Skip to main content

Behind the Scenes of H3's New 2013 Menu



As I write this post, I am getting ready to send the truck back out on campus to roll out our winter offerings. In my last post on the history of food trucks, I said that in this post I would discuss the future of food trucks. However, there are more timely things to discuss and I would like to instead use this post to provide a peek into the exciting world of menu creation and what kind of factors we take into consideration throughout the menu planning process for the Hungry Hungry Husky.

Now when one thinks of creating menus, they may think chefs spend hours in the kitchen experimenting with different ingredients and getting their creative juices flowing. This would be true, but before that there are other things we as chefs need to consider. One of the most important things to consider is convenience to the customer – lunch is a great example. During the busy school/work week, customers don't have time to sit down and enjoy a leisurely meal. This is especially true for food trucks during the winter when people don't want to wait outside for ten minutes when it is five degrees. This is why for the winter months we have chosen to offer pho (pronounced "fuh"), a tasty and hot Vietnamese rice noodle soup that can be ready in less than two minutes.

The second piece we thought about was our returning guests and the fact that we want to keep serving dishes that customers love. I was encouraged when halfway through last semester, we received multiple emails from students requesting to bring back our signature Thai Basil Chicken Bowl. What made me even happier was when the students that requested it came to the truck and saw that we had listened to them. Our Mac & Cheese is another fan favorite, and knowing this we challenged ourselves to make it even better. How? TOPPINGS! We now offer the Mac & Cheese with toppings ranging from sautéed broccoli to bacon bits.

Last but not least we focused on creating a cohesive concept; instead of offering a menu with food from different cultures we wanted to stick to one theme. We decided to go with Vietnamese/Asian cuisine and, in addition to two types of pho, are offering three different kinds of scratch-made egg rolls. Not only are the foods from this region delicious and comforting but also it appeals to the culturally diverse student body here at Northeastern.

At Northeastern Dining, we are not only food service providers, we are also consumers. Many chefs not only cook and create but also like to be on the opposite end enjoying other chefs' cuisine and service. I eat out roughly 50% of the time which gives me a perspective as a customer and insight on what a Northeastern student or faculty member may enjoy as a part of their dining experience. It is with this perspective that we aim to give first class service and cuisine to all of our customers.

Winter is here and it’s time for comforting, quick, and delicious food. The good thing is I know just the place to get it – the Hungry Hungry Husky! Click on the image of the menu below to visit the H3 page on nudining.com and I hope to see you all at the food truck for lunch to try the new menu starting next week!

Until next time...

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SNOW DAY! And 4 Snowy Food Facts

Hello Huskies! Hope you've been staying safe and warm while enjoying your snow day. Changes to our hours of operation are being posted to our website as well as our Twitter and Facebook pages so be sure to check those out for updates throughout this snowy Tuesday. With the serious info out of the way, we're here to have some fun too. In between Netflix binge-watching sessions, how about some interesting snow-related food facts? 1. Hostess Sno Balls are actually upside-down Hostess CupCakes You know them as those pink or white shredded coconut and marshmallow delicacies, but since the 1950s, the inner cakes have been manufactured exactly the same way as their chocolate icing-covered CupCake counterparts. 1 2. Canada is much more than snow Our snowy neighbor to the north is actually the 5th largest agricultural exporter in the world. Canada also produces 85% of the world's maple syrup so whether you enjoy it on French toast at brunch or spaghetti during Christmas, there...
Post a Comment
Read more

Healthy Alternatives While Celebrating Culinary Diversity

with campus executive chef Tom Barton Our latest Menus of Change principle is "Celebrating Cultural Diversity and Discovery" and over the next few weeks our residential dining halls will be featuring menu items that celebrate the cultural diversity of our associates. As I was reviewing recipes in preparation for these events at both International Village and Stetson, it occurred to me that some of the ingredients in the traditional recipes could be swapped out for healthier alternatives while also remaining faithful to tradition. Here are some examples of ways to make recipes even a little bit healthier (which means you can enjoy them even more often!): Instead of using butter why not use a fat free margarine? Canola, safflower or olive oils could also be substituted Rather than using whole milk try a skim, evaporated skim or even plain nonfat yogurt can be used Instead of using whole milk cheeses, look for ones that are made with part skim Low fat or fat free sour cream can ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions

With assistance from Northeastern graduate student Melissa Pryputniewicz A new year brings the hope and promise of new starts. This makes it the perfect time for people to make resolutions to change certain behaviors. But even with good intentions many people don’t succeed in keeping their resolutions. A study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that only half of the people who made a resolution stuck with it after six months. So you may be asking, what are the keys to success? Calvin and Hobbes , Bill Waterson Make Resolutions Realistic and Specific Many people make big resolutions like "I want to lose weight," or "I want to eat healthier." While these goals highlight positive changes, they are not very specific. Instead trying reframing your goals into more specific terms. Not only will this help you measure when you have achieved a goal, but it also gives you a clear plan of action for starting to work on the resolution. Break Big Goals Into Smaller Ones ...
Post a Comment
Read more