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...