bamian restaurant

bamian restaurant
5634 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041
tel: 703) 820-7880

what was consumed: mantu, meat filled pastries, roasted eggplant spread, vegetable special, grilled chicken, stewed lamb (with rice), chicken with rice

thanks to a groupon discovery, four of us head to what felt like the middle of nowhere virginia (it's not the middle of nowhere. i'm just being dramatic, as us "city folk" who trek into the 'burbs can get. hahaha) to check out bamian's afghan fare. friend k said she would go to bamian all the time when she lived near there. she knows good food, and i knew i was in good hands. a few appetizers (roasted eggplant eaten on bread, fried savory pastries, hummus, and mantu (the afghan version of mandoo/dumplings) is always a must, no matter what and no matter where) and a few entrees (a fall off the bone lamb stew on rice, grilled chicken kebabs, chicken stew on rice, a plate of veggie sides) filled our bellies.

if they don't bring it automatically, be sure to ask for "green sauce." a pepper-vinegar-garlic-other stuff i'm sure-sauce that really should cover everything you eat, it's that delicious ... 

afghan food, though, is very rice heavy. i am all about the rice these days, so i welcomed that with open arms. bamian's rice is cooked will, and the flavors of the bbq or stew or whatever else just blends in so well.

i am craving some bamian now ... 

online: http://www.bamianrestaurant.com/

kabul restaurant

kabul restaurant
F-7, college road, jinnah market, islamabad
tel: 051-2650246

what was consumed: mantoo (beef dumplings), qorma gosht, rice (pulao), afghan naan, aubergine (eggplant) fry, and, of course, kabob (chicken and afghan).

the ladies' dining group head out to kabul restaurant, a place we had heard a lot about, but had not yet gotten a chance to visit. we were the only group of only women in the place, but this isn't too out of the ordinary. that said, def a place to go with a group. we were seated upstairs and immediate put in our order (it takes a bit of time for your meal to arrive).

what do i know about afghan dishes? not a whole lot. luckily, there were others in my group who had been to kabul before and they took care of ordering. lots of meat-heavy dishes, lots of tomato-based sauces, and all delicious. as our dishes slowly started to come out, we regularly said things like, "it might be bad for you, but dip the naan in the oil. it's DELICIOUS!" and "i could eat a plate of the mantoo by myself. maybe two plates." and no, i wasn't the only one making these comments.

the highlight of the meal is the kabobs. each serving comes with a couple of skewers, so be sure not to over order (though, that said, you could probs take leftovers home and make some pretty solid omelets in the morning). also note that the chicken pieces in the chicken kabob are separated by small pieces of fat. genius! this ensures that the chicken doesn't get too dry and, rather, is seasoned with more deliciousness. YUM.

kabul restaurant in F-7 is right next to the afghan bakery. we talk about the afghan bakery a lot as it is what people say is the preferred location to get bread. they have great baguettes and a raisin braid bread. they also sell pizza dough and some locally made yogurts and cheeses.