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 Orchard Commons Residents only. Residence Meal Plans plans are accepted here.
Orchard Commons Residents Only
Open Kitchen is not currently serving the general public (or UBC community), only those with a Residence Meal Plan and who are living at Orchard Commons Residence. Please review the new guest protocols and best practices now in place.
Location & Hours
Open Kitchen
Orchard Commons Residence
6363 Agronomy Road, Vancouver
*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.
Soups, Congee, Sides, Parfaits & Salad Bar
Vegetables, whole grains and daily soups, all prepared in-house.
HOURS: 8am-2pm & 5pm-8pm | Daily
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COVID-19 Protocols and Best Practices
Prior to Entry
- The only residence dining room operating on campus is Open Kitchen.
- You must be a resident of Orchard Commons Residence to dine at Open Kitchen.
- Please be prepared to show your UBC Card to enter the servery area.
- 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 where you can sit as well as clearly marked entrances and exits.
- Limit your time in the seating space to ensure other residents may sit down to eat their meal, and to ensure staff may clean and sanitize the space adequately
- When at all possible, stay 2M apart, and keep all chairs 2M from any other table.
- Do not move tables or chairs in the dining room. Respect seating closures or limitations.
- Follow the posted occupancy numbers on the entrance.
- Follow the one-way traffic indicators and “stand here” floor signage.
Additional Information
- Students can utilize Green To Go (take out option) as necessary to ensure physical distancing from others during peak service periods if there is no seating available.
- Please be aware that you may be contacted by Vancouver Coastal Health for contact tracing.
- If you have dining-specific safety questions, please direct these to the dining room supervisor/manager.
- There will be times when access to the space will be limited due to line ups. Try to visit the space at off peak times. These times may vary but suggested off peak times would be 11:30-12:00/1:30-2:00pm/5:00pm-6:00pm/7:00-8:00pm.
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.
