'He fed my soul': Dubai's Sindh Punjab owner Pappi Singh welcomed guests into his restaurant like it was home

When I first met Mr Gurwinder Singh, fondly called Pappi Singh, my immediate impression of him was that he possessed a larger-than-life persona. As a young girl, I had visited the restaurant with my family for a rare dining out experience.

What stands out the most about that evening is Pappi Singh's incredible warmth and hospitality, which made me feel at ease and unforgettable butter chicken. It was my first experience with this iconic Indian dish, and it marked the beginning of a decades-long love affair for me — not only with butter chicken but also with Sind Punjab.

Decades later, as a journalist, I connected with Pappi Singh to cover a story about his work and the restaurant. He chatted with me candidly in Hindi about Sind Punjab, and Ravi restaurant became the congregating place for those from the Indian subcontinent in Dubai. “Our food was good,” he had said to me. “So was the food at Ravi restaurant. We were committed to giving good, delicious food to our customers who missed home-cooked meals.”

Even though the interview was about Sind Punjab, he didn't hesitate to speak highly of his competitors. But that was Pappi Singh- the ever-smiling, ever-welcoming presence at the reception of Sind Punjab in Bur Dubai- a restaurant he helped his uncle open in 1977. Last week, the food connoisseur died, leaving behind an unassailable legacy.

I last met him in November 2022 when I was in the restaurant to cover an India-Pakistan match. He had laddus (sweets) ready to distribute no matter who won- a practice he had carried on since the opening of the restaurant. He welcomed us with a big smile. “I am so happy to meet you finally,” he said, shaking hands with me.

Throughout the evening, he checked on me several times, offering me snacks and other food. I watched how he welcomed people into his restaurant regardless of whether they ordered food. In the 80s, when television was a rare luxury, he had ensured that a TV was installed outside the restaurant during important cricket matches so anyone could watch the game. His brand of hospitality transcended all boundaries.

“He fed my soul”

After his death, I contacted my uncle- a long-time resident of Dubai and informed him about Pappi Singh’s death. “I will never forget the first time I met him in 1979- 1980,” said Ilyas uncle. “We were all bachelors at the time. On Thursdays, we only worked half day, so we used to have lunch together. One day, our driver Gill Singh wanted to take us to a new place and took us to Sindh Punjab.”

Ilyas uncle recalled how Pappi Singh welcomed them into the restaurant. “As we stepped in, at the reception was this man with the biggest and warmest smile,” he said. “He greeted us as if we were guests who had visited his house. He introduced himself as Pappi Singh. The food was very delicious but even more heartwarming was the way Pappi Singh would keep visiting our table and insisting we have some more roti (Indian bread) and some more dal (soup). It felt like I was back home with my mother. That day he fed not only my stomach but also my soul. Since then, we went back many times, maybe more for Pappi Singh’s hospitality than the food.”

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