Why: If you are in the mood for some Afghani food!
Where: Burlingame avenue, Burlingame
Who: Sadly, the world wide web could not churn out any relevant information about the owner. However, a friendly lady (who exuded the "proud to be the owner" look) greeted us upon our arrival, but I was so overcome by the rumblings of my tummy that I forgot to ask or confirm!
BayMonkey two cents: Before moving to the bay area, my tyrst with Afghani food could be summed up in one simple word- "NADA". Although unfamiliar, I was curious as a cat about the cuisine of this land-locked country with rugged terrains, even more tumultous history and its geographical proximity to India. I was pleasantly surprised with my first experience at Helmand Palace (San Francisco) and so decided to add on to my new found love for Afghani cuisine by visiting Kabul in Burlingame.
As always, lets start with the food. Although not listed on the menu, they did have a nice refreshing yoghurt drink (like the Persian Doogh Abali) which is higly recommended to get the juices flowing! Once the drinks were in place, came the appetizers. We ordered the "Aushak"-spring onion and leek filled dumplings soaked in Yoghurt and a meat sauce (meat being ground lamb) and it did not dissappoint us at all! The dish was very flavorful, thanks to the amazing combination of lamb and yoghurt which tickles and delights your tastebuds with the complimenting meaty and tarty flavors. Next up, were the entrees comprising of Challow Gulpi(cauliflower stew with rice) and Kabab-e-Murgh (chicken stew with rice), accompanied by some good old Afghani bread. Strangely, the entrees came with a salad (with a ranch like dressing) which I felt was not really traditional and seemed a little out of place. Needless to say, I wasn't very excited about the greens as for what would follow. The Challow Gulpi was a bit of a downer, since it tasted a tad too sweet for my liking and I was expecting a spice-rich, flavorful curry. The chicken was tender (it tasted even better the next day as a leftover) and although the stew base/broth looked the same for both dishes, the chicken thankfully was not cloyingly sweet like the Gulpi. The Afghani bread was warm and crisp and mmmm delicious! Although it brought back memories of the ever popular Indian bread "Naan", I found this Afghani cousin to be more on the crispier side.We ended our lunch on a sweet note with some Phirni (a thick rice pudding laced with saffron and cardamom) and left with our doggy bag of leftovers.
MONKEY METER
1/2
Food:
Green quotient (vegetarian friendly): Very. Lots of vegetarian options exist!
Interior/decor: A very spacious restaurant with beautiful Afghani wall decor (paintings, photos and even traditional apparel). The bar seemed to be pretty large and extensive with the rows and rows of wine bottles on display!
Service: Friendly and attentive.
For everything else on Kabul, do consult YELP.
