By Haniya Ghazi //
With only two more months in the semester and finals approaching, you might not have as much time to cook up some lunch or dinner at your apartment or may want to venture outside of the dining hall food. If this sounds like you, keep reading. Here are a few of my favorite restaurants that I see myself getting over and over again.
Bangkok Thai
This Green Street staple was actually the first restaurant on campus I had when I started my freshman year, and it has never disappointed me since. I personally like getting either shrimp fried rice or the red curry with rice, but there is a huge menu of amazing dishes to choose from, plus tons of vegetarian options! This place should definitely be toward the top of your list if you have never tried it before.
Caffe Paradiso
Not so much a restaurant, but this is still a great little place on campus you should check out. In Urbana, this little coffee shop not only has delicious coffee and pastries but has the cutest atmosphere to sit and study.
Maize
If you are looking to stray away from Taco Bell and are craving some more authentic Mexican food, Maize is the place for you. The tacos and burritos are delicious, and I could eat their salsa with tortilla chips all day long! If you have not tried it already, this is somewhere you should be sure to stop at.
Kung Fu Tea
My usual order at Kung Fu Tea is a Thai milk tea with boba and a poke bowl with just about all the toppings. If you like bubble tea or poke, this is the place for you. I have tried all the bubble tea places on campus, and they are all delicious, but something about Kung Fu Tea always hits different. If you are looking for a good poke bowl as well, this should definitely be your go-to place.
Mid Summer Lounge
This place is good all year round, but in the winter, having a big hot noodle soup bowl from here is the best comfort food out there. The sliced beef noodles are my go-to order, but they have tons of different meat and vegetarian options that are all delicious. I would highly recommend trying this place out next time you want to eat out.
Sushi Ichiban & Sakanaya
If you are in the mood for some sushi, Sushi Ichiban and Sakanaya are two places on campus you should definitely try out! I put both of these options because Sushi Ichiban is a more affordable option, and Sakanaya is more of a splurge! But both are delicious and fulfill that sushi craving when it hits you. Anything with spicy tuna or shrimp tempura is my favorite, but all the rolls I have tried from both of these places have been amazing.
Shawarma Joint
This is a new place this semester, but it was a restaurant Green Street didn’t even know it needed! The shawarma sandwiches and bowls are both absolutely delicious. The array of toppings for the bowls — cucumber, pickles, feta, banana peppers, tahini sauce — are what make it one of my favorites. Make sure you try the falafels and hummus, too; those are not things to miss out on!
The Spread 