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The Ayubi Family of Adelaide restaurant Parwana Afghan Kitchen wins at Gourmet Traveller Awards

Loved by Nigella Lawson and a legion of local fans, the family behind a treasured Adelaide restaurant has been recognised with a prestigious national honour.

Inside Penny Blue the Marriott Hotel restaurant

The family behind treasured Adelaide restaurant Parwana Afghan Kitchen has been recognised on the national stage with a special honour at the Gourmet Traveller Awards.

The Ayubi Family received the Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality prize, some 22 years after Farida and Zelmai Ayubi migrated to Australia from war-torn Afghanistan with their four daughters. They later had a fifth daughter in Adelaide.

The couple opened the doors to Parwana on Henley Beach Rd in 2009, delighting a legion of customers with their traditional cuisine – including British food queen Nigella Lawson – and also helping the local community.

When describing the acclaimed Torrensville restaurant, the magazine said there is “simply nothing else like it anywhere in Australia”.

“Through the power of food and community, the family gently reframes the perception of Afghanistan and encourages a shift in prejudice towards refugees,” the magazine said.

The Ayubi family, behind Parwana, has won the Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality Award at the Gourmet Traveller awards.
The Ayubi family, behind Parwana, has won the Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality Award at the Gourmet Traveller awards.
Farida and Zelmai Ayubi of Parwana Afghan Kitchen, in Torrensville. Picture: Tom Huntley.
Farida and Zelmai Ayubi of Parwana Afghan Kitchen, in Torrensville. Picture: Tom Huntley.

In 2021, the couple’s children Durkhanai, Fatema, Raihanah, Zahra and Zelaikhah hosted a two-night event to raise funds and awareness for the people of Afghanistan. They eventually raised more than $180,000.

Durkhanai said their food is a “connection to our history, to our ancestors”.

“A way to honour the beauty of Afghan identity and the memories of all that has been lost for Afghanistan – while also helping us to project forward and contribute something life giving to the communities we are now a part of,” he said.

Celebrating the best of Australian dining, last night’s awards named Maxwell Restaurant in McLaren Vale as SA’s top eatery.

Maxwell restaurant at McLaren Vale. Picture: Maxwell Wines/SATC
Maxwell restaurant at McLaren Vale. Picture: Maxwell Wines/SATC
Maxwell restaurant at McLaren Vale. Picture: Maxwell Wines/SATC
Maxwell restaurant at McLaren Vale. Picture: Maxwell Wines/SATC

The Agrarian Kitchen Restaurant in New Norfolk, Tasmania, claimed the big prize of Australia’s Restaurant of the Year.

Previous SA winners include Jock Zonfrillo’s now-closed Rundle St fine diner Orana, which was named Gourmet Traveller’s 2017 Restaurant of the Year, while Restaurant Botanic received the same honour in 2022.

More info: gourmettraveller.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/food-wine/the-ayubi-family-of-adelaide-restaurant-parwana-afghan-kitchen-wins-at-gourmet-traveller-awards/news-story/94e291a8cfc392fcdc1939f6384a0090