Asian cuisine is now available via gourmet food truck on the Biola University campus in La Mirada Nov. 27, 2012. (SGVN/Staff photo by Leo Jarzomb)

LA MIRADA – The gourmet food-truck craze, which has hit Southern California, is now coming to Biola University.

Bon Appetit, the private company that operates the school’s cafeteria, unveiled its new truck Tuesday.

The truck, named Soaring Eagle, served mostly Asian food dishes, including Filipino lumpia, Vietnamese spring rolls and Mongolian beef stir fry.

“The trendiness of the food-truck craze in Southern California seems to be staying,” said Steve Rall, general manager for Bon Appetit at Biola. “It’s not a fad.”

Having the truck will provide a third option for students to eat while on campus in addition to the main cafeteria and Eagle’s Nest, another cafe, he said.

For now, the plan is to locate the truck next to the Talbot East building through December to see how the colleges students and faculty react, Rall said.

Asian cuisine is now available via gourmet food truck on the Biola University campus in La Mirada Tuesday. (SGVN/Staff photo by Leo Jarzomb)

John Rose, the chef for Bon Appetit on campus, said the truck will provide an International-type menu, which is different from what is served in the cafeteria.

“We’re not just selling hot dogs and hamburgers out here because that would be a waste of money,” he said. “What we’ve got out here is some nice gourmet food.”

The truck received a good reception from students Tuesday.

Danbi Shin, 20, of La Mirada, said she likes the food.

“I tried a sample,” Shin said. “It was Filipino egg roll and I had more than just a couple,” she laughed. “It was good.”

Haelee Kim, 21, of La Mirada also liked the idea of the food truck.

“I think students will like having another place than the cafeteria and Eagle’s Nest,” Kim said. It’s a good idea to have something new and I like Asian food.”

Nancy Crawford, professor of psychology for Biola, said she liked the idea of the food truck.

“It’s gives us more options for lunch,” Crawford said. “A teacher’s schedule is tight enough so it’s nice to have options to walk to.”

Bon Appetit is in its 24th year at Biola. The company serves 145 other locations, some colleges and other businesses.

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_22078141/food-truck-craze-comes-biola-university

The highly anticipated Soaring Eagle makes an appearance on campus. | Olivia Blinn/THE CHIMES

The much-hyped food truck Bon Appétit Management Company is adding to its roster of Biola eateries, Soaring Eagle, is scheduled to open next Tuesday at 12:01 p.m.

But this week, Soaring Eagle is having a “soft open” — a preview featuring a limited menu and operating hours. Today at lunchtime, the truck was stationed out in front of Sutherland Hall next to Talbot East, hosting president Barry Corey who jumped onto the truck and served some of its first orders.

One of the people in the steady stream of patrons this afternoon was Associate Dean of Spiritual Development Lisa Igram, who ordered a Pad Thai bowl.

“I’m excited to try it out,” Igram said. She thought that it was a “fun community-building kind of offering” that Bon Appétit is rolling out. “I’m looking forward to seeing how they do,” she said.

The menu is currently limited to noodle bowls only. The sandwiches, fish tacos and beverage options won’t be available until the grand opening on Nov. 27; the only payment options available are cash, credit and flex, with Tapingo and meal-equivalency options coming after the grand opening.

FOOD TRUCK OPENS UP MORE OPTIONS FOR BON APPÉTIT — NO MORE MONGOLIAN AT EAGLES’

Bon Appétit Biola’s mixed integrated social media marketing manager Daniel Cruz explained that, with Soaring Eagle to offer Mongolian and other noodle bowls full-time, Eagles’ Nest will phase out its current Mongolian bowl Wednesdays at the end of the semester.

Soaring Eagle’s meal-equivalency option will rotate between existing menu options and “demo items” — ideas Bon Appétit chefs want to try out on the Biola populace.

Historically, meal-equivalency has been used as a way to try new dishes and see what sticks with students; the Mongolian bowls on offer at Eagles on Wednesdays began as a meal-equivalency. But the audience was “not as big as we thought it was,” says Cruz, “So we moved it here [to Soaring Eagle].”

Cruz thinks students will see an improvement in quality as well.

“Not that it was bad there before, but this is going to take things to a whole other level,” he says. Upgrades include moving to authentic shitakki mushrooms in lieu of the thick-cut bell mushrooms in use at Eagles. Everything is made entirely to-order, whereas much of what is done at Eagles, says Cruz, was fresh but still pre-made.

The trick will be convincing students that the wait is worth it. On this slow Tuesday soft opening, most orders took roughly 7-10 minutes to come out after being placed.

“It’s not slow out of ineptitude. It’s slow because that’s what it takes to do it right,” Cruz said.

Additional details about the grand opening event Nov. 27 forthcoming — check back here for an updated article tomorrow.  

http://chimes.biola.edu/story/2012/nov/21/biolas-soaring-eagle-food-trucks-previews-menu-stu/

Announcement to include contests to name truck, design paint job

Bon Appétit Management Company’s latest Biola eaterie is coming to a location near you — literally.

The food service provider is set to debut a Biola food truck, as well as a pair of contests to name and brand the truck itself.

Boasting a diverse proposed menu including — but not limited to — fish tacos, Vietnamese chicken or pork sandwiches and a full-time Mongolian grill, the new food truck will provide a mobile way for Biola to provide students and faculty with vital sustenance. After recent campus expansions like Talbot East and the Rancho Elementary School campus, Bon Appétit can bring food to them, without lengthy and costly construction.

“It’s going to be moved around campus. We’re going to find the hotspots,” said Carolyn White, Biola’s Auxiliary Operations manager. The goal of the food truck is to better serve these outlying areas around campus, White said.

The truck will have availability outside its regular hours. Described as “a mobile solution on campus for special events including athletics, alumni weekend and late night activities” in Bon Appétit’s internal memo, the truck can also serve Biola events, from Mock Rock and Midnight Madness to sporting events or even off campus affairs.

The plan for such a truck has been in the works since last spring. The truck itself has been acquired, but must still be outfitted and approved by health regulators, then painted.

As with Eagles Nest or Common Grounds, students and faculty may pay at the truck from cash accounts, flex or meal equivalences, White said.

The truck is slated to enter service mid-October, pending a review from the California Department of Public Health.

Twin contests to brand the new truck

On Tuesday, the Bling My Truck contest to name the truck and design its exterior will be announced.

In the Caf, students will find forms to submit names for the truck from September 4 until September 14. Students can then vote from a selection of four finalists, with the winning name to be announced after the open vote on September 18 from 7 until 7:30 p.m. in the Caf. The submitter of the winning name will receive $100 in flex.

For the design contest, a blank template of the truck’s exterior will be made available on Bon Appétit’s website. Those with a flair for graphic design may submit up to three entries to the contest. The winner, selected by both Biola and Bon Appétit staff, will receive a $1000 scholarship for the 2012–2013 school year and will have his or her design painted on the actual truck.

Graphic designers, bear in mind: The name for the truck will be announced one week before design submissions are due.

Design submissions will be accepted until midnight, September 24 according to the rules statement — though the official announcement of the contest is pending.

Further details for the contest will be made available on Bon Appétit’s website Tuesday.