A taste of Belgium may soon be coming to campus.
During their meeting on Monday night, Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee sampled Belgian Waffology, a Belgian waffle food truck. The truck offered both savory and sweet waffles with toppings ranging from chicken and bleu cheese to fruit and whipped cream. Francois Kerckhof, a native of Belgium, goes to special lengths to create an authentic Belgian waffle.
“You get exactly the same waffle as in Belgium, but we put things on the top,” Kerckhof said.
Instead of traditional liquid waffle batter, Kerckhof uses solid dough to make his waffles. The sweet waffles use Belgian pearl sugar in the dough while the dough for the savory waffles incorporates spices to give a distinct flavor.
DUSDAC was impressed by Kerckhof’s dedication to his preparation and thought that he would get along well with the students.
Although the committee was enthusiastic about the waffle truck, they expressed concerns about the truck’s similarities to the popular crepe truck, Parlez-Vous Crepe.
“We’re going to need to fight people off with a pitchfork if we get rid of the crepe truck,” senior Greg Lahood, DUSDAC co-chair, joked.
Still, his co-chair mentioned the possibility of bringing both to campus.
“Very soon, ideally next spring semester, food trucks will become less of a meal option and more of a specialty option,” junior Brian Taylor said. “We don’t have to rule out the idea of having both the crepe truck and the waffle truck.”
DUSDAC also appreciated the small touches in Kerckhof’s truck, including the small Belgian flags used to garnish the waffles.
“That was my mum’s idea,” Kerckhof said.
Belgian Waffology is among four other food trucks under consideration to be added to the campus lineup. DUSDAC previously tried AmigoSan—an Asian-Hispanic fusion truck—and Bull City Street Food—a truck with a rotating themed menu. Next week, DUSDAC will hear a presentation from Stuft, a gourmet potato food truck.
In other business:
Dunkin Donuts, which was unanimously voted as the newest Merchant-on-Points vendor, will be added to the rotation soon. Director of Dining Services Robert Coffey said that there was a hold up with the contract, but it is currently being processed within the University.
The committee also discussed sending its annual survey to students to get feedback about current food trucks and gauge interest in potential food trucks. This year, DUSDAC may add a section about MOP options to track student favorites and to hear complaints.
As previously reported, a food truck fair could still be in the works. However, given time restraints and a location that is not yet set, Lahood expressed some doubt whether the plans would come to fruition.
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