Veteran Brings Authentic Punjabi Cuisine to Hawaii Food Truck Circuit
A veteran-owned food truck is introducing authentic North Indian flavors to the Oʻahu community through traditional family recipes. Haveli Da Tandoor, launched by a retired military captain, has quickly established itself across local night markets by serving high-quality, clay-oven specialties.
Key Highlights
- Founded by retired U.S. Army Captain Manbir Singh Grewal in November 2025.
- Features a mobile live tandoor clay oven sourcing family recipes passed down through generations.
- Menu highlights include premium wagyu beef samosas and highly sought-after grass-fed lamb lollis.
- Operates across multiple weekly Oʻahu events including Pearlridge Center and Wai Kai markets.
Haveli Da Tandoor, which officially opened last November, started as a way to bring Punjabi cuisine to the Hawaiʻi community, according to business owner and retired U.S. Army Captain Manbir Singh Grewal.
“Our business is known for authentic, mouthwatering Indian recipes; we want to be seen as a local hub for Indian food and as a gathering place,” Grewal says. “The name ‘Haveli Da Tandoor’ means ‘the tandoor of the haveli.’ A haveli is a large farmhouse with great food, and a tandoor is the classic Indian clay oven.
“We strive to serve vets and the community with great food and great service,” he adds.
Haveli Da Tandoor features Punjabi cuisine and is known for its North Indian flavors.
The business offers a variety of appetizers, entrees and combo plates. Popular dishes include wagyu beef samosas ($15), tandoori chicken ($19.50) and butter chicken ($19.50).
The wagyu beef samosas feature crispy pastry triangles stuffed with wagyu beef, spices and peas. They’re served with housemade mint chutney, pineapple chutney and tamarind sauce.
“They’re crispy on the outside and these are all handmade,” Grewal confirms. “The tamarind is a runnier sauce, and we use local pineapple for the pineapple chutney.”
Wagyu beef samosas ($15).
The business’s tandoori chicken ($19.50) is a customer favorite. The tender, bone-in chicken is marinated in spices and roasted in the tandoor.
“For the tandoori chicken, it’s a thigh and a leg (that come in each plate),” Grewal says.
The butter chicken features a creamy, tomato-based curry.
“People love our live tandoor that serves up tandoori chicken and lamb lollis,” Grewal says. “We also have some of the best butter chicken on the island; it stays super tender, due to the way we make it. The recipes are all from women in my family, including my mother, grandmother and several aunties.”
Entrees come with Jeera basmati rice and raita (a creamy yogurt dip seasoned with cumin). The basmati rice includes cumin and onions, according to Grewal.
“Some people just order the rice on the side because they really like it,” he says. “It’s a flavorful rice by itself, and when you mix it with the butter chicken or any of the other dishes, it’s really good.”
Customers can enhance their orders with garlic naan ($5.50) or mango lassis ($7), or creamy mango yogurt smoothies with cardamom and Hawaiian honey.
“Most people get our butter chicken with a couple of the garlic naans,” Grewal says. “At times, we do a stuffed garlic naan that we make fresh. We’re moving toward doing a cheese-based garlic naan.”
Tandoori chicken ($19.50).
Tandoori lamb lollis ($33).
The business’s tandoori lamb lollis are not always featured at events; the special often sells out quickly. The marinated lamb loin chops are crisped to perfection in the tandoor. Plates usually include three pieces with rice and bread.
Grewal uses a high-quality, grass-fed lamb to make the lollis.
“I always bring more and more, and I always sell out in an hour, or an hour and a half, after we start (at an event),” he says. “We cut the lamb loins apart and pound them out, then we add a two-step marinade to them.
“The lamb takes about 10 to 15 minutes (in the tandoor),” he adds. “It takes 10 minutes to get it nice and crisp. We pull it out to baste it with clarified butter, so it makes it crispy.”
Vegetarian-friendly options, like chole bhature ($19.50), are also available. This dish features a slow-simmered, spiced chickpea curry, or chole. It’s served with a golden-fried bhature bread and raita.
“It’s a popular Punjabi dish; it’s completely vegetarian, but it’s super filling,” Grewal says.
Customers can currently find the business at various events across Oʻahu, including Wai Kai on Thursdays, What the Truck?! on Fridays, and Village Night Market at Pearlridge Center on Saturdays. The business often posts its schedule for the week on social media.
“Although we are just a truck now, we plan to expand and bring the real Haveli experience to the island,” Grewal says. “We are a veteran-owned business that serves the community; we want to serve delicious Indian meals. We have also been involved in feeding more than 100 people at a time in town. We are here for the people who love our food, but even more importantly, we want to be here for those that need our food.”
CONTACT Haveli Da Tandoor haveli-da-tandoor.square.site Instagram: @havelihi Various locations
Menu Pricing Summary
| Menu Item | Price | Key Accompaniments / Details |
|---|---|---|
| Wagyu Beef Samosas | $15.00 | Handmade pastry, mint chutney, tamarind, local pineapple chutney |
| Tandoori Chicken | $19.50 | Bone-in thigh and leg, tandoor roasted, served with rice and raita |
| Butter Chicken | $19.50 | Creamy tomato curry, generationally passed family recipe |
| Chole Bhature | $19.50 | Vegetarian chickpea curry served with fried bhature bread |
| Tandoori Lamb Lollis | $33.00 | Three grass-fed loin chops, basted with clarified butter |
| Garlic Naan | $5.50 | Freshly baked flatbread (stuffed options offered periodically) |
| Mango Lassi | $7.00 | Yogurt smoothie enhanced with cardamom and Hawaiian honey |
Future Outlook
While Haveli Da Tandoor operates strictly as a mobile food truck component within Oʻahu’s culinary market, owner Manbir Singh Grewal envisions a permanent footprint. Expansion blueprints target establishing a brick-and-mortar restaurant venue to offer a complete sit-down “Haveli” atmosphere. Simultaneously, the enterprise plans to scale its community service initiatives, building upon its structural history of organizing mass feeding events for up to 100 urban residents simultaneously.
FAQs
What type of food does Haveli Da Tandoor serve?
The business specializes in authentic Punjabi cuisine from North India, utilizing traditional cooking styles anchored by a mobile live tandoor clay oven.
Where can customers find Haveli Da Tandoor on Oʻahu?
The food truck operates at rotating regional community events, including the Wai Kai markets on Thursdays, What the Truck?! gatherings on Fridays, and the Village Night Market at Pearlridge Center on Saturdays.
Are there vegetarian food options on the menu?
Yes, the menu features authentic vegetarian items such as chole bhature, which consists of a slow-simmered, seasoned chickpea curry served alongside fried bhature bread and raita.
Who created the food recipes for the business?
The proprietary recipes are entirely derived from generations of women within the owner’s family, including his mother, grandmother, and multiple aunties.
