The University Culinary Services team at Â鶹ľ«Ńˇ worked with nationally recognized Certified Master Chef Ron DeSantis to offer students, faculty, staff and visitors a unique dining experience on campus.
DI Dining, located on the first floor of the Design Innovation Hub, brings three new microconcepts with fresh ingredients and bold flavors to appeal to the variety of dining preferences and restrictions.
Street Bowls, introduced in the fall semester at DI Dining, offers two to three different bowls each week to ensure a variation of global flavors. Some of the bowls being featured this semester include Hibachi-style beef and vegetables with Yum Yum sauce, Chicken Tikka Masala, Jerk tofu, Bangkok chicken and Baja pork with rice and corn. Upon request, select bowls can be prepared vegetarian.
“As you’re eating the bowl, it’s like a party going on in your mouth where all these flavor bursts are happening,” said Jacob Kuehn, senior director of University Culinary Services. “It’s been created so people can get this authentic global cuisine in a bowl that has bold flavors.”
The second microconcept to open at DI Dining was created to bring the warmth and hospitality of Southern comfort food to the Kent campus. Southern Kitchen offers a menu of classic dishes with authentic recipes and a commitment to quality. Some of its menu items include pulled pork, corn bread, mac and cheese, grits and hush puppies.
“This composed dish is like you’re ordering an à la carte item right from a residential dining facility,” Kuehn said. “The staff will put it together and hand it to you on a deli paper served on a little metal tray like those found in a backyard barbecue place.”
He said it has been refreshing to see Â鶹ľ«Ńˇstudents and guests embrace these changes at DI Dining.
The final microconcept at the facility opened on April 7.
Craft enhances the salad bar at the dining facility. With a variety of greens, grains, proteins, and flavorful sauces to choose from, the staff will prepare each order based on the students’ customized selections, but they can also order one of the six signature salads.
The concept combines elements of the former Wheatless Ways and Twist and Sprouts stations to cater to various dietary needs, including gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian-friendly options.
Kuehn said these new microconcepts were created to hone DI Dining’s identity on the Kent campus.
The facility will continue to be certified peanut-free and tree nut free, including coconut. It will also maintain some of its previous stations, such as Sweets and Treats, Flash Grill and Piece of the Pie.
He said working with Chef Ron DeSantis in the kitchen has been phenomenal.
“Chef Ron is really good at explaining processes to the staff,” he said. “If something is not going to work, he wants to help us problem solve and figure it out. I’m really happy he’s been part of this journey with us.”
Kuehn said this restaurant quality improvement to DI Dining would not have been possible without the Culinary Services team, who are passionate about the students’ basic needs.
“They’re the ones making all this work happen,” he said. “Our team members and those who put these recipes together and do the production every single day are really exceptional.”
