8 Cloves: A Fusion of Passion and Flavor at the Dallas Farmers Market

It’s been around for more than five years, but it took a recent deep dive into the city’s Indian restaurant scene for us to discover 8 Cloves, an Indian fusion spot tucked away in the Dallas Farmers Market. The casual dining spot is owned by Afifa Nayeb, who also owned French-Indian fusion restaurant Ame, which closed last year after Nayeb was involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler.

But despite the challenges of physical recovery and limited strength in her right arm, Nayeb saw an opportunity to refocus her attention on 8 Cloves, her smaller and more casual venture.

“8 Cloves was actually my baby even before Ame,” Nayeb says. “Just like my previous restaurant, it’s a modern take on Indian food.”

Born in Afghanistan and raised in India, Nayeb describes 8 Cloves as a fusion of Afghan cooking styles and Indian recipes.

The menu here has a unique versatility, perhaps inspired by Nayeb’s formal culinary training at Cordon Bleu. Traditional Indian staples like samosa, curries and biryanis are accompanied by a more Americanized side of the menu, with roti bread tacos, tikka sauce fries and a new tikka-spiced fried chicken sandwich. All menu items come with Nayeb’s own culinary twist.

“All the recipes are my own. And everything is farm-to-table,” Nayeb says. “We really only have a 500-square-foot kitchen, so you’ll notice, there’s barely anything refrigerated. Everything is cut, prepped and served fresh on your plate.”

While 8 Cloves is certainly a more casual spot than her fine-dining venture Ame, the food is every bit as good. Savor a paneer taco wrapped in an ultra-flaky paratha roll, then sample 8 Clove’s specialty samosas, which come in sets of two and are pocketed in crispy pastry shells. For the indecisive, we suggest the thali, an all-inclusive sampler plate with curries, dipping sauces and a flaky slice of roti plated in the middle. A colorful spread of dips and sides make it a feast for the eyes as well.

Despite the setback from her vehicle accident, Nayeb remains dedicated to refining the menu, getting up early each day to experiment with new recipes and ingredients.

“I always tell my kids to follow what they want to do, but to do it well,” she says. “I realized early on that I didn’t just want to open my restaurant. I wanted to be a chef. That’s really what keeps me coming to work every day. I love cooking, yes. But even more than that, I love seeing people enjoy my food. It makes the hard work worth it.”

The 8 Cloves storefront at the Dallas Farmers Market is certainly a testament: passion tastes really good when it’s put on a plate.

8 Cloves, 920 S. Harwood St. (inside Dallas Farmers Market). Daily, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.