Where is the food industry going?

Everything around us is changing. A new generation is now one of the most powerful forces in the food industry. But are food corporations listening? Aaah No, they are refurbishing brick and mortar stores, adding fancy devices to attract customers and offering fancy commercials on so called new dishes.
Food corporations want to use what they have and spare as less expense as possible. Amazing the approach of management staff just agreeing with
Senior management. What food corporations need is a consultant, however no actual real experience but a brain of practical thoughts that can change the mindset of a corporations thinking and leading to more profits, reduced expenses and branding a new approach.
Brick and mortar store saw their prime back in the 70's. Catered to an established clientele with a menu that is considered comfort food to the norm. Offer foods with no flavor at a cheap whole price, add tons and tons of cheese, deep fry foods and add a sweet sauces. That's the creation. New generation is not buying it. They want fresh food, with no artificial sauces and additives. They want unique foods from around the world. They don't want the traditional sit down dinner, they want a microcosm of foods with variety. Friday and Saturday, they want midnight meals opened all hours. They use their smartphones and want emails that food is being served at a certain hours, what's being served and where they can pick it up.
This weekend, there was a food truck so called convention where every conceivable food truck converged. It was busy, healthy food, to fattening food to new cuisines food to traditional foods. Why such an outpour of interest attending the Timonium Fair grounds. Yes, its a weekend and yes, its something different and anytime food is being served, its the place to go for good food..
fOOD CORPORATION, HELLO, Food trucks, yes, those dilapidated food trucks tht offer the best in fresh food. Convert your money losing brick and mortar stores and have a fleet of food trucks. Benefits of having a food truck:
-Lower expenses, maximize profits, no need to worry about rent, leasing, payroll, huge inventory and expense.
-Ability to change menu. Social media enables contacting customers to tell them whats on the menu on a daily basis, where to meet and time. Guaranteed fresh food. Food preparation can be at the brick and mortar stores an offer different cuisines with different chefs employed.
What a great concept by Chef Woo Can. Of course the old name family style restaurants would have to have an innovative progressive name to dispel any negative stereotype of the old name would have to change and be branded on social media. and most importantly, the customers don't need to cook anything. The food corporations do all the cooking fresh each day, no preservatives, only fresh ingredients.
at a reasonable price and offer the best value.
But, like any multi corporation, there are rules and standards that require decisions from old traditional management staff that is unwilling to change. They want to hear from consultants that have a proven track record.
My view is to experiment on a small scale and test market in a region and test and monitor. The food business should be like the tech business, always evolving, always try something, take a risk. You never know.
By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com
​#brickandmortaris dying, #foodtrucksarerising, #chefwoocannewfoodconcept
  

Samos Greek Island Grill
Mchenry Row
1703 Whitestone Way, Baltimore ND

This Summer my mission was to find fantastic eating establishments in Maryland. So far I've been disappointed until now. Just a hop skip and a jump my curiosity focused on this place, Samos Greek Island Grill. From the onset, it looks like a fancy place with chairs and tables outside.
I proceeded to enter and it was small, no food oder indicating the place was clean, the air condition was blasting but considering the hot Summer days we've been experiencing, understandable.
Now, Greek food is one of my favorites foods. Unique in taste, semi healthy depending on what you order but simple in flavor. Noting overpowering.
My favorite is the Greek Gyro. You can have a sliced beef or combination sliced beef/lamb or chicken cubes.
You get a pita stuffed with slices of marinated and well seasoned beef, tomatoes, onions and a tzatziki yogurt sauce with cucumber, dill, salt pepper and lime juice roped all over the gyro. and wrapped like a ice cream cone funnel.
I was waiting in anticipation and couldn't wait until I got back to my desk. Next time I'll eat there.
I opened up my gyro and it looked delicious, exactly what I expected, and that's a good thing. The tomatoes were diced rather than a sliced tomato but all components were present. I took my first bite and appreciated the flavor or oregano, slight tinge of cumin, pepper and a dash of seasoned salt. It brought back memories of eating Greek food in Queens, NY. It was simply delicious. Each savory bite of the gyro made me want to go back and try more selections. It was unbelievable. Greet value, nice friendly prompt service. I felt that it was their pleasure to serve me and make me a happy customer by their delicious food or friendly service. I will definely go back again.
On a scale of 1-5 and 5 being the best, I give Samos Greek Island Grill a +1,,000. It's that good

#Greekislandgrillchefwoocanreviewexcellent
#greekislandgrilldelicious, Greekislandgrillamazing
#chefwoocansaysyestogreekislandgrill   

Kumari Restaurant
847 E. Fort Ave, Baltimore, MD

I love Indian food. Good value with the lunch buffet but my real passion is for Lamb Korma. Chunks of lamb morsal, so tender with a delicious indian korma curry with a tinge of almond flavor.
As you know Chef Woo Can judges an establishment in the 1st 7 seconds. When I went to explore this place, all I wanted was my Lamb Korma for take out. The owner had a buffet and the price was reasonable but messy.
I was waiting and waiting and no kidding, it took 30 minutes for my take out. What did they do, kill the lamb? It was lunchtime and my lunch hour was being reduced by waiting! 
Finally got my take out order. Got to my desk and took a piece of lamb and the korma curry was bland, no flavor, just thick cream. No salt, no sweetness, barely any curry flavor. Deeply disappointed.
On a scale of 1-5 and 5 being the best, I rate this place a -300.

