42 | LUXlife Magazine Best Indian Restaurant 2024 - Gothenburg Sweden’s second-largest city is home to Daawat, a duo of tremendously authentic Indian restaurants with a proud lineage that can be traced all the way back to the early 1970s. Brothers Jimmy and Ricky Singh Ahluwalia operate these two restaurants in Masthugget and in Sisjön alongside their dedicated mother Meena Ahluwalia. The brothers are following in the footsteps of their late father Surjit Singh Ahluwalia, who himself played an instrumental part in opening the country’s very first authentic Indian restaurant back in 1971. Now, more than 50 years later, they are continuing to build on this legacy, serving exceptional food that is enjoyed by all. As Jimmy and Ricky Singh Ahluwalia would probably tell you, being brought up in close proximity to a number of your father’s Indian restaurants is a fantastic education if you are seeking to enter the business for yourself in later life. With these cornerstones of Indian food and culture deeply rooted in the lives of these brothers, it is no surprise that they today operate with excellence in the field, continuing the successful restaurant empire that their father started and would carry on building until he passed away in 2021. While his place can never be filled, Jimmy, Ricky, and their mother soldier on and radiate a parallel quality. For approximately eight years now, these brothers have owned and operated the Daawat restaurant in Masthugget, and based on demand, they then opened a second location in Sisjön about a year ago. Across both of these locations, the seemingly impossible task is to capture the essence of the diverse cuisine present throughout the world’s most populous country, where its residents have been crafting delectable dishes for centuries and passing these down from generation to generation. The brothers’ commitment to doing this is present in every avenue of the business, right down to the name, Daawat, which means “a festive meal.” From just the handful of Indian base sauces, exquisite dishes can be crafted. This is done by mixing them together and adding a number of different spices, the latter of which is an integral element in the country’s cuisine. Jimmy and Ricky’s father was well aware of this, and he personally travelled to India to seek out the top suppliers and handcraft the best mixes, with these suppliers and recipes proudly being used by the brothers to this day. While the resulting dishes offer some of the best of what the entirety of this land has to offer, there is a particular affinity with the innate uniquity of the rich, creamy dishes of North India. One of the elements of its service Daawat is most proud of is its use of a traditional tandoor, with this coal-fired clay oven providing all food cooked within it that signature taste synonymous with cuisine from this pocket of the world. So, whether it be a lamb dish, vegetables, or even India’s famous cream cheese paneer that is grilled in pieces, all of your food is marked with the unshakable sense that it is traditionally Indian. Complementing each dish served at the restaurant is rice, a staple of this country’s cuisine that perfectly balances whatever you may be eating, and as such, comes accompanied with every meal. Guests from all over the world are sure to savour the food served in both of these locations, and with Daawat welcoming patrons of any group size for any occasion, there is something here for everyone to enjoy. Even if you do not want to dine in the restaurant itself, there are takeaway options available, and Daawat is even looking as selling chilled food in the future, which its patrons can then take and reheat at a time to suit them. Above all, what this highlights is a dedication from both Jimmy and Ricky to go that extra mile for those in search of the best Indian food in Gothenburg. Jimmy and Ricky are deeply proud of what they, and their team of excellent chefs and staff, do on a daily basis. It is with an overarching sense of humility that the brothers accept this award, with this same humble pride applying also to the brothers’ distinction of having two of the toprated Indian restaurants in the area. By leveraging the right knowledge to get the job done well, allowing its chefs plenty of time to squeeze all of the flavour out of the dishes it serves, and refusing to compromise on using quality ingredients, no matter the cost, Daawat is more than deserving of this title, and is sure to continue to embody excellence for years still to come. Daawat www.daawat.se / [email protected]
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