International House Berkeley

International House Dining A Signature Tradition C edric Martin, Director of Hospitality Services, and his team led by Executive Chef Abbie Serbins and Dining Manager Laura Moir, have been hard at work putting practices in place that promote a safe dining and events atmosphere. Cedric says, "The last year has been a challenge for everyone, and we look forward to being able to provide residents with a safe, positive and pleasant dining experience. With that in mind, we aren't open to the public yet to ensure the safety of our residents, but look forward to welcoming our alumni and community back to dine with us again soon. Additionally, we have increased the dining hours of operation to accommodate the lower number of seats, required masks at all times except when consuming meals, and all residents and staff entering the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Dining Commons must show their green daily clearance badge." These and a number of other guidelines have been implemented and are updated based on the parameters of the Centers for Disease Control, the State of California, and local and UC authorities for the safety of our community. Traditionally, International House has provided a differ- ent mix of ethnic dishes every day. Our beautiful 2nd-floor Dining Room features rich wood tables, chandeliers, and a stage for special events. I-House meals feature all-you-can- eat buffet-style salad bar, pasta bar, daily soup, and rotating entrees. Menus change every day to bring a new culinary slice of the world. On any given day, diners might find tradi- tional American fare next to dishes from multiple continents, with plates ranging from Chinese sesame noodles to tomato- okra curry to Ja- maican curried rice to old-fashioned minestrone soup. Throughout the year, our students contribute recipes from their respective homelands to our menu during the course of the school session. We also prepare a number of Native American, Chicano-Latino, African American, European, and Asian-themed cultural meals to accompany major ethnic-her- itage celebrations, often including Oktoberfest, Diwali, Lunar New Year, Persian New Year, among others. International House recognizes that residents may have medically necessary or religious di- etary restrictions, as well as varying food prefer- ences. I-House offers a wide variety of food and drink selections, includ- ing items for those mini- mizing dairy, gluten, and/or meat products, subject to applicable health-code restrictions In addition to dining, Cedric's hospitality team is responsible for events, large and small, catering internal to I-House, for the broader campus community, and the beloved Café. Staff Highlight Executive Chef Marie Abigail Serbins C hef Marie Abigail Serbins has been on the cover of a Wheaties box, and achieved the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu classification from California Culinary Academy. She's been named Super Chef of the Year and ranked among the top 20 women chefs by the Compass Group. Chef Abbie won on the Food Network TV program Guy Fieri's Grocery Games, she was George Lucas's chef, and now she's Executive Chef at International House! Here are some excerpts of an interview conducted by I-House Social Media Ambassador Azza Chairannisa. Why did you decide to work at I-House? What were some of your first impressions of the house? The name International House really is what draws me into this realm of the world. First of all, it just defines who I am as a chef. I am trained internationally in typical cuisines, differ- ent cultural backgrounds, and stuff like that. So I thought, oh, why not work there and share my passion for food. It's a beautiful place. You know, I felt really at home as soon as I stepped foot here and just getting to see different faces, 12 International House Times Dining Manager, Laura Moir Executive Chef, Abigail Serbins

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