In 1991, Samia Ahad traded her business suits for kitchen whites and began her culinary journey. Since graduating from the iconic Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, Ahad continued to refine and perfect her craft, from apprenticing at Quilted Giraffe to working at March Restaurant alongside Michelin-starred chef Wayne Nish.
In 2001, Ahad made her culinary mark in Singapore, opening one of the first multi-concept restaurants, Coriander Leaf, pan-Asian restaurant and culinary education space, with cooking classes and a food-based team building programmes on site. Since then, Ahad has opened The Screening Room, a multifaceted space that innovatively marries her love for food and film.
We had a chat with Ahad—who was notably charismatic—about her drastic career change, culinary philosophy and the most perverse menu she has created, inspired by The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal.
ESQ: Is your admiration of food-based upon creativity or academia?
SAMIAAHAD: My love for food is very academic. I’m not a great eater. My interest in food is learning the culture of where the food comes from. I’m not what they call, and I don’t like this term, a foodie. I eat because I have to, because my stomach tells me to.
ESQ: Why did you trade your business suits for kitchen whites?
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