Sep

Meet Ms. Vera: More Than 12 Years of Caring for Our St. Paul Students

For more than 12 years, Ms. Ngoc Vera has been part of the St. Paul community, serving thousands of meals to our students and faculty since 2014.

With a background in international hospitality, including being part of the opening team at JW Marriott Hanoi’s JW Café, she brings both experience and heart to school dining. For Ms. Vera, every meal is about more than nutrition—it’s about caring for students like a mother would care for her own children.

Now, she shares her journey, her philosophy, and what makes serving our St. Paul Eagles so meaningful to her.

Q1: Hi Ms. Vera! Could you please shortly introduce yourself to new parents and students?

I am Vera (Vietnamese name: Le Thanh Ngoc), representing Senso Thanh Ngoc Co., Ltd., a company that has been partnering with St. Paul American School Hanoi since June 2014. With years of experience across major hotel groups—including Crowne Plaza, Sofitel Plaza (now Pan Pacific), Melia, and Mövenpick Hanoi—as well as rigorous professional training during the 2012–2013 pre-opening phase of the JW Marriott (where I served as Assistant Restaurant Manager for JW Café), my team and I are delighted and honored to serve thousands of Western and Asian-style meals to the students and faculty at St. Paul American School.

Q2: With two daily menu options and virtually no repeated dishes all month, how do you and your team organize your monthly planning and daily prep to feed hundreds of hungry Eagles?

To provide students with a daily selection of hundreds of diverse meals featuring flavors from American, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indian, and Vietnamese cuisines, we plan our menus a month in advance. By determining meal quantities via our software ahead of time, we accurately coordinate ingredient sourcing from reputable suppliers like Mega MM, Kmart, Simba, Meat Deli, and Big C to ensure a daily supply of fresh, safe food.

Q3: Providing food for growing children requires a careful balance between delicious and nutritious. What is your core philosophy when planning meals for an international school community?

Growing children require 1,800–2,000 kcal per day, so school lunches must provide at least 600–700 kcal. We carefully calculate portion sizes to balance protein, fat, fiber, carbs, and vitamins, while rotating the menu daily so dishes never repeat within the month. Our philosophy centers on balancing essential nutritional needs with the children’s own taste preferences.

Q4: With students and teachers from all over the world at St. Paul, how do you approach creating a menu that feels like a comforting ‘home-cooked meal’ for so many different cultures?

We are trained to understand that providing good service is not enough; we must serve intelligently and wholeheartedly. That is why we deliver diverse meals with warmth, thoughtfulness, and meticulous care—serving with heart so that everyone feels as though they are being cared for in their own home.

Q5: We heard so many compliments about the food on Orientation Day! How did your team prepare those delicious new dishes and manage to seamlessly serve nearly a thousand people?

Hearing such praise makes me incredibly proud of my team. They worked diligently, meticulously handling every step from menu planning to task assignment. To ensure meals were fresh and hot for nearly a thousand people on opening day, we practically worked through the night beforehand. This truly reflects our team’s unity, discipline, and deep sense of responsibility.

Q6: As St. Paul celebrates 15 years of excellence, what message or wish would you like to share with all the students, alumni, and families you’ve nourished over the years?

Having been part of the St. Paul family for nearly 13 years since 2014, I have witnessed numerous graduating classes gain admission to prestigious universities worldwide. I am confident in the school’s vision and wish the entire community—teachers, staff, and students—health and strength as they help our “Eagles” soar to even greater heights!