Celebrity chefs Mai Pham and Roberto Santibañez have created a special menu series of Thai, Vietnamese and Mexican specialties that Sodexo plans to bring to its 600 college dining sites in 2009. The series will include popular street foods from Southeast Asia and Mexico as well as authentic home favorites like rice paper wrapped salad rolls and red snapper Veracruz style.

The program also gives customers a chance to travel with the chefs to learn about their countries, culture, and cuisine. National web-cast events will feature both chefs conducting live demonstrations with special components allowing for audience interaction. A special cookbook fundraiser will involve students in helping to stop hunger in Vietnam and Mexico, the home countries of the chefs.

A key element of the program is continuing professional development for Sodexo's 530 college segment chefs. Pham and Santibañez will present at every campus via a video link.

“These talented chefs will partner with Sodexo's powerful team of topnotch chefs to create exciting culinary experiences for our campus customers,” says Tom Post, president of Sodexo's campus dining unit. “Together, we will showcase the mastery of our chefs and appeal to the culinary adventure that today's student looks for in a campus dining experience.”