Which is the best college canteen in town?

Canteens, they say are an important part of college life, considering they're the only place where you find most students chatting and gossiping.

And since chatting and eating on the side obviously go hand in hand, so Bangalore Times decided to hop to 10 popular colleges in the city and assess their canteens based on the taste, health quotient, variety and affordability of their food.

National Law School of India University(NLSIU), Chandra Layout
The NLSIU canteen, which is a little bit of a find, is really small. This is also evident when students say, 'There's a huge queue that goes all the way outside the canteen during lunch.' Since the dosas and sandwiches topped the students' list, we tried a plain dosa and some cold chocolate. They were both refreshing and quite healthy. And since this canteen is the only option for students, considering the mess food is not great and the campus is located outside the city, it manages to keep them thrilled and happy week after week. The rates too are affordable, with the maximum price being 35.

BMS College, Basavanagudi
The college canteen, which is fairly new, provides enough variety at affordable rates to keep its students satiated, if not elated. While sandwiches in general top the list, students voted most for the Chilli Cheese Sandwich. Some others, who preferred sumptuous food items, said the Mysore Masala Dosa and Rava Masala Dosa were must-tries. However, the canteen promises to increase the number of dishes on their menu, once the new semester begins in full swing in mid-September. And the maximum a sandwich costs is 35, which the students are absolutely happy with.

Ms Ramaiah College, Mathikere
It takes an effort to find this canteen for those who enter this college for the first time. When we finally discovered it and approached the counter, we were disappointed because not only was it empty, but there was hardly anything to choose from. Other than a couple of south Indian items such as dosas, there was a solitary counter in the corner selling veg rolls, paneer rolls and a couple of chocolates and tetra packs. Nonetheless, we asked the few students what we should try, and most said the only edible items were the masala dosa and the veg puff. So, we ordered for one each and were extremely let down. The masala dosa was stiff and lacked flavour, and the veg puff was oily and loaded with salt.

Christ University, Hosur Road
With over five eateries on campus, Christ University definitely ranks high when it comes to variety. Two vegetarian cafeterias, an exclusive dining with buffet service for the non-vegetarians, a food court for snacks, a kiosk for the packaged foods, and much more is available for students every day. For a wholesome assessment, we asked students what they prefer the most at the vegetarian and nonvegetarian eateries — the North Indian meal with a variety in menu every day and mango milkshake topped the list for vegetarians, and the chicken gravy for non-vegetarians.

Pes College, 3rd Stage, Banashankari
The students of this campus don't even know how many eateries there are! After a little investigation, we found that there are two popular canteens there. The popular outlet at the OAT, and the food court. We chose the more popular joint and ordered the sought-after puff and cold chocolate. The puff was tasty, except for the oil, and the cold chocolate was perfect. Students and teachers seemed to prefer this joint more because the service is quick. However, the price does pinch as the snacks and juices here cost 25 each. About the food court, students said the Chicken Lollipop topped the list and the Yellow Dal could be done away with.

Mount Carmel College, Vasanthnagar
In this all-girls' college, chechi's canteen is quite the buzz. We spotted most of the freshers and seniors chatting around the canteen area and walking in and out with platefuls of food. While the nonvegetarians rated the Fried Rice and Chilly Chicken the best available dishes at the canteen, the vegetarians listed Chole Bature and Bisibele Bath. We decided to taste both — the Fried Rice and Chilly Chicken definitely didn't disappoint and the Chole Bature was good too, except for a wee bit of excess oil. Other dishes that made it to the most wanted list were the cutlet, egg puff and the doughnut.

Jyoti Nivas College, Koramangala
Tucked away in a corner, this canteen is cozy and intimate. Since there are a lot of affordable restaurants just outside the college gate — which serve up the ever-popular Indian and Chinese cuisines at wallet-friendly prices — one wonders why the students would eat at their canteen. But the Kerala Parota and Curry, Gobi Manchurian and noodles at the college canteen are so popular that some of the girls prefer having their lunch in college. However, there's not much variety to choose from.

RV College, Mysore Road
This college too has two eateries — a canteen and a kiosk. The allvegetarian canteen, is preferred for its Chinese and meals. One drawback, is that there are no fresh fruit juices available (which could have been healthy options for students.) And though there's not much variety, the canteen is enjoyed for the affordable rates, with the most expensive item priced at 35. The kiosk, which is closer to the classrooms, is popular too. Students opt for the Maggi and Bun Samosa available there.

RNSIT, Rajarajeshwari Nagar
The college boasts three eateries — the main canteen, and two little stalls that offer snacks. The two kiosks are more visited soon after college hours for puffs and cold coffee, and the canteen is the one-stop shop for a filling meal where not a single dish costs more than 25. The students, who are comfortable with the fact that there's no non-vegetarian served, rate the chaats and Chapathicurry as most popular. We tried the Dahi Puri and finished it within seconds. However, since there are no chairs in the canteen, students have to eat their meals standing at the tables.

St Joseph's College, Shantinagar
Considering there's only one canteen in this college, we found most students sitting in and around this eatery. The canteen, which is rather small, does make its students happy with dishes such as the Chicken Kebabs, Chicken Biryani and the veg meal. While the Chicken Kebabs definitely don't qualify as healthy, the veg meal is healthy and substantial for the 30 one pays. Students also agree that nothing else that's priced at 30 is as filling as the veg meal. Other than the meals of course are the sought-after rolls and puffs, which make for a quick fix when you're in a hurry to get to class.