The students put together the menu themselves, each with a dish from their home country. And that creates a surprising number of flavors. For example, today Naseri serves ‘mantu’, an Afghan meat dish in dough, with garlic and coriander. Leandro then makes his favorite dish from El Salvador with his sister and mother: pupusas, a kind of pancakes “with corn flour, ground beans and cheese”.
“Our students come from very far away. They have experienced terrible journeys, terrible things. But they brought those tastes and those smells with them. That is in their identity, in their DNA,” says teacher Mieke.
Piet Goddaer, singer Ozark Henry, who is also the godfather of the project, also lends a helping hand: “That is our youth, they live in the same world as we do, so it is our youth and our future.”
The pop-up restaurant appears to be popular. Within an hour, both the afternoon and evening shifts were completely sold out. And the dishes themselves are also a hit.