Fountain and Clark Dining Halls took nearly 2,500 students’ taste buds on a Hawaiian island getaway with their luau-inspired menu, decor and music Tuesday night for University Dining’s Luau Dinner.
The menu included baked mahi-mahi, kalua pork, potato and macaroni salad, Polynesian coleslaw, Hawaiian sweet potatoes, spam fried rice, coconut cake, pineapple upside-down cake and a variety of other dishes.
A favorite among the students was the Hawaiian sweet rolls.
“I left Fountain with six Hawaiian rolls in my purse,” said Madison Hoell, a sophomore studying animal science. “They were that good.”
Both dining halls featured a variety of decorations including: leis, palm-tree leaves and other colorful decor.
“Fountain did a great job of decorating the dining hall, and the variety of fresh fruit was great,” said Emily Moore, a freshman studying exploratory studies. “It was a nice change from average dining hall food and definitely more colorful.”
Themed dinners like Luau Night take the dedication and planning of all of the chefs, management and other employees.
“[University Dining] likes to do different types of cuisines for the students,” said Steven Lester, evening chef at Fountain Dining Hall. “We’re trying to do different flavors to get kids to try something different and new.”
The chefs said it is important for students to try the food at these themed nights because they experience a taste of different cultures.
“My favorite part of the Hawaiian night was the fresh fruit and spam fried rice,” said Meredith Courtney, a freshman in exploratory studies.
Many students aren’t comfortable branching outside of their comfort zones when it comes to food. While students might not like to try new kinds of foods, the chefs enjoy preparing them.
“It breaks up the monotony not only for the students but also for us in what we cook,” Lester said. “It’s good because we have a lot of students working as cooks with us that go to Wake Tech or The Chef’s Academy in Morrisville. So these kids get the opportunity to learn about different cuisines that they wouldn’t be doing normally in their own school.”
According to Lester, University Dining staff are going to be having more themed dinners throughout the semester and are already discussing ideas for next year.
Students are excited for other themed nights in the dining hall.
“The themed nights at Fountain are a great way to mix it up from the regular food,” Courtney said. “The staff plays up the theme and does a great job of decorating. The music also adds to the atmosphere.”
University Dining has had many other themed meals this year, including “A Taste of Brazil,” “A Taste of Spain,” “A Taste of Latin America” and “Oktoberfest.”
“I went to ‘A Taste of Brazil,’ and the food was very spicy,” said Christina Hemphill, a sophomore studying business administration. “I was pleasantly surprised that the food served was not spicy but still full of flavor.”
