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Helmand Palace
Category: Restaurants Afghan Afghan [Edit]
2424 Van Ness AveSan Francisco, CA 94109
Neighborhoods: Nob Hill, Russian Hill
(415) 345-0072
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
409 reviews for Helmand Palace
Review Highlights
"Do not leave without trying the kaddo."
(in 95 reviews)
"baby pumpkin with garlic yogurt and beef."
(in 19 reviews)
"And the dessert and Turkish coffee was great."
(in 17 reviews)
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409 reviews in English
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Review from Morgan C.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012 5 Check-ins Here
One of my favorite restaurants in the city in a place I least expected to find great food (Van Ness).
When you go, try the kaddo (baked baby pumpkin) appetizer and the lawand (lamb) and theeka kebab (beef) entrees.
The dishes are thicker than curries and have an emphasis on high-quality, tender meat. The flavors are as complex as Indian dishes but less spicy and more sweet.
You'll also get bread with three sauces free with your meal.
It's a tranquil setting with music and colorful artwork on the walls.
If your tastes are anything like mine you'll love it. -
Review from Mark J.
San Diego, CA
1/30/2012
My culturally inept friend: "Have you any Afghan beers?"
Waiter: "No. In fact, we chop off your hand for even asking that question"
I really love the food here. It's even better than when it was an Iraqi place a few years ago. I am going to try some more stuff here before it switches to North Korean or Syrian. -
Review from Amy F.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
Very good meal. The place was packed on Saturday night but our reservation was on time. The waiters weren't overly helpful for answering questions about the menu but at the same time very friendly and attentive. Loved the food - cool mixture of Indian, Mediterranean, Turkish, etc...
Appetizers:
Kaddo: Delicious! Similar to a sweet potato side dish - mixture of sweet and savory.
Yogurt salad: A little boring by itself but tasty when combined with house bread and some of the sauces.
Entrees:
Kofta Kabab: Loved the seasoning!
Mourgh Challow: Yummy, very much like an Indian curry chicken (but not spicy)
Mourgh Kabab: The chicken was very tender and tasty.
Theeka Kabab: My least favorite of the four, not enough flavor.
Dessert:
Baklawa: Best I've had, not overly sweet and runny but still moist
Cream with fruit: Not a fan.
Will definitely be back, especially excited for take-out since it's close to my house! -
Review from Mel P.
1/19/2012
The BFF and I are always looking for a new dining experience and adventure. I told her that when I used to ride on the bus along Van Ness, I'd pass this place. I had wanted to try it but the opportunity didn't come up until I saw the scoutmob deal! We made plans and made the trek over to the place. Parking is atrocious especially at night so plan accordingly. Take the bus but if you must drive...have patience. We almost gave up but we found parking so we were happy when we did.
When we get inside there is a nice crowd inside. Not too busy but not too quiet. We are seated right away. This was the first time we would have food from Afghanistan so we were a little intimidated. But after looking at the menu, we knew it was going to be alright. I also asked the waiter if he had any recommendations.
For starters, we had the Kadoo. It was pumpkin with sugar and a beef sauce on top. At first glance, you wouldn't think it goes together but after tasting it, it just magically meshed well together. You aren't sure what to think but you can't help but eat some more!
The BFF got Mourgh Challow. Chicken with spices, yogurt and cilantro with challow rice. The chicken was moist and the flavors were amazing.
I ordered the Theeka Kabab. It was beef with grilled veggies, grapes, lentils and pallow rice. It was a beautiful plate and again, the flavors were wonderful. You just have to try it for yourself. I will say that the beef could've been a little more moist but it was still delicious...I ate it up!
For dessert, we tried the rice pudding with pistachios. It wasn't too sweet which was good. Nice and subtle.
By the end, we were full. Everything was good. The service was phenomenal! LOVE. Will definitely come back... -
Review from Lily W.
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
GREAT PLACE! I ordered the mourgh challow; chicken w/ split peas, spices and served with rice. Super good. It's a bit like a tikki masala dish. A little soupy but very flavorful.
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Review from Corey V.
1/9/2012
Their rice is really good. Seasoned and baked so that it compliments any vegetable or meat you put with it. The lamb, spinach, beef and pumpkin dishes are excellent and offer a lot of really good flavors without overpowering you. Their desserts are surprisingly good. I would not have thought that, but the home made ice cream and custard are really good and not too sweet.
