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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Manila: UP's Mommy Thai reopens at Ortigas Home Depot

During my freshman year in U.P. Diliman, we enjoyed exploring its many culinary secrets. In the International Center, the U.P. dormitory for foreign students, was an unassuming carinderia which served authentic Thai food at very affordable student prices. It was authentic because the cook and owner was a Thai lady whom we all called Mommy Thai.

The stall later on moved to Balara and moved a second time before closing shop in 2006. Many were saddened when Mommy Thai disappeared. And in fact, many U.P. students and alumni think Mommy Thai was closed for good.

The good news is that Mommy Thai reemerged last year in a different location, the Ortigas Home Depot, as Khao Pad. It went unnoticed even by many of their old U.P. patrons until they placed the sign "formerly U.P. Thai Canteen" on its glass window. Now text messages have been going around from the many excited U.P. students who got to savor her tasty Thai lutong-bahay.

While she serves the Thai dishes we are familiar with such as pad thai, tom yum and bagoong rice, her former patrons can still order the dishes she served in U.P. (take note that these are not in the menu but she'll gladly prepare them for you). And arguably the most popular is a dish she calls Mixed (some call it mixed seafood but it's really mixed beef, chicken, squid, vegetables and egg).

Each dish costs PHP120 and is good for 2 to 3 people. In fact, I ordered Mixed a while ago and it was a lot! The U.P. version was a rice topping dish good for one. I'm going back there next week with my college barkada!

42 comments:

  1. Thanks Ivan, Matagal tagal na din naming hinahanap si manang thai. This is great news!

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  2. Hey Neil! Grabe, nabusog ako kanina. Yung mixed ngayon, wala nang rice (you have to order it separately) pero two to three times the old serving of ulam!

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  3. Cholle Diswe12.5.09

    grabe, ivan. lots of people will love this news :)

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  4. Yehey! Ang saya! Finally you found it Kuya Ivan! Been searching for so long!

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  5. Oh how I've missed this place! Awesome find ivan! :)

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  6. Anonymous12.5.09

    It is wonderful to know. You are wonderful Ivan.

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  7. I had lunch again there today. Haha! Panalo!

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  8. Mary Ann Ong12.5.09

    super thanks Ivan! so that's what it's called. i've been calling her mommy but didn't know her place was called that! hahahaha! Anyway, I'm super glad you posted this, I've missed her food!

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  9. oh wow! thanks ivan! i super miss mommy thai!!!

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  10. carmeline12.5.09

    now, this is a pot of gold.

    i've been talking about thai canteen for ages... and looking for it for ages!... always with a sad, regretful note when no one can say what happened to it.

    so finally, to ortigas home depot i go and see Mommy Thai!

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  11. This is very good news! Their tom yum is the best.

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  12. thanks ivan for posting this one. i so miss Mommy Thai. will visit this one next time. probably invite some of friends also who want to reminisce.

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  13. I WILL THERE PROMISE!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  14. Anonymous13.5.09

    Thank you for the info... sobrang miss ko na c Mommy and her delectable dishes... I've been to almost all Thai restos in the metro but nothing compares to Mommy's... Thanks again, Ivan:):):)

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  15. Magandang balita ito! Matagal ko ring na-miss yung tom yum ni Manang. :) Maraming salamat sa pagbabalita nito!

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  16. Anonymous14.5.09

    this is great news!!! thanks po! :)

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  17. whoa! Salamat! Ang saya!

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  18. patricia14.5.09

    maraming salamat sa napakaganda at nakakagutom na balita! :) paborito rin naming kainan ito sa UP :) Mabuhay ka Ivan!

