On the corner of West Second Street and Indian Hill Boulevard, a new Indian Food restaurant has opened up, something that Claremont has not had in quite a while. Daddyji is a company that started out from a food truck in Los Angeles and is now a restaurant in Claremont. They stumbled upon beautiful Claremont in May, got the keys to the restaurant in August, and finally started work in September taking trips from their homebase in LA to Claremont. Jasleen Gill told the Wolfpacket about what it was like moving a part of their business to the Claremont Village.
“We were coming to Claremont, like, two times a day,” Gill said. “At worst, it was three times, when we had to check progress on final things overnight.”
The effort of the Daddyji team shows in the decor of the restaurant. Their southern wall is decked out in a graffiti style painting of their catering truck, nodding to the restaurant’s origins on the streets of LA. Lighting up the space are shuttlecock (a.k.a. birdies) pendant lights and infinity sign chandeliers,bringing different colors of light. Despite the trendy notes, the restaurant still has a classy dining feel with their teal velvet seating. When asked about the ambiance, the team said they were trying to make a welcoming space, with broad appeal. They wanted their decor to say, “come, enjoy, make this space yours.”
Another way that Daddyji says, “come, enjoy and make this space yours” is how they introduce their food to their guests. They have a wide variety of Indian foods from all regions of India, considering vegetarian staples as well as chicken, goat, lamb and fish dishes. This ambitious menu is not all quite available yet, because specialty food items take extra time to get to Claremont. Luckily for restaurant-goers, they still have plenty of food available for ordering. Some highlights include butter chicken, dosas (a popular hold over from the food truck), and the ubiquitous mango lassi.
The Daddyji team is ecstatic about bringing spice to Claremont. They take pride in their flavorful dishes that will never taste watered-down throughout any part of the day. Quality is one of the most important parts of Daddyji’s brand.Since its brand new opening on January 26th, 2024, Daddyji has been receiving constant attention from local residents and loyal fans of the food truck. They have been overwhelmed not just by love but by a continual stream of customers
“We are overwhelmed, but at the same time, so thankful,” Gill said. “Every compliment or every review gives us constructive criticism. We are taking that and fixing it the very next day or the moment that we can.
The community is just as inspired as the Daddyji team The day after Valentine’s, the restaurant was full.
