Conestoga’s School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts is bringing flavours from around the world to student-run restaurant Bloom as part of a World Cuisine event series. The first event, hosted on September 23 at the college’s Waterloo campus, invited guests to experience authentic dishes and snacks from Thailand.
Culinary Management students are hosting a series of World Cuisine events.
17 Culinary Management students prepared a selection of Thai dishes, ranging from papaya salad and fried eggplant to pad thai, prawn and turmeric crepe and chicken curry.
As part of the diploma program, students engage with the culinary cultures of the world and the types of foods that are prepared by region. “The course exposes them to so many different types of cuisines in a short time,” said Dan McCowan, executive chef at Bloom. “The techniques to make these dishes also vary - there are so many different ways to make bread, for example, and create these staples from around the world.”
The sold-out evening was the first World Cuisine event open to the public. The day of the Thai-themed event was the first time the students prepared any of the dishes. They had six hours to learn, prepare and serve the food to Bloom’s guests.
Groups of students collaborated to assemble the full menu. “I hadn’t worked with everyone in my group before. It’s a good experience to work together to provide a table with food,” said second-year student Scott Mallett. “Doing everything in such a short amount of time is stressful for some, but everyone is doing a great job.”
Exploring culinary cultures from around the world provides unique opportunities for students to learn new techniques and discover different ways of preparing food. “Every week is different, and I really enjoy learning about various cultures and cuisines,” said Mallett. “For Thai food, I learned a lot about how to infuse oils and develop new flavours.”
Additional World Cuisine events will feature Dim Sum, Mexican, Middle Eastern and Nikkei menus. World Cuisine events are hosted on Wednesdays, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The cost is $49.64 per person. Wine and beer are available for purchase.
Conestoga’s School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts is a leader in culinary and hospitality programming that prepares students for successful careers in Canada’s tourism industry. The Waterloo campus is home to its state-of-the-art culinary skills labs and student-run Bloom restaurant.