Bamiyan
Bamiyan is a cozy little restaurant in our neighborhood that's been serving up delicious Afghan cuisine for years. The decor is a little dated but still gorgeous...thick Bukhara rugs line the walls and seat cushions, with regular dining to the side and low tables for those wishing to relax with a hookah perhaps. We opted for a low lying table by the front window, slipped off our shoes and settled in for dinner.
We began with Kadu, an appetizer of crispy fried turnovers filled with pumpkin.
These little guys were so hot I burned the roof of my mouth immediately. Mr. T had warned me to be patient...something I'm not so good at when it comes to food. Luckily the yogurt dip cooled the burn a bit and I was able to enjoy the flaky delights of cinnamon and spice releasing some of the pent up steam inside.
We were given a basket of chewy house made bread before moving onto one of the main attractions at Bamiyan- Kebobs!
We had difficulty choosing just one so we ordered the combination platter with skewers of Koodibeh (minced beef), half Bareh (lamb) and half Morg (chicken) with basmati rice. Each one was crisp with a slightly smoky flavor from the charcoal grill...the lamb probably being my favorite of the three.
The kebobs came with a tasty green salad and then it was onto the Kabuli Palow with Chicken.
Here the basmati rice is brown baked and topped with shredded carrots and raisin. I really didn't think I would like this dish but it all worked together quite well. The carrots had been roasted, bringing out their natural sweet flavor and playing off the slight spiciness of the rice.
Overall our dinner at Bamiyan was great. I really enjoyed the spicy/sweet flavors in Afghan cuisine and sitting Indian style on the floor with Mr. T was just really fun (even if he didn't want to at first:). This is a great place to try out a different cuisine and be transported from the city for an hour or so. It took us way to long for our first visit to this neighborhood gem and it certainly won't be the last.
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