In the culinary industry, she was considered one of the best female chefs in the Netherlands and now you can taste her food for yourself, right here on campus. To be exact, just outside Metaforum, near the piano. Five days a week, Irish-Greek Julia Mylonas is there from (about) 11 a.m. with her food truck 'Lick the Plate'. Her specialty: falafel. "I make the best falafel outside the Middle East," she says.

PhD in falafel

Falafel is a recurring theme in her mobile kitchen. From crispy falafel wraps to falafel soup to falafel and fries. "I spent two years studying falafel. And now it's perfect," Mylonas says. "That's not me saying it, but the people who have tasted it," she says proudly. "I've had people from the Middle East in tears, saying that my falafel reminds them of home so much." Her falafel consists of an impressive list of 37 ingredients. Wondering which ones? She's happy to tell you.

In addition to her regular falafel lunch dishes, she also serves dinner. This menu varies each week, but this week it was gluten-free vegan lasagna. "I'm still experimenting to see if there's a demand for it. The best thing is if people register in advance for dinner." That way, Mylonas makes sure she stays until the evening, and nothing has to be thrown away.

No waste policy

In fact, Mylonas maintains a no waste policy. This starts early on during the cooking process. "I really try not to throw anything away," she says. For example, she makes mayonnaise from the aquafava (liquid of chickpeas), syrup from the lemon peels and tomato sauce from the tomato seeds. Besides, she serves her soup and fries in edible containers made from tortilla or Lebanese flatbread. She is also sustainable in terms of promotion: she does not use flyers or posters. But those are not necessary anyway, she says confidently. "The food speaks for itself, that's promotion enough."