Come meet the Supervisor for 1Bowl, Anine! He’s from Morocco and went to culinary school there for four and a half years before eventually coming to join us at Purdue.
To start off Anine, tell us what lead you to Purdue?
Previously to 1Bowl, I was the head chef of a restaurant for a long time and there were many late nights and long hours, which I enjoyed but at one point I wanted my life back to do things outside of work. So when the opportunity came for me to come work at Purdue, I accepted as I was offered a great schedule while still being able to be a chef.
We’re glad to have you here! Can you tell us how culinary school was for you?
It was very intense but I had a great experience. I got to travel a lot and learned so much on international cuisine. I was also surprised how much chemistry is involved.
Hmm sounds like studying here, but with a lot more food! Now for 1Bowl, what are some tasks you do as the Supervisor?
There are several including making sure that food is prepped correctly and made according to the recipe, I help create recipes, make sure we open on time, make sure everything gets cleaned and more.
With 1Bowl being in a Residence Hall, how is that different from other dining locations?
Well for one our customers come in waves, due to class schedules. In more traditional places they offer reservations so there is a more steady flow of customers but here students come in waves of when classes let out. We also have to prepare in bulk as you never know how many people are coming instead of preparing for a set number of dishes.
Are there any new items on the menu we should be expecting?
Probably not this semester, but we are in the works of a boneless wing bowl and Indian dishes.
Sounds great, we can’t wait to try it! What about an item on the menu now that everyone should try?
Try everything! We make great food so try everything at least once and then decide instead of judging first and never trying it.
That’s good advice! What are some challenges you’ve faced as Supervisor and how did you overcome them?
One challenge includes working around student schedules as the students are here to learn. To overcome that you just have to communicate well and roll your sleeves up and get things done!
Now outside of work, what do you do for fun?
I work out a lot and I travel a lot too.
Ooooo what places have you traveled to?!
I’ve been to Thailand, the Philippines, England, Germany, other European countries, Hawaii and more. I love island destinations so the Philippines and Thailand are my favorite. One place I really want to go to is Madagascar. I travel just to experience new places but also for new food. There are so many flavors out there that I haven’t tried.
Are you planning to travel this summer?
This summer I am going to Morocco to visit family for a couple of weeks and then travel to the Canary Islands and then Portugal. It’s a great perk to get summer off now that I work at Purdue!
Sounds like you have a busy summer ahead of you! What are some of your goals for this new year?
Never stop traveling and doing things I like, including continuously growing 1Bowl.
Alright last question, what is one piece of advice everyone should hear?
Don’t give up. As cheesy as it sounds there are always opportunities everywhere so don’t give up! Especially in the food business, those that just come out of culinary school expect to become chefs right away and get discouraged if a restaurant puts them in to food prep. Sometimes you have to get through the tough times and keep working towards what you want.
That’s great advice and applies to students outside of the culinary world as well, thank you Anine for sharing your experiences and knowledge!
We hope the semester has been going well for everyone and you’ve all gotten back into the groove of life at Purdue. Just as Anine said, don’t give up on any of your goals and keep working hard!
Purdue Dining & Culinary 