations prior to dinner service. However, they do accommodate take-out orders. First-year culinary arts student Sarah Sandar commented on a large order that came in while we were enjoying our first course.
“If you don’t want to put on nice clothes to come in here, you can eat at home in your pajamas,” she said.
The dining room serves as practical experience for students in the culinary arts program. They work in the kitchen preparing the food and also rotate as servers. Students in the hospitality program are also employed in the dining room. Sandar explained the benefit of the hands-on experience.
“I love the program. I learn a lot from it,” she said. “You learn the art of fine dining, plating, presentation.”
It was easy to forget that I was dining in what is essentially their classroom. The servers were professional and efficient – my glass was never empty. We were able to order quickly and our courses were served in a timely fashion.
I began with the shrimp cocktail. It was a generous serving of five jumbo shrimp with a tangy cocktail sauce for dipping. They were cooked wonderfully and separated from their tails with ease, allowing me to enjoy every little bit of their shrimpy-ness. My husband’s beef tenderloin and blue cheese sauce was an excellent combination of flavours and the fresh bread allowed the protein to shine.
The second course was a freshly-made caesar salad. There isn’t much better than a well-dressed caesar with fresh garlic croutons and real bacon. The heart-shaped, parmesan chip garnish served as an adorable prelude to the entree.
The mushroom crepes were my choice of indulgence. Three sweet crepes wrapped around healthy portions of mushrooms, onions and white asparagus. For extra vegetables and colour, the dish came stacked high with red peppers and green beans. The glorious combination of sweet and savoury made it very hard to watch Shea clean my plate when I couldn’t finish.
He chose the lamb for his entree, which came expertly cooked, medium rare and subtly seasoned with a rosemary jus. Roasted potatoes joined his protein for an all around Greek-flavoured dish.
By the time we were finished with our first three courses, the prospect of dessert seemed beyond what our stomachs could handle. Then they brought out my ice cream sandwich and his warm German apple pie. Two chocolate chip cookies, that if I wasn’t at a classy place, I would have wanted to eat with my hands. As it was, they could have been softer, but the effort was well worth it. The German apple pie was spilling large chunks of warm apples and a creamy filling. Both our desserts were joined by generous helpings of vanilla bean ice cream. There’s always room for dessert.
While $25 for dinner isn’t exactly affordable on most modest budgets, it is an excellent price for the amount and quality of food that Rivers Dining Room offers. They take care to ensure that all the food is cooked and presented at the level expected from fine dining restaurants that would cost twice as much, plus you’re supporting UFV students while you dine.
The restaurant, located at the UFV Trades and Technology Centre (TTC) in Chilliwack, is open to the public Tuesdays and Wednesday nights for a 6 p.m. dinner service, as well as between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Fridays for a lunch buffet. The dinner service provides the diner with a choice of appetizer, salad, main entree and dessert for $25 and believe me, it is enough food. The menu changes weekly, so there are always new dishes to indulge in.
If you are seeking an excellent meal, with inviting music and a classy atmosphere—the kind where you might wear heels or a tie, but aren’t expected to—then consider Rivers Dining Room at the TTC. Whatever is on the menu that week, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
