Chez LAUSD: District’s new menu choices arrive, with help from talented student chefs

Reading. Writing. ‘Rithmatic. Oh, and Roasting, Rotisserie, Roulade and Roux-making.

Serving up its annual tradition — via celebrity chefs, student cuisine teams and farm-to-school vendors — Los Angeles Unified School District officials unveiled their array of new menu offerings for the 2026-27 school year.

Friday’s Café LA Menu Tasting Event, hosted by newly minted LAUSD Superintendent Andrés E. Chait, featured popular TV chef Nyesha “The Ninja” Arrington, who helped mentor the students who created some of the tasty new selections, and LAUSD’s Manish Singh, Executive Director of the district’s Food Services Division.

There was no mystery meatloaf or gummy gravy on the table during this event at West Adams Preparatory High School. Far from it. The starring role went to the Butter Chicken with Kachumber Salad, crafted by the culinary team at Sun Valley’s John H. Francis Polytechnic Senior High School, winners of LAUSD’s recent Student & Celebrity Chef Challenge.

Arrington, who has appeared on the TV series Top Chef: Texas and Fox’s Next Level Chef, was served as a chef and partner at restaurants Leona in Venice and Native in Santa Monica. As a mentor and muse in the annual kitchen showdown, she helped overseeing teams of high school culinary arts students come up with flavorful, nutritious, farm-to-school entrees.

Poly High’s kitchen corps won in a repeat from last year’s competition, when their Korean-themed Beef Bibimbap Bowl earned top scores. The team also captured first place in the inaugural Super School Culinary Showdown in San Francisco in January and their Mediterranean Fusion Bowl and Lemony Blueberry Scone were served at the Taste of the NFL for Super Bowl LX in the Bay Area.

Responding to growing demand from district families, the new LAUSD menu featured new vegetarian and vegan selections.

Among the new items introduced:

–Deluxe Breakfast Bowl

–Vegetarian California Yogurt with Farm to School Fruit

–Vegan Blueberry Muffin

–LA Cheesesteak Sandwich on Freshly Baked Sourdough Bread

–Vegetarian Lasagna Rolls (inspired by Student & Celebrity Chef Challenge)

–Chicken Posole

–Pork Katsu Sandwich

LAUSD Culinary Innovation Chef Jamie Ginsberg also offered inspiration to the young chefs.

Chowing down on the dishes were LAUSD board members, parents and selected students.