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  19. Thanks for the post. Finally after several years of looking for mame :)

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  20. Anonymous20.5.09

    bro I dont like commenting on blogs...but on this blog I must...I had been looking for mommy thai like a lovestruck looking for a long lost love...

    thank you bro...I was so sad to see the padlock in mommy thais old place in balara..had been an old fan since I.C. days...been looking for a mommy thai style cooking in Singapore and Malaysia to no avail

    thanks bro!:)

    UP engr

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  21. Anonymous21.5.09

    Wow! buti na lang i was able to read your post!!!

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  22. Anonymous21.5.09

    Hi Ivan,

    Thanks for posting the "old UP thai canteen". Tagal kong hinanap nitong c mommie thai! With you help, finally matitikman ko na ule ang ever favorite kong MIXED at TOM YUM! yUM YUM TALAGA!

    Regards,
    Mheanne
    UP CMC-Broad Comm

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  23. Anonymous21.5.09

    what time nag oopen at close yun resto ni mama thai?

    many thanks!

    UP CMC

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  24. Cool. I still remember the delicious Tom Yum way back in UP. Will visit soon, :P

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  25. Anonymous2.6.09

    Finally, I had the chance to taste again the mouth watering TOM YUM and MIXED last night.. And you are right Ivan, the servings are good for 2-3 persons but easy on the pocket ha..Be back for the chicken in pandan leaves, beef curry and bagoong rice naman next time!

    -Mheanne-

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  26. Anonymous4.6.09

    galing mo ivan!!! alam na alam mo kiliti natin!!!

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  27. thanks to your blog. I and my officemates enjoyed eating at Khao Pad! Mixed is undeniably delicious. we also devoured the most delicious spring roll i had, tom yum fried rice, bagoong rice, tom yum. I love reading your posts! have a pic with mommy!:-)c

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  28. ivan, thanks for sharing this. after her canteen was demolished along other establishments in katipunan i didn't know that i'd see her and taste her sumptuous dishes again.

    this is blast from the past happiness! :D

    -dan, 96-XXXXX

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  29. Anonymous3.2.10

    Thank you thank you thank you for your post Ivan!!! I've been looking for Mommy Thai for a long time. Nothing compares to her home-cooked thai food!

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  30. Thank you for this article, Ivan. Many of my friends stayed in International Center when Mommy Thais was still there. I was from I.C. too. We miss it.

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  31. Anonymous8.8.10

    Thanks Ivan!

    -Danes, 2001-XXXXX

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  32. Love mommy thai's mixed toppings! When she closed and moved to Singapore, I scoured for a copy of her recipe and managed to find one that turned out to be passably close to her version. Pero you still can't beat the original. Buti na lang she's just a hop and a skip away. Except on Sundays, that is. In any case, it warms my heart to know that when the craving hits, she's just there, waiting to cook me a huge bowl of mixed toppings!

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  33. Anonymous26.3.11

    Me and my friend have been wondering where Mommy was. I got so excited when I saw this article. While we were reviewing in UP Law Center, we ate Mixed toppings almost everyday. Hopefully, she is still at Ortigas Home Depot. We'll definitely go there SOON.

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  34. Anonymous25.6.11

    is this still open? my parents have been looking for this restaurant for a long time already. :)

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  35. Anonymous9.8.11

    Bakit ngayon ko lang nalaman to?! Super thank you for this info. I'm definitely going there on Saturday! (BTW, I remember you when you served breakfast once at the mess hall in Kalayaan. Seems like you didn't age one bit. hehe)

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  36. Anonymous24.8.11

    Hey, is her ortigas home depot shop still open to this day? Thanks :)

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  37. I will have to check. I'll post an update when I visit

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  38. hey ivan! any updates on this? Thanks!

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  39. OH! MY! GOD!!! Sorry for the OA remark but I've been praying she'd return for so long... since she's retired in 2006 actually. Bakit ngayon ko lang nabasa to? I hope she's still there. I don't care if mag-Ondoy ulit... I will be there tomorrow.

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  40. Mukhang wala na eh. I didn't notice it there the last time I went

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  41. She's no longer there. :'( Saan na kaya sila lumipat?

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