Parwana Afghan Kitchen Celebrates Michelin Recognition

Parwana Afghan Kitchen in Adelaide is celebrating a major milestone after being recognised in the global Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand award. The family-owned and operated restaurant, which has been serving traditional Afghan cuisine since 2009, was honoured for its high-quality food at great value.

The Ayubi family, who own and operate Parwana, have a long and storied history. They left Afghanistan as refugees in 1987, fleeing the devastation of the Cold War and Soviet occupation. "There was a lot of violence in the country, and the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan was happening and then there were tensions between the US and Soviet Russia," said Durkhanai Ayubi. "It was a time of great devastation for Afghanistan and Afghan people."

The family's journey to Australia was far from easy. Durkhanai, one of four young daughters, fled Kabul with her mother and father, eventually settling in a UN refugee camp in Pakistan before making their way to Australia on humanitarian grounds. "We left Afghanistan on foot into Pakistan where we stayed in a UN refugee camp for about a year and then eventually, by luck and chance, made our way to Australia as refugees on humanitarian grounds," she said. "For my parents to have made that journey into the unknown, leaving everything that they loved behind and literally stepping into uncertainty, was a huge move."

Durkhanai's mother, Farida Ayubi, recalled the journey as fraught with risk. "From Kabul to Pakistan, that was really hard to get over the border and there were a lot of police," she said. "If they know we are running away from Afghanistan, they will not let us, so that was really hard, really scary."

For the Ayubi family, food has always been a central part of their lives and a connection to their homeland. "There's something about the beauty of that food; that it has such a strong pull and allure and is so life-giving and community building, that it just became a really natural part of our life and something really incredible to be able to share with people here," Durkhanai said.

Becoming restaurateurs was a far cry from their former lives in Kabul, where Farida had been a high school teacher and her husband had worked as a lawyer. "I love cooking and I knew I can do it," Farida said.

The family started catering before purchasing the store they now operate from in 2009. "We thought … if nothing else we'll have a kitchen to do our catering from," Durkhanai said. "Sure enough, people loved the food and word of mouth spread and we just got busier and busier."

Parwana has since expanded into the property next door and released a best-selling book of family stories and recipes. The latest Bib Gourmand accolade was a huge moment for the family, with Farida and her son-in-law Sayed Ayaz Ashna collecting the award at a ceremony in Adelaide last week. "That was a big surprise for us … it was a great honour, I was a bit emotional," Sayed said. "We haven't changed much from day one; we cook with love, simple food, lots of love in it."

Durkhanai said their mission to share warm hospitality and rich culture at Parwana was as pertinent as ever. "We've just always set out to be true to the ethos of Afghan food, which is all about invitation and generosity and gregariousness," she said. "Hopefully more and more people are intrigued about these stories of Afghanistan that are in the morsels of the food rather than the headlines that can be so alienating and so fragmenting for so many people."