On the short drive from the airport to the city, this colorful and welcoming family-run restaurant serves up traditional Afghan comfort food that has locals booking weeks ahead. Some items are only available on certain days but the rich, oily eggplant banjaan borani is always on the menu and a must try. Pick up a cookbook and you can try to replicate it at home.

This endearing little plum-coloured eatery in the Glenelg South back blocks is Adelaide's best (only) Peruvian restaurant. The hard-working kitchen turns…

Afghan food made for sharingWhen Parwana opened its doors in 2009, Adelaide fell in love with the Ayubi family, their story and a centuries-old cuisine. “We believe that even loss and suffering can forge beauty and generosity,” states the website, and this ethos infuses the spirit of the restaurant. A visit to Parwana, painted in rich hues of blue, red, yellow and peach, is always an occasion – not least when sharing plates like karayee morgh (pan-fried chicken pieces, marinated in yoghurt and coated with traditional spices) and narenj palaw (rice with candied orange peel, slivered almonds and pistachios) begin to fill the table.124B Henley Beach Road, Torrensville.

Prepare yourself for a sensory explosion, without an explosive price tag, at the outstanding Parwana Kitchen. They have perfected a menu of succulent dishes over the years, including the dough based Mantu steamed dumplings and Ashak fried dumplings, both at just $23 a plate and coming with lamb mince, yoghurt and garnishes, and their signature Banjaan Borani, an eggplant simmered in fresh tomato sauce and topped with garlic, yoghurt and mince at just $20. This cheap eats Adelaide restaurant is available to enjoy for lunch or dinner at their Henley Beach Road location or on certain evenings at Plant 4 Bowden.

Founded in 2009 by Zelmai and Farida Ayubi, Parwana showcases the cuisine of Afghanistan, their first home from which they fled in 1987. They’ve recreated a tiny bit of home in the restaurant, which has a colourful pink and blue interior and brightly patterned tiles, while walls are adorned with family photographs. The regularly updated menu might include delicious mantu dumplings (without meat), a warm bundle of pastry-wrapped vegies with a piquant tomato sauce and yoghurt; or grilled Afghan meats matched with breads and brightly flavoured chutneys.

This feature may be stretching the affordablilty a little, but trust me when I see Parwana’s $60 banquet menu will leave you rolling out the door, grinning ear to ear in complete satisfaction. This restaurant is an Adelaide institution, known for its authentic Afghan cuisine and warm, homely atmosphere. The menu features traditional dishes such as mantu (dumplings), ashak (leek-filled dumplings), and palaw (rice dishes), all inspired by family recipes passed down through generations.

Famed Parwana Afghan Kitchen on Henley Beach Road pack a punch in all aspects of their menu, and their spiced dumplings are no exception. Two options are up for grabs including: the steamed mantu stuffed with carrot and sautéed onion, topped with a lentil mince sauce and garnished with paprika and mint; and the fried ashak filled with chives and smothered in the same lush lentil sauce and garnishes. Price: $23 for ~12 ashak and mantuWhere: 124B Henley Beach Rd, Torrensville

You’re in great hands under the expert skills of chef Farida Ayubi, as she expertly presents three dinner menus on rotation every week. This is a place for groups of friends and family with open hearts and hungry bellies. Wholesome Afghani food means feasting on steamed dumplings stuffed with carrot and onion alongside aged long-grain rice topped with candied orange, slivered almonds and pistachios.

Parwana Afghan Kitchen brings the mouthwatering flavors of Afghanistan to Adelaide without wiping out your savings like a typical Kabul-to-Adelaide flight would. Our favorite is the $19 narenj palaw, Afghan-style rice topped with candied orange peelings, slivered almonds, and pistachios. You can also go for the $20 ashak, which has fried dumplings in a lamb mince sauce dolled up with garlic yogurt.

If you need more proof that Adelaide’s foodie scene is exploding, then look no further than Parwana. The colourful eatery is run by Zelmai and Farida Ayubi, who fled the war in Afghanistan in 1987 before opening Parwana in 2009 as a way to connect to their history and culture. A meal at the Afgan eatery feels like you’re sitting at the Ayubi home with their love poured into every dish.

Afghan restaurant Parwana has gained a cult following with chefs, gourmands and pretty much anyone who enjoys great food. Vegetarian options are a significant part of the offering, and range from spiced vegetable fritters to start to the signature Banjaan Borani – eggplant simmered in tomato sauce with garlic yoghurt and mint. Even the dumplings can be tweaked to suit.

When CityMag visited Parwana for our cover shoot, we felt instantly assured we had made the correct choice for number one. Beforehand, Parwana ticked all our boxes: staying power since 2009, rave reviews from everyone spanning The New York Times, Nigella Lawson and the average nonna, a successful cookbook, and plenty of online love. Their reputation is well documented.

If you’re searching for something a little different, consider this authentic Afghan restaurant, located on Henley Beach Road, just west of Adelaide’s CBD. Parwana is a family owned restaurant that serves up delicious, authentic Afghani food, at very affordable prices. It has become so popular with locals that they are busy every night and have had to expand.

It's worth heading to the seaside for genuine Afghani food at Parwana Afghan Kitchen, not least because this restaurant's owners made an awful long journey to get there too. Zelmai and Farida Ayubi migrated from Afghanistan with their young family in 1987. Now they infuse their cooking with the memories of the Afghanistan they once knew.

Or head to Adelaide’s singular Parwana Afghan Kitchen, an inner-west eatery serving vibrant, home-style Afghan food courtesy of the Ayubi family (matriarch Farida heads the kitchen). BYO booze and opt for the banquet – and don’t go past the signature banjan borani (eggplant in tomato sauce drizzled with garlic yoghurt).

Some halal highlights around Adelaide include Afghan restaurant Parwana, Pondok Daun for authentic Indonesian food, and Hut & Soul serve a range of South East Asian dishes – separate pork-free cooking utensils can be used upon request, and they have excellent lunch specials for students on a tight budget.

There's also an Afghani restaurant (Google: Parwana) which makes a cardamom ice cream which is incredible and probably my favorite in Adelaide if we're including ice cream too. I've not tried their saffron ice cream or the other flavor though. They're opening a specialist sweet shop soon.

Parwana is a true hidden gem – the near absence of visible signage is testament to that. But step beyond the unobtrusive entrance to a gorgeously tiled, simply decorated room and you’ll find some of the best Afghan cooking in Australia. Address: 124b Henley Beach Rd, Torrensville

Parwana on Henley Beach Road is the number one spot in town to get these delightful dumplings. It is one of the best restaurants in Adelaide to get Afghan food and is not far from the city centre. Rumi Palace on Prospect Road is another perfect place for Ashak.

It’s impossible not to love what the Ayubi family, including Fatema, Raihanah, Durkhanai pictured above, have brought to this city. We were very excited to report in 2014 that Parwana was moving into the CBD. Connect: Parwana Afghan Kitchen Kutchi Deli Parwana

Since opening this labour of love in 2009, the Ayubi family have become legends in Adelaide’s hospitality scene. Nab a seat in the charming and cutesy dining of Parwana Afghan Kitchen.