Penny University is a term that originates from 18th century coffee houses in London. For the price of a penny, a person had access to coffee, the company of people from all levels of society, discussions, bulletins, newspapers and all the latest gossip.

Penny University is a new retro salad place that has opened up on Union Street, just off Rundle Street. There’s a display cabinet on the Union Street frontage that is full of wraps, baguettes and salads. There is the option to dine in, however, space is very limited. There’s a large communal table, some bar seats along the window and a few outdoor seats if you’re desperate. The decor would be best described as a mixture of hippy and retro.

For lunch, I ordered the Lemon Pepper Chicken with a side serving of Beetroot Salad and Chickpea Salad. The chicken was sold in pieces, with a large chicken portion costing $5 a piece while a wing will set you back $3.50. A side serving of salad costs $4, however, there are two other salad serving sizes if that’s all you want to have. All the food is pre-made, and there’s very little waiting time from the moment you order.

The chicken portion was of a decent size as you get the drumstick and some part of the thigh. The meat was firm and not overly cooked. You could taste that little bit of zest in the chicken and it wasn’t as peppery as I expected. Both the Beetroot and Chickpea Salads were very bland. There was the slight subtle sweetness from the beetroot in one of the salads, and the crunchiness of the cucumber in the other, but nothing amazing was to be said about either.

My friend had a combination of the Beetroot Salad, Greek Salad and Rice Noodle Salad. She said all salads tasted ordinary and that she could make better at home.

Most of the staff members were friendly with the exception of one who came across as very arrogant. When this particular staff member saw me taking photographs, the expression on his face was one of disbelief as though he had never seen anyone take photos of food before. When a customer comes in the a big DSLR camera, you know they’re going to write about you! With all that being said, the service was fairly fast and efficient.

As a dine in option, the space is too cramped. Not only are you rubbing shoulders with the people waiting for their takeaway orders, you’re also bumping into the people sitting nearby. It’s a bit like being in a sardine can if you ask me. The serving portions are also inconsistent. A person sitting next to me who ordered the exact same thing had double the amount of salad in his plate (not that the salad was any good). The pricing was reasonable considering you can get breakfast or lunch for under the $10 mark. My chicken portion and side salad set me back $9 which was a fair price.

Verdict: Don’t make friends with salad at this place.

WHERE: 1/7 Union St, Adelaide