June ’25 Arera Colony

The newest adda in town. LFC Bhopal brews lake breeze, lost recipes, and laughs over lentils. Join us where poha meets jalebi with open arms—second helpings guaranteed.

Photos by Content Volunteer Shubhra Jain.

HOST

Meenal Shejwar

CO-HOST

Apoorva Mishra

CONTENT VOLUNTEER

Shubhra Jain

WHERE WE MET

Café Amado in Arera Colony, Bhopal, is a sunlit, minimalist space by chef-entrepreneur Meenal Shejwar. The Café focuses on promoting indigenous ingredients to reduce its carbon footprint and celebrates what grows locally, like Indian-origin chocolate, Indian specialty coffee, and millets, not just through the menu, but also through storytelling, educational events, and workshops. Chef Meenal and her team try to cook and serve honest food at Amado—made without additives, artificial colours, or chemicals—prepared from scratch.

What Members Said

What a day! My heart and stomach are full! The vibe, the food, the conversations, the games—everything was filled with love! I’m thrilled to be a part of The Locavore community.

Paoni

Thank you, TL, for the lovely food, conversations, and for organising something like this! I appreciate it a lot.

Vaishali

What a great evening. The Shuffle was fun, I talked to a lot of strangers about food. I would love it if more games and activities were added!

Tanya

What We Loved

The incredible sign made the Bhopal meetup stand out!

The ‘Draw yourself as a food’ activity—a playful prompt with heartfelt results.

Books on food that sparked conversations about farmers, food chains, and what it takes to grow what feeds us.

MEET YOUR HOST

Meenal Rai Shejwar is a chef and restaurateur who transitioned from chartered accountancy to the culinary world after training at the Academy of Pastry Arts. She is founder of Amado Baking Academy, where she has trained over 1,500 students, and Café Amado, Bhopal’s first ingredient-focused cafe. She was also part of Locavore’s Millet Revival Project in Bhopal, and hosted the Local Food Club's first potluck in the city at Café Amado.

What is one unusual food pairing you swear by?

I just tried a millet cracker with some dark chocolate ganache. And it was so delicious—like earth meets indulgence—in the most surprising way!

What does local mean to you?

Anything that grows around you, whether it’s food, people, ideas, or wisdom. It’s rooted in your surroundings, and quietly shapes who you are. The more you dig into it, the more treasure you find, especially with food. Local ingredients and cooking techniques have lasted because they work. And once you start paying attention, you realise they’ve been good for you all along, maybe you just missed noticing their charm.

Since Sandila is a small station, the stops are brief, lasting just a few minutes. Vendors would hesitate to enter the AC coupe, which meant that Baba always had to stand at the door and step out immediately to pick up a few pots and climb back up. The laddoos and their packaging have stood the test of time, but the activity is now fondly recalled more than the taste of the laddoos.

What is your most enduring food memory?

My mom’s moong dal halwa on a cold Diwali morning. The smell when she would roast the dal, and then to experience those ghar-ka-ghee sizzling moments. Nothing says home and festivity more than a Jodhpuri-style moong dal halwa.

What is the most adventurous food you've tried and loved?

I’m not sure if it counts as adventurous, but it definitely felt that way when it landed in front of me! One is camel milk cheese, and another is bhaang ki chutney. Both made me pause, chew slowly, and think, “What on earth have I just eaten, and why do I like it so much?”

How do you see your Local Food Club flourishing?

It’s a powerful beginning! There’s so much excitement among people who believe in local movements but often feel alone in that journey. This Club is a beautiful way to build community, share stories, and reconnect with our roots, together. It actually feels like homecoming.