Coming from Vietnam where the things we eat are very different from typical United States dishes, I had a difficult time adapting to food at Amherst. While I’m extremely grateful for the food I get here, I find myself skipping meals a lot because they are just so different from what I’m used to eating at home. However, I eventually found my way around it and would like to share with you what I’ve learned. Hope you’ll learn a thing or two about eating at Amherst!
1. Valentine Dining Hall
The dining hall serves food from around the world, so be on the lookout for when it has dishes resembling the ones from your culture. I remember visiting Amherst as an admitted student and being served chicken tenders. I was worried that all of my meals would look like that if I came to Amherst (there was nothing wrong with chicken tenders, it’s just that I wanted Asian food as well!) Luckily, the dining hall offers incredibly diverse food! One of my favorite dishes at Amherst is Val’s chicken bulgogi and shrimp bowl with sticky rice. It looks and tastes a lot like home food to me, and I always look forward to that monthly Thursday lunch when the dining hall serves this dish.
2. Food Events
Come to the food events of cultural groups — not only will you have a chance to try something new, but you may also find food from your culture. I’m so glad that student organizations like the Asian Student Association (ASA) or the Southeast Asian Student Association (SEASA) organize monthly events where they have delicious Asian food. My favorite one though is the cooking event organized by the International Student Association (ISA), where I got to cook my Vietnamese pork belly! Events like these allow me to enjoy food from my culture for free, which would not have been possible without the diverse student population at Amherst and how generous the college funds student events!
3. Kitchens & Cooking
Even if your dorm doesn’t have a kitchen, the kitchens here are super accessible, and there are a lot of grocery stores nearby. If you miss home food so much that you cannot wait any longer without having it, why don’t you cook it yourself? Another great thing about Amherst is that it’s close to a lot of grocery stores like Stop & Shop or Whole Foods Market. I often go to a small store 15-minute walk away called Mom’s House that has Asian ingredients. Although Amherst only has four kitchens, they are all super accessible, and I often visit the one at the Greenways to cook my late-night boba.
4. Amherst Restaurants
Last but not least, do you know that there are many great restaurants in town? While eating out is not always the most affordable option, many restaurants in Amherst do have lunch menus on the weekends where you can get meals for under 10 dollars. There is a variety of them for you to check out, but as a Vietnamese student, I often visit Miss Saigon, a delicious local restaurant at a very affordable price. Also, the portion in the U.S. is huge! So you can also get a takeout and have it for two meals, saving your money while getting to enjoy good food.
I hope you’ve found my guide useful. If you want to hear more about my favorite Val dishes (and hacks) as well as local restaurant recommendations, email me at any time at thuhoang28@amherst.edu! Now I have to go make my delicious milk tea. Until next time!