Though not typically on the menu, chana salad and spicy curry were served in campus dining halls as part of SodexhoUSA’s second annual Global Chef Program, hosted this month.

Placid Gomes, the top chef for Universal Sodexho in Oman, came to Northwestern for a four-week visit to teach chefs in all dining facilities how to better prepare Indian cuisine.

“We have been asked to change more of a flavor profile to meet the needs of the students,” said Paul Komelasky, district manager for Sodexho at NU. “Last year’s Global Chef was a tremendous success, and I am very pleased that we are able to continue this program for a second year at Northwestern.”

Gomes received his culinary training in Bombay, India. The Bangladesh native said he was inspired to become a chef by his grandfather, who also was a chef. Gomes has been working with Sodexho for 14 years.

“The kitchen (here) is a bit different,” Gomes said. “I’ve had to change my style a little bit. I learned some new points too (in deciding) how to manage the food with (a Western) system. If I ever have the chance, I wish to get invited here again.”

Gomes has been working on recipes and training NU’s culinary teams so that the chefs can continue practicing his style of cooking after he leaves.

“We assigned our executive chef to be his right hand (man), so once he goes back to Oman, we can still have his cooking on our everyday menus,” said Vivian Chen, Sodexho’s marketing manager at NU.

Sodexho decided on Indian cuisine for this year’s Global Chef Program because a survey they conducted last year indicated it was the second most popular type of food among students, Komelasky said. The most popular food was Asian cuisine, which was catered to by last year’s visiting chef from Hong Kong.

Komelasky said he started the program after speaking with Vice President for Student Affairs William Banis. They discussed the large ethnic populations of students on campus and developed the idea to bring in chefs from around the world. Next year Sodexho plans to invite chefs from South America and North Africa.

During his time in the United States, Gomes also spent two days each at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., and the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. But he spent the majority of his visit at NU.

The new Indian cuisine received a passionate reception from some students.

“I have started a new religion because I love (Gomes’) cooking so much and him by extension,” said Weinberg sophomore Brandon Kreines.

Communication freshman Diksha Vij said the food reminded her of her parent’s cooking.

“It was different, but still had a flavor of home which was all that I yearned for,” Vij said. “It just seemed to get a lot of the Indians from all around the campus together.”

Other students did not respond as enthusiastically to the food as Kreines and Vij did.

“I know what authentic Indian food tastes like and I didn’t really feel like I was having Indian food when I had dinner at Plex the other night,” said Weinberg freshman Nimarta Singh. “I definitely appreciate the effort that Sodexho put into trying to get an Indian chef on campus. I saw a lot of non-Indian people trying the food…

“My non-Indian roommate loved it. Maybe it’s Indian food for non-Indian people.”