Tender Cuisine, tough job

Hostel-Food
“Yuck… brinjal curry.” “Dude, it’s tomato.” “Tomato?! Why is the gravy blue?”
Hostel Food
“Yuck… brinjal curry.” “Dude, it’s tomato.” “Tomato?! Why is the gravy blue?”

The college cafeteria is very much like a whipping boy. Whenever anything goes wrong, the cafeteria comes under attack, and for a variety of reasons. Students find that complaints about food are well received by their fellows. Many a would-be comedian has scored a major triumph over a plate of patli daal and bhindi ki sabzi. Should one consider the daily comments of student diners across Manipal, the resulting opinion of meals would range from poor to lousy. Not that the meals are unacceptable, simply that it would need uncommon strength of character to admit acceptability before one’s comrades.

The ‘Status Quo‘ must be maintained as follows:
A. One must praise cafeteria meals only in the most sarcastic manner.
B. One must utter audible groans of suffering at first reading the day’s menu.
C. Never admit having a second helping.
D. lf seen requesting ‘seconds‘, always remark “I’m starving. Only a starving man could eat this,”
E. When leaving the dining area, always say to the cafeteria people, “Kal kuch achcha banao boss“.

If a student will conscientiously observe these live rules of conduct, he may suffer some pangs of guilt, but he will be at home in any college dining hall. By including some creative changes of  “‘The Rules,” he may well move into the forefront of cafeteria comedy.

Those responsible for providing students a well-balanced bill-of-fare, admit this humorous side-play often goes unappreciated. It is no easy task preparing meals for a large group, particularly if that group exhibits the infinitely varied tastes of college students. How do you make Soya mealmaker palatable to a student who would prefer a diet composed exclusively of Pepsi and pizza?

How to keep food hot and fresh during the long serving period? How to keep within dietary requirements while offering meals that
appeal to the student taste? The list of problems facing the food service is endless. In addition to these everyday problems, the special occasions must be dealt with. Those times when some department  requests a particular meal for its members.

The students may joke about the food, but that joking is more for the ego than the palate.

7 Comments

  1. I agree with most of this.  Fact is that they are preparing meals for a large group as such individual preferences can’t exactly be entertained.  What pisses me off though is the large disparity we have in Manipal.  For exam the Student Food Court for KMC serves literally rubbish food (I’m trying to be as nice as I can here) while only 5 min down the road the MIT Food Court servers up a grand feast which is fantastic in both taste and quantity.  Unlike the little 2 cm bowls the KMC Food Court gives, the MIT one has a near endless supply.  I was going to make a post in a few days on the comparative of the two.  My issue is that this is one bloody university.  THis is they very basis of existence, the very least they could do is make that the same all around. 

    • @google-0b55063c0a875c75af189ccc7dd703cc:disqus As someone who never tasted food at the MIT food court, I can’t comment on the differences. I however found the food in the NBQ tolerable to my palate on most of the days except Sunday. The rest of the places inside the Medical campus where really poor.

      • The NBQ is Tolerable, I agree without a doubt.  But you have to try the MIT one.  Esp the breakfast. Every time I’ve been there I’ve literally stuffed myself.  It’s healthier, tastier and costs almost the same. 

    • ” MIT Food Court servers up a grand feast which is fantastic in both taste and quantity”

      I really don’t know what you mean by this .The Food Court food looks good  but its really poor in taste. Ya Quantity is almost unlimited in messes expect for Non Veg items.
      I ve been eating form several messes in several cities since 2006.
      I had best food from  Annapoorna 9th Block Mess [2009-2011]. Most of the other messes at MIT campus are acquired by MIT food court.

      Ya unlimited breakfast  has some value for money at MIT food court.

  2. A very witty article about the students’ expectations from the messes. I, for one, am in Annapoorna mess and I’m pretty happy with the food served there. MIT Food Court, however, is a different story altogether.

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