Photo By Cpl. Paul S. Martinez | Joseph Chu, owner, Red Lotus restaurant, checks a pot of ingredients during a guest...... read more read more
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TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Marine food service specialists received a special opportunity to cook a unique menu with guest chef Joseph Chu at Phelps Mess Hall, June 30, 2014.
Chu, owner of the Red Lotus Restaurant in Twentynine Palms, Calif., supervised and assisted the Marines who were preparing Vietnamese and Thai foods such as tom kha soup or chicken galangal soup, cum suon nuong, or grilled pork steaks, pineapple fried rice, jasmine rice and vegetable stir fry.
Chu’s visit to Phelps Mess Hall offered the Marines a chance to cook foods different from what they usually provide for Marines.
“We usually have our own menus to cook, but this was a Vietnamese meal we did,” said Cpl. Joshua Pentek, assistant chief cook, Headquarters Battalion. “I’ve never seen this kind of cooking, but we got it done.”
Guest chefs across Southern California have lent their talents to the Combat Center before, among them were cooks from Hodads, a burger restaurant based in San Diego, according to Roxanne Lopez, operations manager, Sodexo.
From stirring and pouring to chopping and mixing, the sounds of pots and pans shuffling filled the room as Marines worked with ingredients and techniques most were not familiar with, though Chu guided them to create the best oriental cuisine possible.
“This was my first time cooking [Vietnamese food],” Pentek said. “We’re constantly working day in and day out and today [the Marines] definitely learned something new.”
The group was successful in cooking every item of their menu, and prepared to have it served to hundreds of hungry Marines as they began lining up outside of the hall doors.
“It’s a pleasure to have someone else come in to the mess hall and do something different and exciting,” Lopez said. “When the Marines eat lunch today, they’ll know.”
| Date Taken: | 06.30.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.01.2014 18:32 |
| Story ID: | 135015 |
| Location: | TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 87 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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