Mater Dei’s canteen offers classic cuisine
By Arlyssa P. Supangkasen
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb
Did you know
During World War II, Mater Dei students had to study in Hua Hin.
Food isn’t only about eating, nutrition and calories. It’s also about tradition, sharing and identity. It can represent the culture of different countries, families or even schools. Particular dishes can bring back old memories and feelings, and some types of cuisine have interesting stories.
Student Weekly recently visited the well-known old cafeteria at Mater Dei School to check out some of their homemade traditional dishes, and to find out some of the history behind the school's tasty treats.
HOMEMADE RECIPES
Since its foundation in 1928, the recipes at the Mater Dei School cafeteria haven't changed. They’ve been passed on by the nuns to each generation of cooks. The daily menus offer various kinds of food on specific days. For example, students who love roast pork with gravy have to wait until Wednesday. And on Friday morning, students can enjoy one of the oldest dishes, pork rib rice soup.
“I have been working here for a very long time. Generations of kids have grown up with our homemade food,” Malee, veteran cook and vendor said. Desserts are important too.
"It’s hard for kids nowadays to find well-made, traditional Thai desserts. I’m glad the school still offers them to students,” teacher Thanawan Thanaporndee said.
FAIR PRICE
Located on the first floor of the conference hall, the cafeteria is simple with a lot of long tables and benches. The ambience is bright, clean and airy with a lot of windows. Since the school is situated in Chit Lom, it is very convenient to visit. Food is offered at a bargain price of 20 baht for a main dish, and customers must exchange cash for coupons to purchase the food.
Khai Dow Moo Wan
(rice topped with sweet minced pork and fried egg)
This well-known dish has been with the school for generations. Unfortunately, we found it quite bland. It would be better if the pork was offered in slices instead of minced. However, the sweet aftertaste was quite nice.
Kuay Tiew Moo Dang
(barbequed pork noodles)
This is another dish that the girls like, so it sells out very fast. We got the last bowl even though we were there around noon. The broth was clear, but tasteless, so you must add seasoning. The sliced pork was tender. The noodles were served without vegetables, but if you are a veggie lover, there are extra vegetables available so you can add as many as you like.
Phad Gra Pao Nuea Khai Dow
(rice with stir fried beef and basil leaves topped with a fried egg)
This is a staple food for Thais and we all agreed that this full-flavoured dish was delicious. Its strong spicy flavour made it tastier than other dishes we had.
Gaeng Kua Fak Sai Kai
(white melon curry with chicken)
This dish is filled with potatoes and vegetables. The white melon was quite mushy and the coconut milk was light. However, its taste was standard for school canteen food. If you aren’t good at eating spicy food, but want to have a bit of spice, this is a good option.
Shumai
(pork dumplings)
This bite-sized shumai with pork filling was rich in flavour. It was more enjoyable with a little soy sauce added.
Fried Chicken
The skin was crispy and the meat was juicy. Chili sauce can be the added to your preference. We would appreciate a meatier drumstick.
Sakoo Piak
(sago and cantaloupe in coconut milk)
The sweet and creamy texture of the coconut milk went very well with the sago (very small flour balls). This is definitely a dessert for those with a sweet tooth.
Here is some testimony from students and school alumni about the famed cafeteria.
“Barbecued pork noodles is my favourite dish, but it sells out pretty fast. So I need to hurry down every Thursday.”
Fah, Matayom 4 student.
“There is variety of food, and the price is cheap. I wish they’d give us more rice though.”
Kim, Matayom 3.
“I always enjoyed eating in the canteen although the school requires us to wash our own dishes. If I have time on weekdays, I stop by and grab lunch.”
Nuttayaporn Mongkhonvanich, alumni.
The Mater Dei School cafeteria is open to anybody who wants to try their delicious dishes.
Place: Mater Dei School, 534 Pleonchit Rd, Bangkok
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 12:15 pm to 13:05 pm
Coupons available from 11 am to 13:05 pm
Price: 20 baht per dish. Desserts and snacks vary from 5 to 20 baht.
Vocabulary
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vendor (n): somebody who sells something
ambience (n): the character of a place or the quality it seems to have
bargain (n): low price
minced (adj): cut up into very small pieces
bland (adj): not having a strong or interesting taste
staple (adj): standard or regular
mushy (adj): soft and having no firm shape
drumstick (n): the lower joint of the leg of a cooked chickenIdiom
have a sweet tooth: to like food that contains a lot of sugar