#chefwoocankumarirestaurantreview
​#poorreviewkumarirestaurant

World of Beer
1724 Whetstone Way
Baltimore, MD

My coworkers decided to go out for lunch. The closest place was this pub called World of Beer. Every conceivable beer you can think of, they had. However, a liquid lunch wasn't in the cards. There was a menu and my eye focused on a Reuben Sandwich. Now, a Reuben sandwich had its origins in New York City, lower Manhattan. Now, the was a Reuben is made and for all my viewers, it starts off with real rye bread bread with a slab of butter on the outside of the bread when grilled to perfection and also for flavor. Then real thousand island dressing slabbed on one side of the bread or both, your choice but the thousand island dressing has to have some relish in it or it wouldn't be thousand island dressing. Now, 2 slices or swiss cheese and about 1/2 pound of delicious well seasoned corn beef. Then grill the sandwich and wait until your get a grilled crust on the rye bread and the swiss cheese is melted. That's a real Reuben sandwich, NY style.
What I got at this place was un grilled rye bread with 5 slices of corn beef, 2 slices of swiss cheese that wasn't even melted and the thousand island dressing was nothing more than a bottle of dressing. It was simply embarrassing for me to eat this but I had to because I paid for it and didn't want to make a scene.
Ideally, if I wasn't working and dropping in for a beer and a nice sandwich would have made it a great time if the sandwich was made the right way. But it wasn't..
Now customers that order a Reuben sandwich will believe that this is the right way to make a Reuben. An embarrassment.  As you can expect I had a terrible lunch.
My advice  is for owners to know the history of sandwiches and make it the right way.
ON  scale of 1-5 and 5 is the best, I gibe this establishment a -1,000.
​#chefwoocanreviewreubensandwich, #worldofbeerterrible, #reubensandwichembarassment  

4th of July Special Sale

It's hot out there! Summer is blazing. Our bodies crave for relief, cooling, refreshing. Why not purchase rice wrappers to make those delicious Vietnamese Summer Rolls. We have them on sale right now
Just add shredded lettuce, shredded chicken and shredded vermicelli noodles all wrapped together with a peanut dipping sauce.!
​www.chefwoocan.com
 
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Boston Market
Bel Air, MD

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, Boston Market was the king of Roasted chicken. I remember the lines out the doors. The chicken was food was hot and the sides were delectable.  Then big business bought the business and the lines were no longer, the sides sat quietly waiting to be taken and the chicken, while roasted to perfection, sits in a warming bin until a customer comes knocking on their door.
Then, there was a resurgence. Someone in corporate decided to add sandwich, meatloaf and now prime rib roast. Millions of dollars went into advertising. Commercials showed a fresh slice of prime rib cut, nice and semi pink but so fresh looking. Big challenge, big! I was swayed because I always wanted to try a slice of fresh prime rib. Other places provided the prime rib steak. 
Well, I decided to bring my daughter to Boston Market after swim practice.
I ordered the prime rib with a semi pink color, medium and my daughter ordered the pineapple barbeque sauce.
Needless to say I we waited for quite sometime for our meals. Then they brought the chicken  and the prime rib looked like it was sitting around for a very long time in the warmer. But the warmer was probably broken because my prime rib was cold, they provided string beans when I wanted cream of spinach which was also cold, my mash potatoes were cold. My daughter's chicken was cold too.
I took both plate back and the manager asked what happened. His resolve for the prime rib was heating it up by microwave instead of getting me a fresh slice which they probably didn't have. All he said was "sorry" numerous times.
I went back to my seat and noticed that all orders were line assembly, meaning all sides were portioned out and getting cold waiting to complete the order.  Poor attitude by the manager when I explained to him what was wrong and lack of enthusiasm trying to at least offer a new cut but instead microwaving it to heat it up.
I was expecting piping hot fresh prime rib.
The funny and sad thing was Boston Market wasn't even busy!
This was the worse eating establishment that I've been too!
My rating of this place was a -500 on a scale of 1-5.
Boston Market, don't go into providing steak if you can't give us what the customers expected. Prime rib comes one way and you guys failed to deliver.
For crying out loud, raise the thermostat on those side orders.

By Chef Woo Can at www.chefwoocan.com
​#bostonmrketreviewoor, #chefwoobostonmarketsad