November ’25 Koregaon Park

Old soul, young blood. LFC Pune’s tables brim with banter, bhakarwadi, family recipes, and friendships. Come as you are, leave a little fuller.

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Photos by Atul and Manthan.

HOST

Samah K

CO-HOST

Gaurav Saha

WHERE WE MET

Soy Como Soy in Koregaon Park, Pune is a Nikkei restaurant blending Japanese and Peruvian cuisines, serving sushi, ceviche, tiraditos, and robata grills in a contemporary, stylish setting.

What Members Said

Thanks Samah, you were a great host! It was such a fun afternoon.

Nicole

Thank you Samah for conducting a very successful session and for creating a comfortable and friendly atmosphere.

Sanika

I’m so happy to have found my tribe. Thank you so much Samah and team for organising this brilliantly! Looking forward to the next one.

Jay

What We Loved

Phodni cha bread or poli, a quick Maharashtrian breakfast, where leftover chapatis or old bread is crumbled and cooked like pohe.

Members playing The Locavore Shuffle, discussing ideas around personal tastes, and local food and food systems.

A heaping plate of food where members got creative with the theme for the month, ‘Love Your Leftovers’.

MEET YOUR HOST

Samah, 22, is currently studying for a Master's in Anthropology. Growing up in a household with financial struggles has meant that her relationship with food has been one of yearning. Meal times meant compromises made by adults to ensure I was relatively better fed. Regardless, gifts of harvest from neighbours and extended family in my native village got us through those times.

What does local mean to you?

‘Local’ means something that is produced by the people in the region, using resources coming from that very land.

What is your most enduring food memory?

The various times I share meals with my research respondents during field work are always my most enduring food memories. It helps me understand them and their stories, and lets me be vulnerable in this two way sharing.

If you were a seasonal ingredient, what would you be?

I would be a strawberry. It’s basic, but the vibes align.

What is an unusual food pairing you swear by?

Chocolate in meat dishes. A pairing unfamiliar to most, but something I swear by.

How do you see your Local Food Club flourishing?

The LFC could flourish if made inclusive in terms of accessibility of language, class, and caste, and by extending its reach to different local communities. It might even have an impact on social divisions between groups as sharing food leads to acceptance and understanding.