A Declassified Guide to Cornell Eats 📍

Best Collegetown Restaurants 🥘:

De Tasty!!! Wonderful in a big group so you can order a lot. Make sure to get the wok-tossed chicken with chili peppers and the sauteed eggplant. And of course, bring friends so you can order a lot and share.

Gangnam Station is a favorite of mine, with both Korean and Chinese dishes on the menu. It's a perfect place to catch up with your friends and has a substantial menu to choose from. The tang soo yuk (fried pork with sweet and sour sauce) is a personal fav.

So Poong. Sometimes overlooked, So Poong serves Korean comfort classics like kimbap, army stew, cold udon, and so much more.

Most Delicious Coffee ☕️:

When trying to use BRBs, I opt for a Café Jennie cold brew (with half and half). While I do occasionally dip my toes 🦶into Libe Café, Café Jennie is my default and is more consistent in flavor.

If you’re trying to escape Cornell Dining institutions, Gimme! Coffee in Gates is Goated (say that three times fast…) While a little more pricey, their seasonal drinks and use of pebble ice makes it all the worth.

#1 Hidden Gem 💎:

Tianjin foods!!! It’s tucked away in a small mall area in the Commons and run by a very nice couple. No frills and no nonsense, the dumplings, wontons, buns, and black bean noodles hit—especially if you’re missing home-cooked meals. 🏠

Best Value 💵:

Mac’s Deli sandwiches or wraps. Completely customizable, they always are generous with the fillings and have a weekly special. It comes with a side of chips or veggies, making it a #balanced meal.

My favorite is their Italian Special and I always try to get the Ithaca Bakery roll.

Soupiest Soup 🍲:

Zeus! As an A&S student I am a frequenter of Zeus’s coffee, pastries, and what they’re most famous for: soups. All vegetarian and packed with flavor, Zeus’ soups rotate every day between options like Ratatouille, Mulligatawny, and Choklay’s Lentil. I covet groundnut 🥜, which sounds weird but is a tomato-based soup with rice and peanut butter.

✨Bonus: You can find all of Zeus’s soup recipes here!

Something I Like that no one Else will Understand:

Okenshields. Often described as “the trenches,” or “terrible,” Okies has been a constant throughout my busy semesters. An old reliable, it provides options and is the most convenient for lunch or dinner when you’re camping in the Olin stacks (totally not speaking from personal experience).

Thursday night, Okies always has fried chicken (yummy), and Fridays are a hit as well with chicken tenders. While some may be skeptical, I truly have had some great moments with friends or chilled by myself in the most controversial dining hall on campus.

Our previous VP, Grace Wilkey 👑, wrote a great article titled “I Love Okies” in our Spring 2022 edition. Check it out here (page 16).

Wild Cards 😳:

Terrace’s Orange Chicken Burrito Bowl. I cannot emphasize this enough, everyone MUST TRY the orange chicken burrito bowl. At first glance, you may be confused—why? Why must we make every food fusion? And let me tell you: just because. It doesn’t seem like it’ll work until you get to the front of the line, hand over your order slip, and ask for Boom💥 Boom💥 sauce (essential). Every Wednesday and Friday, Terrace serves this jewel, this pristine, immaculate emblem, and you can only hope that you get there before the line forms out the door. Just trust me on this one.

What are your favorites? There’s still a lot on and off campus that I’ve yet to try, and I’m always looking for more. Let me know!