Gastric globetrotters get satisfaction at Bistro

Bistro diners can enjoy rustic cuisine from a variety of interesting geographic points.

Bistro diners enjoy rustic cuisine from a variety of interesting geographic points.

By KC Caliz

I’ve always wanted to travel from one end of the earth and back just to experience the variety of foods from countless exotic, tucked-away pockets of the world. So, I packed my bags and headed over to Bistro 3158 at the Austin Community College Eastview Campus.

I actually left the bags, but I did bring my appetite as the students from ACC’s Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, and Meeting & Event Planning programs served up a luxe menu celebrating rustic cuisine from across the globe.

Every week Bistro 3158 takes you to another international destination with a menu created by students in the Culinary Arts Program.

On this night, I visited the northeast corner of Thailand – Isan – through five decadent courses beginning with tasty shrimp spring rolls, and som tam, a traditional salad and everyday favorite of the Isan people.

For the main course, there was a choice of pad thai, or a beef curry with sticky rice. Fortunately, my dinner guest wasn’t opposed to sharing, so to my taste buds’ delight I was able to indulge in both.

And to close, the bistro impressed with a homemade ginger ice cream with caramelized pineapple, and a smooth cup of coffee.

Senior Culinary Arts student Tia McWatters conceived the evening’s menu and served as kitchen manger for the night. She sat for a brief conversation about her experiences with Bistro 3158 and ACC.

Q. How did you develop tonight’s menu?

A. Tonight’s menu is somewhere between Lao and Thai food, so to stay true to the Isan region I thought this would be a good mix. Like the som tam, it’s something that they probably have every day. The beef curry also reflects the region, since other regions throughout Thailand use mostly pork and seafood.

Q. What is the most challenging part about working Bistro 3158?

A. Not knowing what role you’ll have for the evening. In regular kitchens you’ll already have the food prepped, whereas in the bistro you have to come in and get it done in three hours. So, you have to wear many hats.

Q. What is the most exciting part about working Bistro 3158?

A. Not knowing how many people you’ll have for the night. We had 14 reservations confirmed for tonight, and it ended up being 31. So it’s exciting and scary all at once.

Q. What will you take away from this experience?

A. How to work with a team. If we weren’t working together tonight, we wouldn’t have gotten the food out and we would’ve been lagging, with people waiting to be served.

Q. Why ACC for Culinary Arts?

A. I wanted to cook all my life, and there were other fields that I could’ve gone into. But this fascinates me the most since it combines elements of biology, art, and business. I chose ACC for the costs and flexible class schedules. I also heard that the instructors were awesome.

KC Caliz is communications coordinator in the ACC Public Information and College Marketing Department. Bistro 3158 is open Thursdays through November 20. For menus, pricing, reservations, and other information, please visit the Culinary Arts website.

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