CREDIT: MELANIE ANDERSON
Saffron’s creamy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup comes garnished with baby sprouts and fresh-ground pepper.

This week, I visited Fanshawe's fine dining restaurant Saffron's for lunch. You may be unfamiliar with the restaurant as it is hidden away in A building.

The small restaurant delivered a warm ambiance as the room was filled with fresh flowers, linen tablecloths, and a “living room” area with a fireplace.

It was pretty obvious, however, that the restaurant was staffed by Fanshawe's Hospitality Management students, who are still learning the ins and outs of the service industry. Our service was a little bit slow, and our bread arrived alongside our appetizers. Our waiter wasn't overly familiar with the menu items and had a difficult time answering our questions.

The food, however, saved the day.

I was impressed with the large portion sizes and the quality of the food.

I began my meal with a Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup. It was garnished beautifully with baby sprouts and fresh pepper and tasted just as good as it looked. The creamy broth was bursting with Thai-inspired flavours and a bit of spice.

The bread basket was definitely above par; the delicious, warm bread contained pieces of bacon. So tasty! It was served with a trio of dips that included an olive spread, hummus and butter.

For my main course, I decided to try the Chicken Coq au Vin. Coq au Vin is a French braise typically of chicken thighs or legs that is cooked with wine, mushrooms and garlic. This particular dish was slow-roasted and braised in mushrooms, pearl onions and bacon. Also added into the mix were small beets and carrots. The chicken was served on a bed of polenta. The flavours in the dish worked; the sweetness of the polenta mixed well with the wine-braised chicken.

The only downfall was the presentation. It was a bit of a mess, and as I continued to eat, it looked more and more like a chicken stew.

For the price and convenience, however, the experience was outstanding. My soup was priced at $5 and my main course was only $10. Considering it's mere steps away from your classes, and offers a speciality pasta, sandwich and soup each day, I'd say it's well worth checking out!

Saffron's is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and from 5 to 8 p.m. for dinner Monday through Friday. The dress code is business casual. They accept student meal plan cards. Reservations are recommended; call 519-452- 4433.

If you have a restaurant or recipe suggestion for Mel's Munchies, email her at m_anderson6@fanshawec.ca.