Daddy Ji Finest Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Claremont

This review is loaded with complaints, but none of them would have constituted the desire to leave a bad review until the last complaint within this review. The final bullet point is simply so ridiculous I will never return and make sure no one else I know makes the same mistake as me.

• The hostess had attitude the entire time. I thought maybe that was just the way she related with the world and everyone has a different personality and I shouldn't take her short and cold temper personally.

• My wife's Tikka wings were pink inside, chewy, and slimy. We thought maybe they were undercooked and when we asked one of the employees, they said it was and that happens sometimes and took it back to the kitchen. Not a huge deal. Mistakes happen in a restaurant.

• My friend never got her food, we asked them about it and way said it's almost ready and seemed annoyed, later they came out and asked her what she ordered, which made it seem as though they forgot her food, as restaurants usually don't not bring out your food and then ask you what you ordered when they remembered your order and are making it.

• When my friend asked them to just cancel her order (as she didn't have much of an appetite after eating raw chicken and watching us finish our meals) they said that her order takes longer (which leaves me to question why they didn't tell us that one takes longer, why that one happens to take longer in the first place, or why they didn't postpone the rest of the food until that order was closer to being ready).

• Finally, as my friend was begging them not to bring her the food 1, because everyone else was done eating and she hadn't got her food and we had to leave soon & 2, there was fear of eating it because she had just eaten what seems to be raw chicken. As she kept telling them she didn't want it, they kept telling her they were almost done making it and she had to take it. If she didn't have time to eat it now, she'd have to take it to go. She kept reassuring them she just didn't want it anymore. They told her that the owner would question them why they took it off the check and so she had to take it. They then brought it out and HERE'S THE WEIRD PART: 2 grown men stood on each side of my 21 year old female friend and kept telling her she had to take a bite of the chicken. She kept saying she didn't want it and that we can still pay for it, just take it away. They kept harassing her to the point that they literally forced her to eat this chicken she was uncomfortable to eat and told them numerous times.

When I used to work at a restaurant, I would have never thought of surrounding a young female and force them to eat eggs after feeding them raw meat.

I am not sure what thought processes go on to possess 2 grown men to practically force feed a young female as she begs them to take it away, but it's clearly not one that I ever plan on being around again. I don't think anyone is truly evil, it's only ignorance. And that may be even more concerning, that grown adults can lack cognition to the point that they force someone to eat something they don't want to eat.

Most importantly I am disappointed in myself for letting it happen. I was so confused I had no idea what to do. Since you can't smack common sense into people, and it's too late to yell at them and leave the situation, all I really can do is warn others.

They ended up taking the two off the check. And yet, what we really wish they would have done is not harass a 21 year old girl and force her to eat food she didn't want.

Leo was really nice, cool, and helpful though. 10/10 wonderful...

A Hidden Gem in Claremont

I’m so glad I stumbled upon this place while walking around Claremont. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with a warm welcome. The restaurant was clean, and the interior was tastefully decorated with elegant blue chairs and beautiful hand-painted art on the walls. The Punjabi music playing in the background added a comforting, homely touch that made the experience even more authentic.

I came hungry and left with a full belly and generous leftovers. Here’s what I ordered:

Appetizers: Pani Puri & Samosas The pani puri was a standout—flavorful, perfectly balanced, and presented with a level of elegance you’d expect from a high-end spot. It’s rare to see this kind of quality and plating at such a reasonable price point. The samosas were solid, more traditional in size and flavor, nothing too out of the ordinary, but still enjoyable.

Main Course: Lamb Biryani & Paneer Kulcha When the biryani came out, I was already excited just by looking at it. The vibrant colors were visually striking, and it looked so appetizing that even the table next to me asked what I had ordered! Taste-wise, it was light yet flavorful—not soaked in oil like you often find at lower-tier places. I requested an 8/10 spice level, but it felt closer to a 5—next time, I’ll definitely go for the full 10.

To accompany it, I had the paneer kulcha, which arrived hot, fresh, and perfectly balanced—not overly salty or greasy. Next time, I’ll ask for some butter on the side and a bit of achar (pickled veggies) to complete the experience.

I was so full I couldn’t finish the biryani or kulcha—and even had a samosa left over. Of course, I asked for everything to go. At that point, all that was missing to complete the full desi experience was a sweet ending with chai.

Dessert: Gulab Jamun & Chai The gulab jamun was served hot and fresh—soft and sweet, just the way it should be. The chai came with sugar on the side so you can sweeten it to taste, which I appreciated. I do think it could have used a bit more spice—perhaps a touch of star anise to really make it stand out—but for the price, it still delivered.

The Verdict: • Pani Puri: 10/10 • Samosas: 6.8/10 • Lamb Biryani: 10/10 • Paneer Kulcha: 9/10 • Chai: 7/10 • Gulab Jamun: 8.5/10

Total: $44 For this price? You really can’t beat it. The quality, presentation, and service are beyond what you’d expect at this price point. I’ll definitely be coming...

When entering the restaurant, it was extremely hard to walk through while there was tables and chairs too close. Then I proceeded to ordering my food. I asked for the butter chicken rice, the cheesy bread and the garlic bread and a lemonade and then some other appetizer I ordered shaped in the triangle. There were three per order. I ordered two of them two orders And the guy steal. It will take 15 minutes to wait. It was way more than 15 about 40 minutes waiting for my food outside in the cold Once they brought my food to me, I noticed the iced tea lemonade did not look like lemonade. It was a darker drink with a lemon spice when I tried it. It was no where near lemonade flavor. I was very upset because it was just a tea with no sugar no nothing just a slice of living then once I proceeded to go home and eat my food the rice had a flavor of. sink water it was very very strong flavor of dirty water. I was unable to eat it. Then when I tried the chicken, it was barely even any chicken with the sauce in it was clean to be a large size rice and a large side burger chicken the containers I was given it seemed like it was someone’s leftovers. They weren’t large size containers at all. I spent $50 in total for this whole meal and I was extremely disappointed. I wonder what size small looks like to them because what they gave me seem like it was small size. I should’ve took pictures to show what my food look like but I ended up wasting $50 just to throw it away. I will not be returning to this restaurant, the atmosphere was OK but you can’t even walk through the restaurant to even pick up your order without having to turn silent is very sad. This was a 4.5 star restaurant. I don’t know how they are 445. Maybe the food is better if you stay inside the restaurant where you can send it back to the kitchen. I was very Disappointed And will not re turn here. Something was wrong with the food because in the middle of the night I woke up to myself vomiting, and all the food came up. It says a lot because I didn’t eat much of it. I feel like when you do takeout they just give you leftover food from other people’s dishes. I pray that’s...