Poring over Shakespeare texts one evening, a young Ahmedaki Laloo realised that a career in English Literature was not her calling. Pondering then on what is, she arrived at something she hadn’t yet paid much interest in — food.
“When I look back, the happiest moments in my life were when I was cooking,” Ahmedaki Laloo (Chef Ahme) tells TNIE on the sidelines of Meghalaya Table pop-up at Brunton Boatyard Heritage Hotel in Kochi. “It was a gradual realisation. Food made me happy. It felt celebratory.”
She didn’t give up on her English degree though, much to the relief of her parents who insisted that a career in food must have a ‘backup’. After trudging through the three-year course, Ahme hopped on a long flight to South India. Udupi, to be precise — a quaint little town by the sea.
Here, she joined Manipal University to learn more about the culinary world and her place in it.
However, to really belong came with its own set of challenges. “In our first practical class, the task was to identify the ingredients. There were about 30. I only knew three,” Ahme recalls with a smile.
But then, it was no laughing matter. A sense of dread befell her, prompting Ahme to ring home for some reassurance that she had not once again made the wrong choice.
“But thanks to a legion of mentors, I grew into the routine, developed essential skills, and before long — despite hailing from the hills (or perhaps because of it) — took a deep liking to coastal food,” Ahme says.
An internship at a top tier hotel in Bengaluru followed. Here, she leaned once again on her fondness for seafood and worked at their restaurant that specialised in coastal cuisine. “That’s when my life shifted. By then, food had indeed become my true love,” she says.
Then, on one long journey back to Bengaluru after having visited Shillong, her hometown, it dawned on Ahme that though she has cultivated considerable skill in several cuisines, her own remained untapped, and there was much to learn from it.
“My ancestry traces its lineage to Khasi and Jainti hills in Meghalaya, and even Bengal. It’s a blend of all three. Each boasts a distinct culinary practice and experience, and, of course, texture and taste,” says Ahme.
“I leaned into that. I was committed to studying our indigenous food more thoroughly, and to show to all its richness,” she adds. Her brand A’Origins became an outlet to achieve that. Through regular pop-ups, it bridges Meghalaya to the world by way of food.
“Our aim isn’t just to feed people, but to give them a glimpse into our culture, and thus preserve it,” says Ahme. Indeed, the pop-up at Brunton Boatyard also features weaves from Shillong as table linen and runners, and bamboo baskets. Staff also don traditional accessories.
“Food is, and has always been, a soft power. Western influences currently dictate what goes on our dining tables. But I believe the northeast cuisine has much to be celebrated,” she says.
To build this ‘bridge’ is not difficult in Kerala, points out Ahme. “There are similarities between our cuisine and yours. Back home, rice is ‘identity’. It is the case here too. Then, tapioca, turmeric, cashews, bananas, even the pride in local produce. That shared energy makes it easier,” she says.
Though the Meghala Table pop-up concludes this weekend, Ahme promises to be back. “This is a place that keeps calling you back. The values, the hospitality, the richness of the land and sea. There’s so much to learn. This is my first pop-up here, but certainly not the last,” she says.
On her return to Shillong, she also hopes to take something back. “My dream is to marry our food with coastal cuisine.” The bridge, she says, goes both ways.
“Food, at the end of the day, is about sharing. Even if we’re from different parts of India, once we sit together to eat, bonds form. Language can be a barrier. But food never is.”
The ‘Meghalaya Table’ pop-up concludes with lunch on September 27, 2025. To reserve a table, contact Brunton Boatyard at 7510432203.