New York’s mayor-elect, Zohran Kwame Mamdani, marked his first day in office with a lunch meeting with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The 34-year-old Indian-origin politician shared a glimpse of his “busy first day” on Instagram. The images showed the duo enjoying a hearty lunch at Laliguras Bistro, an Indian and Nepalese restaurant in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York. The food items on the table included momos, aloo-dum, chilli chicken, tingmo bread and chai. Sounds like a yummy meal, doesn’t it? Given his past revelations about his foodie side, it should come as no surprise!

In the caption, Zohran wrote, “A busy first day as your Mayor-elect: early morning interviews, transition announcements and meetings. More to say on all of it tomorrow. But a highlight was lunch chilli chicken with tingmo bread and aloo dum with @aoc at Laliguras Bistro in Jackson Heights.”

Food has been an important aspect of Zohran Mamdani’s political campaign. Earlier this year, a video of him casually scooping up rice with his fingers went viral online and sparked a debate about culture, class and proper etiquette for eating certain foods. “I have to eat with my hands. In Uganda, we even eat salad with our hands,” he said in an interview with Bon Appétit,

During his mayoral campaign, Zohran Mamdani often gave shout-outs to his favorite restaurants and food. He talked about Kebab King (a halal restaurant serving Indian and Pakistani food), Pye Boat (a Thai restaurant, and Zyara (a Mediterranean restaurant). Other notable mentions include Mahmoud’s Corner Halal, Little Flower Cafe, Sami’s Kabab House, Boishakhi, Bahari and Abuqir, showcasing his diverse culinary preferences in the city.

When asked about his go-to bagel order, he said, “As someone who grew up in Morningside Heights, I have to go back to Absolute Bagels. Poppy seed bagel, scallion cream cheese. Some pulp Tropicana on the side. And this is going to lose me some votes, but to be honest with you: toasted.”

Food influences not only Zohran Mamdani’s campaign but also his policy decisions. One of his key policy proposals is to combat high grocery costs and food deserts in outer New York areas. He plans to establish a city-run grocery store in each of NYC’s five boroughs.