Spoon University at UCLA is cooking up tasty reviews, delicious recipes and a sense of community for Bruins.

As a national online food publication, Spoon University allows students to publish articles about recipes, restaurant reviews and other food-related content, said Madelyn Zirlin, former co-president of the UCLA chapter. Zirlin, a rising fourth-year public health student, said she noticed UCLA’s chapter was inactive and began to bring the club back to life during her freshman year. She added that Spoon University provided an opportunity to share her love for food with her peers.

“I’ve always loved writing about food, eating food, and I wanted to find a community and a club I could join that would just bring me closer to the same kind of people and could maybe provide me with opportunities,” Zirlin said. “I started reaching out to people about, trying to start (Spoon University) up again. That’s kind of how it began.”

Being part of Spoon University has challenged Zirlin to experiment outside of her comfort zone. She said when she reviews restaurants, she considers what the reader may be interested in. Instead of ordering what she would typically get, Zirlin opts for a variety of different items. Reviewing restaurants has given her the chance to treat herself, she added. For example, when reviewing Din Tai Fung, Zirlin said she ordered chocolate dumplings, which is not an dish she would usually have.

“My typical order is the xiao long bao, the soup dumplings. And, obviously, they’re also pretty well-known for that. So, of course, I did get those,” Zirlin said. “I also wanted to give viewers a taste of other things that are on the menu … I try to put myself in the reader’s shoes, and I’m thinking, ‘Well, what’s something that I’d want someone to give me a review on before I try it?’”

Reviewing restaurants has also encouraged her to appreciate the experience of eating food more. When trying out a restaurant for a review, Zirlin said she is attentive to the atmosphere and service. In addition to changing what she orders, Zirlin said she also thinks about how UCLA students can find transportation to try the food she reviews, especially if they do not have a car. Another factor she considers is affordability, she added, as college students may not have a considerable amount of money to spend on food.

Writers for Spoon University also review cafes. Carmen Ng, a rising third-year student and an incoming co-president of UCLA’s chapter, said factors such as volume level and WiFi availability are aspects of the cafe experience she mentions in a review, as these factors can impact a student’s ability to study there.

Spoon University also presents opportunities for partnerships between students and local businesses, Diane Zhou, another former co-president of UCLA’s chapter, said. One of their previous collaborations was with a coffee shop in Beverly Hills called Series A Coffee, she added, and those in the club were able to try some of their specialties such as their ube drinks. Ng said her dream future partnerships would be with high-end restaurants that most students do not frequent.

Because Spoon University articles are targeted toward university students, those interested in writing do not have to worry about being inexperienced, Ng added.

“I definitely don’t think anyone needs to have any formal experience about reviewing food. I think their writing could just be based on their experience,” Ng said. “It’s just what they think that university students would enjoy if they were to go to the restaurants themselves.”

The publication provides a platform for students interested in food to share their interests and build community, Zhou said. Not only can club members influence other students, but they can also connect with them through food, she added. Zirlin said she hopes Spoon University can become a larger community where students can grow through writing about food.

“I hope that it’s the place … (for) a big group of people who are all different, come from different backgrounds but all share this love for food and writing also – but also just like storytelling,” Zirlin said. “I want people to be able to meet new people, get outside their comfort zone but also be exposed to new opportunities and new, good restaurants around LA.”