Visiting chefs and treasured family recipes bring international tastes and home-cooked comfort to everyday dining experiences at RIT

Rochester, New York – At Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), mealtime has become a cultural experience that reaches far beyond the traditional offerings of pizza, burgers, and subs. This semester, students and staff are enjoying a vibrant mix of global dishes prepared by visiting chefs and inspired by family recipes from RIT’s own culinary team. What was once a simple lunch break is now an opportunity to explore the tastes, aromas, and traditions of kitchens from around the world—all without leaving campus.

Expanding the Palate

“The visiting chef program continues to bring exciting new flavors to campus,” said Herlan Manurung, corporate executive chef and associate director for RIT Dining. “Each visiting chef contributes something new, building on the diverse options our community has access to.”

The program, now a beloved RIT tradition, invites chefs from local and regional restaurants to bring their specialties to the university’s dining halls. This semester, nine chefs are taking part, rotating between the Ritz, Kitchen at Brick City, and the Café and Market at Crossroads. Their visits, which take place during weekday lunches and dinners while classes are in session, allow students to sample authentic dishes that might otherwise require a trip across town—or across the globe.

But the program does more than just expand menu options. “This program also helps our staff learn new culinary techniques and recipes that these restaurants offer,” Manurung said. “Our community comes from different parts of the United States as well as many international countries. By offering a variety of food as well as foods from different cultures, we are hoping to make them feel at home.”

A Tradition Born from Flavor

The visiting chef program’s roots go back two decades, when cousins Ike Ansari and Yasin Rao brought their passion for Pakistani cuisine to RIT for the first time in 2004. Their food, served from their restaurant Pakistani House, was an instant success. The response from students and staff was so enthusiastic that the cousins eventually closed their restaurant and launched P.H. Express, a catering operation dedicated to serving RIT full-time.

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Now, Ansari provides more than 1,400 lunches and dinners every week, drawing from the same recipes his mother and wife taught him. His menu features four Halal dishes from Pakistan and India, with fan favorites like tandoori chicken with barbecue curry sauce and fragrant vegetable biryani. Each morning begins with a massive cooking operation—60 pounds of rice and 120 pounds of chicken are prepared, packed into hot boxes, and transported by van to campus.

It’s common to see a line of 15 to 20 students waiting eagerly before P.H. Express even opens. “Our food taste is not typical of a restaurant,” Ansari said, emphasizing that his dishes are crafted with authenticity and care rather than mass production. Though many international students say the meals remind them of home, Ansari estimates that 90 percent of his customers are not of Pakistani or Indian heritage—proof, he says, that good food transcends cultural boundaries.

A Taste of the Caribbean

Just across the dining hall, another chef is serving up a different kind of comfort food. For about 12 years, Luis Tejeda, owner of D’Mangu restaurant in Rochester, has brought the rich, flavorful cuisine of the Dominican Republic to RIT’s Crossroads dining venue.

“Everything’s authentic and seasoned specially,” Tejeda said as he and his cousin, William Del Rio, dished out portions of pulled pork, rice, and plantains to a hungry lunchtime crowd. Two small Dominican Republic flags sit proudly on the counter—a symbol of home and heritage for Tejeda, who grew up cooking traditional dishes alongside his family.

Students have taken notice. “Where else are you on campus?” one asked between bites. “Your food is the best. Your pulled pork is terrific.” Tejeda smiled and nodded, explaining that he loves seeing students enjoy his food as much as he enjoys preparing it.

Beyond Borders, Beyond the Ordinary

The variety doesn’t stop there. Other visiting chefs have introduced dishes from Nigeria, Korea, and Peru, as well as creative comfort foods like gourmet macaroni and cheese—with options ranging from gluten-free versions to indulgent recipes featuring barbecued chicken and bacon. Even sushi has become a familiar sight on campus menus.

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These collaborations not only enhance the dining experience but also expose students to cooking traditions they might never have encountered otherwise. The diversity in cuisine mirrors the diversity in RIT’s student body, reflecting a campus culture that celebrates inclusivity through flavor.

Homegrown Inspiration

Not all of RIT’s culinary creativity comes from outside chefs. Some of the most memorable dishes come from within the university’s own kitchens, where staff members are encouraged to share their family recipes. One example is sous chef Kenny McNair, who works at Gracie’s, one of RIT’s largest dining halls. McNair recently began offering meals inspired by his late grandmother, who was born in Puerto Rico.

Her recipes now live on through Gracie’s Latin Bar, where dishes like pink beans and rice, salsa verde pork, tuca en escabeche, and pollo guisado chicken rotate throughout the semester. The bar also highlights other regional cuisines, such as Southern, Caribbean, and Indian fare.

For McNair, cooking his grandmother’s food is deeply personal. “It makes me feel good. I’m glad people are enjoying it. It’s all about the enjoyment of eating,” he said, smiling as students filled their trays. One student who ordered his beans and rice said she enjoys trying all the new dishes instead of eating the same thing every day.

A Culinary Community

RIT’s approach to dining goes far beyond convenience. It’s about connection—between people, between cultures, and between memories of home and new experiences. Programs like the visiting chef initiative remind students that food is more than sustenance; it’s a bridge between worlds, a shared language that everyone understands.

As Manurung put it, the goal is to make everyone on campus feel at home, whether they’re from Rochester or halfway around the world. And with each new chef, each family recipe, and each authentic dish served, RIT continues to prove that its dining halls are as diverse and dynamic as the community they nourish.