IS THERE ANY BETTER INDIAN FALMOUTH RESTAURANT THAN DAAKU? THIS IS A ‘CORNISH FUSION’ EATERY LIKE NO OTHER
Indian Falmouth. Two words you may not put together often. Add ‘Cornish fusion’ to that too. And of course, ‘restaurant’. What have you got? Daaku, that’s what. An Indian restaurant with an award-winning chef in Falmouth that specialises in ‘Cornish-Indian fusion’ creations. Boy, are you in for a treat if you chow down at this seafront dining paradise.
Authentic Indian cooking is at the heart of what Daaku does but it also has a constantly rolling menu of fusion creations like hog’s pudding pakoras, Indian pasties, Cornish whelks in Goan curry and tarka daal with foraged South Cornwall sea vegetables. They are all highly experimental dishes and have helped this restaurant, which was in Penryn between 2018 and 2022 but moved to Bells Court on the Falmouth seafront, near Falmouth Art Gallery, in April 2022, to garner a strong local following.
Owned and run by the husband-and-wife team of Jasmine Sharma, who was born and bred in Rajasthan, India, and Cornishman Ben Martin, the eatery, which offers dine-in and takeaway options, is bright, breezy and welcoming. The ‘really small’ menu changes every week and there are always fusion or incredibly creative specials up for grabs alongside gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. Some of our favourite non-fusion dishes include the lamb rogan josh, the paneer shahi and the walnut halva with Cornish clotted cream for dessert.
Daaku, which, in Punjabi, means ‘outlaw’, always uses seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, whether that be the meat, fish, vegetables or dairy products. Sharma and Martin are proud of their combined heritage and they love to experiment although they are also proud at making sure their Indian dishes are as authentic as they can be. There’s a devilish array of spice in many of their creations and the use of ingredients like sour and tangy tamarind or the revered green chilli always serves to simply enhance a dish, creating a symphony of flavours on the diner’s palate.
In short, Daaku is an Indian restaurant that’s ahead of its time in Cornwall. It’s forging its own fusion cuisine alongside its authentic Indian dishes and you’d do well to try it now before everyone else does later.