Perch Restaurant

Both my co-​worker and I had the Twice-​Cooked Duck Leg (with beluga lentils, pickled & raw UBC Farm radish), and both of us agreed it was the best duck leg we have ever tasted. It was so tender and had great flavor. The skin could have been crispier, but it didn’t bother us at the end because the meat was so great. Even after we left the restaurant, we were still discussing how good it was.
The duck leg was $ 18 including tax, so it’s not your every day campu food for sure. But comparing how much you pay for an entrée at Point Grill, Sage, or Mahony & Sons (restaurants on campus), this is actually pretty good price for the quality of the food.
I will definitely come back again and most likely order the duck. Will update on whether it is as good.

Atmosphere is ultra modern consisting of concrete and some wood. UBC location was great. Food was good but not cheap. Menu prices are high, because of this we did not order appies. Main course was yummy but quantity was small. As a previous reviewers stated it «was a dining light» experience with a «expensive dinner menu.» You are essentially paying for a sustainability and fresh themed menu.
I would not rush back.

The ambience is rather barren, but the food was terrific and the service outstanding. We began with the flatbread that was delicious. I had the steelhead, which was perfectly done. My dining partner ordered the flank steak, which he said made him a fan. I didn’t much like the deconstructed lemon meringue we had for dessert, but my partner loved it. The servings were small. Our server Craig was friendly and attentive.
We went back in January & ordered off the Dine Out menu, plus flatbread for starters. The flatbread itself was a bit staler than the last time, but the truffle humus was good. The chowder & trout were great. However, the waiter gave me the wrong wine flight with the chowder (a rose rather than the posted riesling). The crème brulé was bland. So on the whole, I’m not a fan of their desserts, but would recommend their starters and mains.

I’ll be honest, I was skeptical of place but in the end pleasantly surprised. I was dining light and felt refreshed after some seared tuna and kale ceasar salad.
My problem however was with the desert menu. I decided to go with a «lemon merengue pie» and was later confronted with a deconstructed version. Apparently the air quotes around the words on the menu was supposed to tip me off that this would deconstructed?
All in all prices weren’t too bad and the food was pleasant. The view and ambience of the place is also quite nice.

A horrible, embarrassing experience.
I was skeptical about Perch at first, but after talking to Chef Gus for about a half hour about menu mix, sustainability, and the restaurant’s role at UBC, I figured I’d give it a try. After all, he told me they’d be lenient about letting people enjoy the lower-​priced happy hour menu and drink prices on the patio.
As it turned out, there is no special menu for the patio or lounge – just the expensive dinner menu that people had been mocking. And my server even gave me a hard time for asking for the happy hour drink discount. She also reminded me every time she checked on me that I was getting a «special deal» and asked me not to tell anyone else that they were getting charged more.

As a UBC alumni and a writer whose favourite subjects include food, I was delighted to be invited to my old stomping grounds for the official launch of The Perch. The new restaurant is at the very top of the lofty new AMS building, overlooking the cozy looking nap pod (?) from the dining room, the North Shore mountains from the windows in the lounge area, and more great views from the outdoor patio.
It almost makes me want to go back and get myself another degree, because we had nothing like this when I went to UBC back in the last century (true story). Menu samplers such as chickpea pakoras, fried chicken, tuna tataki and rice «fries» were very tasty. It’s probably not going to be everyone’s everyday lunch spot, but prices of the regular menu are comparable to Cactus Club or a Joseph Richard Group kind of pub. And let’s face it, the UBC community does include more than just students these days, as one thing that has remained constant through the years I’ve known the place is construction.
Luckily, the continual pace of change hasn’t touched the UBC Farm, which The Perch says is an integral supplier for their menu. They also source produce and herbs from the rooftop garden directly across from the restaurant, which is run by the AMS garden club, Roots on the Roof. You can’t get much more local than that.
Like I said, it’s quite a contrast from the old SUB, and the views from the Perch’s patio are just incredible — you used to only get that if you managed to snag a good study carrel in Koerner Library. Except now I can have wine with it.

Arrived as a group of 7 around 6pm on a Wednesday. Hostess asked if we were having dinner, and while we quickly decided if we were eating or just sharing appetizers, the hostess very abruptly announced, «We’re a restaurant, so if you want drinks you have to order food!» Not a completely invalid requirement, but really didn’t appreciate the condescending tone. Also didn’t seem to make sense to potentially turn away a large group of customers when the restaurant only had 4 – 5 other customers.
Patio and restaurant are beautiful, and our waiter was very friendly. However, when we asked about the happy hour specials, we were informed that happy hour specials were only offered in a subsection of the restaurant and we’d have to move our entire group if we wanted participate. Again, the restaurant was practically empty (inside and out), and yet they continued to make us feel less and less welcome.
Appetizer portions are small, but fairly reasonably priced. Overall, really great space and location, but management needs to retool their customer experience. I’m really not inclined to go back given this negative experience.

Only at UBC that students can afford fine dining. Lol
The company I worked for decided to try this establishment and all the food are so so — dry salmon, dry chicken, although they have okay paella. Thanks for the food, but definitely not a trek for dinner. There’s a lot of good eatery establishment close to UBC. I don’t know, maybe the faculty need a fix of foie gras?
What was the definition of insanity again having a fine dining at a campus? The amount of money being wasted at UBC is eye popper, they only cater to real estate nowadays.