How to get a top-class meal for $20 in Hawkes Bay
Last week we ate a top-class meal for $20 per head. Here’s how you do it…
EIT (The Eastern Institute of Technology), here in Hawkes’ Bay, is one of New Zealand’s exemplar tertiary education providers.
In line with the programmes EIT provide, they also offer many services to the public (beauty and body clinic, massage clinic, etc).
In each case, top-class services are provided at low cost, allowing their students to gain real-world experience.
Meals at EIT’s Scholars’ Restaurant
The purpose of the low-cost Scholars’ Restaurant is to train students in Culinary Arts and Restaurant programmes. Cafe lunches, as well as full-on three-course dinners are served.
- Lunches are first-come-first-serve, whereas dinners require a booking.
- Cafe lunches are currently served on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, while dinners are available on Thursdays.
Our experience at EIT’s Scholars’ Restaurant
Given that we went two weeks after the restaurant opened, I was very impressed with the quality of the food and service. Our lovely waitress was very friendly and helpful, putting up with the antics of one of our particularly boisterous friends.
The Food
Having four choices of starter, main, and dessert, all my food was well cooked and excellently presented. Some of the other starters were apparently “chewy” when they shouldn’t have been, however.
One of our friends found a caterpillar on the greens which had been decorating her dessert - with a smile, she sent it back to the kitchen with our waitress, to give the chefs a friendly heads-up.
The Atmosphere
There are about 15 tables in the restaurant, all of which were filled last week. The atmosphere was pleasant and relaxed - everybody knows that they’re participating in a student training programme, and so mistakes and omissions are met with a smile and friendly banter.
The Menu
There’s a menu available from EIT’s website. I enjoyed the “Poached Chicken Breast” (pocketed with cashew and coriander on fragrant rice and bok choy).
Stay in touch
Scholars’ maintains a mailing list, which they use to update patrons with a bi-annual flyer, latest menus, specials, and information. Being on the mailing list also gets you notice of “last minute vacancies” (if the restaurant is under-booked, you’ll receive further discounted prices).
To join the EIT Scholars’ Restaurant mailing list, email julieb@eit.ac.nz.
Book a meal
Please call Julie or Gill 974 8923 to make a booking.
I used to get my hair cut like this too!
At EIT? I thought you were in Nelson? :)
My wife went for a haircut - was disappointed by the fact that while the students could give her a trim, they weren’t allowed (yet?) to layer her hair..
Read an answer to a question to an “agony aunt” one time. Question: I was eating at a friend’s house and when the desert, a fresh peach with cream, came, I saw that there was a small caterpillar on the peach. Not wanting to offend the hostess, I carefully ate around the caterpillar as we talked. If this kind of thing happens again, what should I do?
Answer: If you can eat around a caterpillar while carrying on a coherent conversation, you don’t need my advice!
Hehe.. what’s worse than finding a worm in your apple?