Universal Fan Fest Nights Chef Dishes on Bringing Star Trek to Life

Ever wondered what the Final Frontier was like?

While we're still centuries away, you can now get a taste of the Star Trek experience as we're days away from the opening of Universal Fan Fest Nights, the all-new after hours event celebrating the best of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming, and Anime like never before, heading to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Thanks to Universal Studios Hollywood's Vice President of Culinary and Executive Chef Julia Thrash, you literally get to engage your senses, .

During a media preview event, StarTrek.com got to talk to Chef Thrash about making First Contact, curating Star Trek's themed menu for Universal Fan Fest Nights, and more!

StarTrek.com: Can you tell us how you came up with the and how it connects further into the fandom experience?

Executive Chef Julia Thrash: We started our binge-watch with the and then we went in and watched everything. We wanted to really dive deeper and find those unique things that we know that our fans are going to love and how do we bring that to life through food. So, in some cases, we took something that was directly out of a series, and in other cases, it was, 'Okay, great, what does that mean and how do we interpret it and turn it into food?'"

StarTrek.com: What was your favorite thing during your binge watch?

Executive Chef Julia Thrash: So I am a Trekkie at heart. I grew up watching all the series. But I really, really love the Picard series because it kind of ties it all together for me. That really made me happy.

StarTrek.com: Can you share how you and your team came up with any of the recipes?

Executive Chef Julia Thrash: "" is really one must-watch episode. That is how the Tribble Truffle Trio came about, and that's actually why it's in that gray cup. Captain Kirk, when he was taking the tray back, all of a sudden a Tribble falls in his cup. So why not make that what we're serving them in. It was perfect tie-in.

StarTrek.com: You were a fan obviously before this partnership. What does it mean to you to bring all of this to life?

Executive Chef Julia Thrash: Being able to take something that you see on-screen and then making it into food is really something that we're proud of. As a chef, if you can either create a memory or evoke a memory or take someone back to somewhere, then we have succeeded with food. So I think that's what we've really done here, and to be able to connect with those that truly love the series and the whole franchise.

And I hope we're able to create some more fans as well. Those that are going to see it, 'Oh, what is Targ?' Well, let me tell you about it and bring people together.

StarTrek.com: That's amazing. Was it challenging or exciting to create something that looks otherworldly? It must be so intimidating to create that for the human palette.

Executive Chef Julia Thrash: The most challenging thing was how do we get the story across without having to be there to tell the story. There's always these Easter eggs and the things that we talk about if you have the conversation one-on-one, we can tell you about it, and then you're like, 'Oh my gosh, it's amazing.' But it was really, 'How do we look at it by what it's named and what the flavor profile is.' That was what initially scared us. But then once we got into it, it just became natural. So I don't think it was really challenging, but it was initially daunting and then once we got into it, it took off.

StarTrek.com: How did all that magic happen between you and the mixologist?

Executive Chef Julia Thrash: It was actually a very match-made, if that makes sense. Initially, he wasn't [familiar], and I was. He literally went home [after we brainstormed], and he came back and goes, 'I got something for you.' He presented the Ceti Margarita and his thought process behind that. He explained how Ceti Alpha Five collided with Ceti Alpha Six, and I was so proud that he got into it and came back with something that's truly amazing. For somebody not familiar with the series, I think we made him into a Trekkie in a way as well.

StarTrek.com: How does the all of this across the board tie into Universal Fan Fest Nights?

Executive Chef Julia Thrash: It really brings sci-fi, gaming, and all of those little niches really to life. It is really a core anchor to what we're doing.

Come ready to eat. This is truly an immersive experience. It's not just about the food, but it really is how each pillar of what we're doing for Fan Fest Nights ties in to create one immersive experience.