Since opening at the beginning of the semester as a replacement for Taco Bell, the Asian Concept at the Mallinckrodt food court has received a lukewarm response from its customers.

“I liked the wok,” said freshman Alex Haas, referring to the dishes served straight off the fire by the chefs, “but the ready-made stuff was kind of gross.”

For the most part, students echoed Haas’s critique. Several called the food “pretty good,” while mentioning the wok in particular as a positive.

“The [ready-made] chicken was not that good,” said freshman Eva Choi. She added, however, “I heard the Pho [served hot] is good.”

Senior Blake Abrash held different views about the Concept’s quality.

“I thought it was detestable,” he said. “It was dry and rubbery and the meat is awful.”

The Asian Concept, however, does not seem to be losing business due to the negative reviews. The lines have remained long since the stand’s opening and most students said they plan on returning, albeit with a more selective eye. Some students even cited the crowds as a reason for avoiding the new option.

“There is always a long line,” said Jesus Figueroa, a freshman who has yet to try the food.

Senior Lindsey Brodell agreed and added, “They make the wrap line look short.”

Officials from Bon App‚tit, the company that manages dining services on campus, see no problem with the food, citing the good business as proof of the stand’s popularity.

“It’s been very busy at that station,” said Marilyn Pollack, Bon App‚tit’s interim director of Dining Services. “It’s seen a lot of customer traffic.”

Director of Operations Rick Turner echoed these sentiments, and pointed out that the food was the students’ choice.

“We took a poll among the students,” he said. “The overwhelming result of that survey was that the students wanted Asian food, so we picked Asian food. We’ve had a pretty successful opening.”

Students, when asked, did say that they enjoyed the Asian alternative, but some would prefer another franchise to replace Taco Bell.

“They should have a Panda Express,” said Haas.

“There was a time element,” said Turner, responding to the call for fast food. “We only had a certain amount of time to place a new concept.”

Turner added that there were limitations of “space and equipment” that prevented Bon App‚tit from looking into a corporate option.

Turner also said that, although Bon App‚tit staff chose the menu, they weighed their options based on the students’ survey results.

“We chose the menu with some basic items: beef, broccoli, and sesame chicken,” said Tuner. “We also tried to do some authentic options. We tried to give the best variety based on the space and the students.That was our decision, but the survey pointed us. It was looking for Panda Express-type food.”

Abrash, however, specifically noted Bon App‚tit’s management of the Concept as a cause for criticism.

“I knew it would be bad when they replaced Taco Bell because it was Bon App‚tit,” he said. “[It was] just the general feel of it.”

Most students, by contrast, prefer the Asian Concept over the departed Taco Bell, including junior Debra Siegel.

“I do not eat meat, so it was better than Taco Bell,” she said. “It was decent.”

Students also reacted positively to the service at the new stand.

“I like the way that it was set up. The lines can be long, but the people are very nice,” said sophomore Paromita De.

Turner said that, taking everything into account, he is happy with the Asian Concept and expects improvement in the future.

“We have not heard a lot of criticism,” he said. “We are always looking for customer feedback. We base a lot of our decisions on the students. We can change.”

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