They invited Universal employees who came from diverse backgrounds into the test kitchen to give their opinions: Are the flavors good and true representations of the cuisine back in their native countries?
Universal took it one step further, Martinez said. Some employees brought food back home “so that their mothers could weigh in on the dishes,” Martinez said.
The testing sounds as fun as you might think, especially when the team is testing the cocktail menu.
The menu is still tweaked after the event kicked off last month. Universal pays attention to real-time social media comments from visitors to make adjustments, Martinez said.
Since Mardi Gras began, one of the top selling items are house-made beignets, served hot and fried, covered generously in powdered sugar.
Other items are new on the menu this year, like Bubur Ketan Hitam, which Martinez described as a vegan purple sticky rice with coconut condensed milk pudding complete with diced mango and shaved coconut.
“We also have some really cool flight options this year that allow guests to enjoy a sample of multiple flavors within one dish, like the Nikuman Bun Sampler from Japan — which consists of a trio of warm steamed buns, Asian barbeque pork, teriyaki chicken, and a sweet coconut matcha custard — or the Tour of Italy Arancini, which are risotto fritters with a trio of sauces that represent the colors of the Italian flag,” Martinez said.