Open Kitchen
From international comfort foods to custom stir fries, vegan & vegetarian entrées and more, Open Kitchen represents the best of Vancouver’s diverse culinary scene. Keep an eye out for housemade butter chicken, awesome grilled cheese sandwiches, specialty poutine and our beloved vegetarian southwest bowl.
Open to Residence Meal Plan holders only. Residence Meal Plans
FOOD TRUCKS
Starts Tuesday, Jan 12
5pm to 9pm, Monday to Thursday
Residence Meal Plan Holders Only
You must have a Residence Meal Plan to dine at Open Kitchen.
We are not currently serving the general public (or UBC community).
Please review the new guest Protocols and Best Practices now in place.
Location & Hours
Open Kitchen
Orchard Commons Residence
6363 Agronomy Road, Vancouver
| Sunday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Monday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Tuesday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Wednesday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Thursday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Friday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Saturday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
*Station hours vary. Scroll down for hours of each station.
What's cooking?
Fresh seafood is Ocean Wise™ certified, more than 60% of our ingredients are sourced locally, and our beef burgers and fresh chicken are halal.
Food Trucks
Fun option for dinner at Open Kitchen!
School of Fish and Feature Food Truck.
Residence Meal Plan holders only.
Hours:
Monday – Thursday
Dinner: 5 PM – 9 PM
Soups, Congee, Parfaits & Salad Bar
Vegetables, whole grains and soups, all prepared in-house.
| Sunday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Monday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Tuesday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Wednesday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Thursday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Friday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Saturday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
Grab & Go
Pre-packaged food and drinks for people on the go.
| Sunday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Monday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Tuesday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Wednesday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Thursday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Friday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
| Saturday (Closed for the Summer) | Closed |
COVID-19 Protocols and Best Practices
Prior to Entry
- You must have a Residence Meal Plan to dine at Open Kitchen.
- If you are feeling sick, do not go to the residence dining room.
- Contact your Residence Life Manager if you require assistance with meals.
- Sanitize your hands prior to entering the servery and/or seating area.
- You can see what’s on the menu before arriving in the dining room by using Nutrislice.
When in the servery and seating areas
- Wear a face mask, except for when you are eating your meal.
- Adhere to signage posted, including occupancy numbers, where you can sit, and marked traffic flow indicators, entrances and exits.
- Limit your time in the seating space to a maximum of 15 minutes to ensure other residents may sit down to eat their meal, and staff may clean and sanitize the space adequately.
- Keep all chairs 2m apart and whenever possible maintain 2m physical distancing.
- Do not move tables or chairs in the dining room. Respect seating closures or limitations.
Additional Information
- Residents can utilize Green2Go (take out option) as necessary to ensure physical distancing from others during peak service periods if there is no seating available.
To avoid line ups and crowds, try to dine at off-peak times: 11:30-12:00/1:30-2:00pm/5:00pm-6:00pm/7:30-8:00pm
Nutrition Support
Have a question about dietary restrictions or allergies? Want to eat healthier but need some help? Our Registered Dietitians support all students on the Residence Meal Plan.
Food Revolution
We provide sustainable, diverse and memorable dining experiences. We believe wholesome, healthy food is a priority because our guests, our food, and our wellbeing matters.
Gift Ideas
Celebrating a birthday, holiday or special event? Looking for a custom cake, baked goods, or a get-well package to send to someone special?
Your Open Kitchen Team
Brad Vigue
Executive Chef, Residence Dining
Growing up, food and the kitchen were the centre of activity for Brad’s family. After finishing his degree in biology and psychology at UVIC, he found he was more interested in his cousin’s culinary school courses than in what he had studied in university – and the rest is history. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, he believes that great food starts with great ingredients and a passion to share experiences.
Darren Clay
Sous Chef, Open Kitchen
Darren’s culinary background is far-ranging and diverse. From his culinary apprenticeship with Fairmont hotels, overseas experience in South East Asia and years teaching future culinarians at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, he is never afraid to embark on a new challenge. After assisting with numerous events at UBC Farm, Darren was inspired by the progressive initiatives happening in UBC Food Services. He’s eager to make a difference in the future of food at UBC and beyond.
Johnny Bridge
Sous Chef, Open Kitchen
Johnny stepped into the culinary world when he was 16 and has worked in over 55 kitchens throughout his career. He’s a major champion of local, sustainable seafood and is making change one ingredient at a time. You might recognize Johnny from his time as Catering and Mobile Chef for UBC Food Services.
Amanda Réhel
Sous Chef, Open Kitchen
Amanda grew up in a large French family, food always brought everyone together. Some of her earliest memories were of her mother recreating family recipes in the kitchen with her. Amanda’s first culinary experience was as a dishwasher in her friend’s grandfather’s restaurant at 14, even then, she was focused on her career path to be a chef, she moved up the line quickly and never looked back. She is very excited to be a part of the UBC Food Services Culinary Team.
René Atkinson
Manager, Open Kitchen
René has worked for UBC Food Services for over 15 years and believes that sharing food improves people’s understanding of each other. She is proud to be part of the food industry and strives for authenticity and responsibility in growing, preparing and serving real food.
Jane Sunwoo
Manager, Open Kitchen
After studying Hotel Management at George Brown College in Toronto, Jane worked as a dining room manager and stewarding manager at major hotels like Park Hyatt Toronto, Fairmont Waterfront, Pan Pacific Vancouver and more. She hopes to recognize, empower and motivate her dining room service team to perform and deliver exceptional service and food to guests at Residence Dining Rooms.
FAQS
Have questions about your Residence Meal Plan? We’ve got answers.
Open Kitchen is UBC’s newest residential dining room. It opened in August 2016 in Orchard Commons, a LEED Gold certified student residence and home to UBC’s Vantage College. Brimming with dynamic chefs, decadent aromas, and a smorgasbord of unique and delicious menu items, it redefines food-forward student-focused restaurant design with its contemporary and vibrant design. It seats 316 guests and nourishes 1047 first-year students living in Orchard Commons, as well as the campus at large. This bright, modern, and innovative establishment sets a bold new standard for North American campus dining, reflecting culinary trends and best-practices with respect to selection, food preparation, service, atmosphere, and overall customer experience. Open Kitchen is our highest volume residence dining room and, we believe, truly one of Canada’s most inspired and interesting large-scale campus restaurants! On busy days it serves more than 3,000 meals.
Our menu represents a bold departure from the institutional dining mindset. We did not adapt the typical 21-day rotational menu cycle used at most other residence dining facilities; instead, about 70% of our menu is now static with daily and weekly features. This innovative move gives the team the opportunity to focus on perfecting a range of unique and delectable signature dishes.
Open Kitchen is located on Lower Mall and Agronomy Road. Hero Coffee + Market is right nearby. Harvest, Mercante, The Loop, Gather and Feast Dining Room are within a few minutes walk of Orchard Commons.
Where Our Food Comes From
We are proud to source more than 60% of our ingredients from responsible local suppliers like these.
Feedback
What do you think?
If you’ve dined recently at UBC, we want to hear from you! Your feedback helps us to provide the best possible experience.
