Toko Talks
Chef and food activist Lelani Lewis explores the cultural meaning of the toko together with chefs, cookbook authors and fellow food lovers. Join us every second Thursday of the month at 5:45 pm at Plein. The language of this event is English.
The toko is more than a back-up when the supermarket falls short. For many, it’s a place that feels like home – where flavours evoke memories, cultures meet, generations connect, and communities claim space. In conversations with food lovers and experts, Lelani Lewis explores how food is deeply tied to identity, and how migrant cuisines continue to shape the flavours of a city.
Have You Eaten? Food, Memory, and Life in the Diaspora
“Have you eaten?” can sound a lot like “I love you.” For people who have moved far from home, food keeps family and heritage close. One whiff of a grandmother’s curry can drop you right back into a kitchen you left years ago. A plate that tastes just right can soften the sting of settling somewhere new.
Recipes can travel like heirlooms, but not every ingredient does. That’s when comfort food turns complicated: part embrace, part reminder of distance.
For this edition of Toko Talks, Lenani Lewis invites NA KU Unfold to join us to dig into these stories.
NA KU Unfold is a duo of culinary artists and storytellers whose work bridges memory, migration, and ancestral connection. They blend cooking and storytelling to trace how migration shapes what ends up on the table. They’ll also make the snack we’ll share at the start of the event.
About Lelani Lewis
Lelani Lewis is a chef, food stylist and culinary activist. She is dedicated to giving Caribbean cuisine a rightful place in today’s kitchen.
Raised in South London with Grenadian and Irish roots, Lelani blends tradition with innovation. Through her pop-up restaurant and catering company Nyam (Jamaican slang for ‘food’), she makes Caribbean food visible and accessible.
Her work explores the stories behind food – and how those stories shape who we are.