“We believe it is in home kitchens & the dhabas where great recipes are born.” - Urvaksh Hoyvoy, Founder, Parsi Da Dhaba
Parsi da Dhaba was established on 3rd May 2009, by Urvaksh and Amy Hoyvoy. Passionate about Parsi food cooked in the home kitchen, with a desire to present this robust, rustic & hearty cuisine to the world. With that desire the dhaba on NH8 was born. “It was born out of the idea of providing food like my father ate as he grew up eating. As we grew up, the options and awareness of Parsi food got overshadowed by new dining options coming in. The idea is to serve authentic Parsi food, the way my mom and grand-mom made it - Comfort Parsi food using locally sourced spices.” Said Armaan Hoyvoy, Partner, Parsi Da Dhaba.
Here is a peek into our conversation with Armaan Hoyvoy about their plans for Parsi Da Dhaba :
What made you start Parsi Da Dhaba, How did you come up with the idea?
Parsi Da Dhaba was started off as a highway restaurant on Mumbai Ahmedabad highway in 2009. It was born out of the idea of providing food like my father ate as he grew up eating. As you grow up, the options and awareness of Parsi food got overshadowed by new dining options coming in. The idea is to serve authentic Parsi food, the way my mom and grand-mom made it - feel of comfort Parsi food using locally sources spices.
What are the challenges you faced/are facing ?
Parsi Da Dhaba was a highway restaurant from 2009 - 2018. We started our Satellite kitchen in April 2020. Since it has started in the middle of the second wave of Covid cases in Mumbai, there isn't much we can do. Despite of the lockdown restrictions, our kitchens have got a great response. My father has many repeating customers at the Dhaba, they have been very supportive and that encourages us the grow even during the difficult times. Given the current scenario, we do not look at ourselves setting up a restaurant as of yet. Simple take away and delivery joints across Mumbai with maybe a few outlets with minimal seating space.
How does it stand out from any other upcoming brand?
People in general are not too aware of Parsi food. In our case, we have truly stuck to the spices and flavours back in the day. My father has passed down contacts of vendors who sell authentic locally sourced ingredients. Every brands would say they their ingredients stand out, in our case we make many spices at home. It's not just regular spices, they are spices that that have a touch of home and love in it.
Not too many people are aware of Parsi food, how are you planning to spread the word ?
We are aware that not too many people are aware of our speciality - thus we are working on a marketing plan to share demographics, more information about our food, recipes etc. The food we sell is comfort Parsi food which a regular Parsi household makes at home so we don't look at them as our main target audience. Our food is for the people who are looking to try new food and enjoy an authentic Parsi meal.
What's your vision for Parsi Da Dhaba? Where do you see it going?
Our goal 5 years down the line is to grow internationally. Right now we are taking small steps to expand around Mumbai - open weekend services in Alibag, followed by Pune, Delhi - A shack in Goa and so on. We would like to expand across India and then internationally.
Check out Parsi Da Dhaba : https://www.parsidadhaba.in/