What You'll Do

Join Ella for a flavour-packed Naga-inspired dinner programme where participants will come together to reflect on My First Journeys through the lens of confinement meals—nourishing, restorative food traditionally prepared to support mothers after childbirth. In cultures across the world, confinement dishes are carefully designed to warm the body, aid recovery, and provide the strength needed for this new chapter in life.

Drawing from her rich Naga heritage—rooted in the Ao tribe from her mother’s side and the Mao tribe from her father’s—Ella will be serving comforting stews and soups that reflect the essence of traditional healing meals. Expect bold, earthy flavours in dishes like pork trotter stew, and adventurous, protein-rich preparations with frog and catfish, all made with a distinctive Naga taste.

Whether you're familiar with Naga cuisine or curious to try something new, this dinner promises a unique and heartfelt experience. You’ll discover how confinement foods are more than just meals—they are memories, traditions, and expressions of care that accompany the first journeys of motherhood across cultures.

About What’s For My Dinner

Food is more than just sustenance; it carries history, culture, and care. Nowhere is this more evident than in confinement food—a deeply rooted and intimate tradition designed to nourish new mothers during one of the most vulnerable and transformative periods of their lives. For this special edition of What’s for My Dinner, we invite you to step into the world of postpartum nourishment, where food becomes a form of healing, and every meal tells a story of maternal resilience, ancestral knowledge, and familial devotion.

Across cultures, confinement food is both a practical and symbolic gesture of love. These meals are crafted not only to help mothers recover physically after childbirth, but also to offer emotional comfort, reestablish strength, and provide warmth during a time of rest, bonding, and redefinition of self. What makes confinement food so powerful is its blend of nutritional science and inherited wisdom—recipes passed from grandmothers to mothers, from one generation to the next.

Though ingredients and techniques differ, the intention behind confinement meals is remarkably similar across cultures. In Chinese traditions, for example, dishes often feature warming ingredients like ginger, sesame oil, and rice wine, believed to dispel “wind” from the body and replenish qi (energy). In Malay and Indonesian households, herbal tonics and jamu—a mix of turmeric, ginger, and tamarind—are consumed to restore balance and vitality. Indian confinement meals often include ghee-rich lentils, warming spices, and iron- and calcium-rich vegetables to support lactation and boost strength. In Western traditions, too, bone broths, soft proteins, and hydrating fruits and vegetables play a role in postpartum care.

What binds these traditions together is an underlying belief: that a mother’s well-being is the foundation for a child’s early life. Confinement meals reflect this value by placing care at the centre—care in preparation, in intention, and in nourishment. They are not quick fixes or convenience meals, but slow, considered acts of love that honour both the physical demands and emotional journey of motherhood.

In this dinner, we invite you to experience this cross-cultural tapestry of postpartum care. Through warm broths, restorative dishes, and thoughtfully prepared sides, you’ll taste more than just food—you’ll taste heritage, healing, and the universal understanding that to nourish a mother is to nurture a family.

About The Host

Hailing from Nagaland, a land bursting with diverse cultures, Ella celebrates acceptance and embraces differences. Her family tree is a vibrant mix, with her mom belonging to the Ao tribe and her dad representing the Mao tribe. Talk about a colourful heritage! In 2008, Ella took a leap of faith and landed in Singapore to follow her passion for performing arts. Little did she know that she would find love, success, and a ton of fun in her new home. Singing and dancing has always been her jam, she’s also a proud ex-member of none other than The Nagaland Chamber Choir, Nagaland, India. But here’s the twist—Singapore’s lively food scene stole Ella’s heart long before she set foot in the Lion City. It all started with a TV show that showcased mouthwatering dishes like never before. Now, she’s on a quest to explore every delicious corner of the city!

Who should come?

Everyone is welcome to participate!
Participants under 13 must be accompained and supervised by a parent/guardian at all times.

Programme Details

Approximate Duration: 2 hours (Please arrive 15 minutes before the tour for registration)
Language: English
Meeting Point: Meet at the entrance of the 7-Eleven near the Entrance of Wild Wild Wet (1 Pasir Ris Cl, #01-344A, Singapore 519599)

Ending Point: The event will start and end at the same point.

The events will proceed rain or shine.

What to bring?

Participants should be dressed respectfully in smart casual (i.e. collared shirt, long pants and covered shoes). Sleeveless attire, shorts/miniskirts or sandals are strictly not allowed. Participants will be denied entry if they dress inappropriately.
Participants should bring along an umbrella and a bottle of water.

Please ensure that you bring along any personal medication. Asthmatic individuals are reminded to bring their inhaler.

Other important information

Dishes may contain eggs. The food is non-vegetarian and not halal-certified.
Parking is available at Downtown East.
The venue is not wheelchair accessible.
Photography is allowed at event premises.

Disclaimer

Each ticket admits only one participant.
By agreeing to participate in the tour, every participant will be responsible for any injury, loss of damage due to careIessness of other actions on his/her part or that of children under his/her charge.
Videos and photographs may also be taken during the event. By registering for this event, you give My Community full rights to use the photos for marketing and publicity.

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Visit mycommunityfestival.sg for all our latest updates.

My Naga Dinner with Ella Khekho