Only downside, we were the last table to leave on a Saturday night and "the kids" are let loose on the restaurant. Not sure where they were the whole night, but it was like a daycare let out at 9:50 in the kitchen. When my mom waited tables, I would sit in the kitchen behind the dishwashers and fill in a coloring book so I know how that goes, but this was like a tribe. Kids and food just don't mix for me. -
Review from Ryan F.
12/21/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Man San Fran, you make Atlanta look like chumps when it comes to options. Afghan food?!?! Good Afghan food!??! Get outta here.
You know when you go to any Indian restaurant, and the food tastes muddled and uninspired. Or Chinese? Or particularly Mediterranean. It's all tired and cookie-cutter in preparation. When I stepped in the door at Helmand, that's exactly what I expected. The interior is a throwback to at least the early 80's and the servers wear old school waitron uniforms - but that's where the mundane normalcy stops.
If you skim the reviews on this page, you'll see 9/10 yelpers recommend the Kaddo - they don't lie. That was probably the single most interesting bite I had in SF. Sweetened pumpkin lies atop yogurt and is covered with meat sauce. So many assertive yet complimentary flavors distinctly serve their purpose in this app.
As far as the other dishes are concerned, I'd get something (anything) with lamb. It seems to me you can't go wrong at Helmand Palace and that's why it's deserving of 5 stars. They offer delicious Afghani food at moderate prices. The service is warm and friendly and your heart, mind and stomach will leave happy. -
Review from Grace C.
12/30/2011
Ambiance: I loved the warm cozy ambiance with its numerous paintings and pictures. You can dress casually or dressy. Our waiter was SOO cheerful and nice. This def. can be a date place or a place to bring family and friends. Parking was a bit difficult.
Food:
1. Kaddo- This very sweet (pumpkin with sugar) and savory (ground beef with marinara-like sauce) appetizer over yogurt garlic sauce was very good. We could've saved it as a semi-dessert for the end of the meal since it was sweet.
2. Shorwa- succulent tender lamb with vegetables soup.
3. Qabelee- pallow rice baked with chunks of lamb shanks, raisins and glazed julienne of carrots. Again, the lamb was tender and the carrots and raisins provided some sweetness but not too sweet.
4. Cardamon Iced Tea- This was different from your typical iced teas. tasty.
I would def. go here again if I had another coupon. I used a groupon to come here. -
Review from Enrico P.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2012
So far I have had food to go twice but I loved it both times as I ordered same dishes to determine consistently and I am trying to avoid animal products whenever possible as my diet shifts back to vegetarian.
Vegetarian Kourma Challow is quite good but some of turnips and cauliflower come a bit overdone, just barely though. (remember it was to go)
Their accompanying breads and three dips are excellent - each so different anyone should be to find a favorite.
Yogurt Salad is good but I find the I cilantro to strong and since it is per-mixed my request for them to cut out half was declined.
Definitely will go in to get a feel for the place and that could elevate it to 5 stars. -
Review from Seong P.
12/28/2011
Our first Christmas and we had no family obligations. We'd had a delicious home cooked crab meal the night before, so neither of us felt like cooking. I looked for reservations on Open Table and chose Helmand.
I'd been to the old location on Broadway years ago but didn't really remember much about it. Since I've been to a few Afghani places since then, I was ready to check Helmand out again.
The place was pretty full when we got there, so it felt festive. We started with the Gulpea, a cauliflower in tomato sauce dish. I had the Quormay Ma-He with seabass, which was the fish of the day that was pan fried, and then sauteed in a tomato based sauce. Tintin had the Vegetarian Kourma Challow, which had potatoes, green beans, cauliflower and carrots in a tomato based sauce. The rice both dishes came with was great, as was the bread.
The sauces for all our dishes were somewhat similar, but really tasty nonetheless I'll be back soon. -
Review from Jeanne L.
12/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Afghan food!
Things I loved:
[[ Kaddo - appetizer ]] - a mix of baked pumpkin, yogurt, & ground beef - it was sweet and savory at the same time. So unique and flavorful.
[[ Dwopiaza - entree ]] - lamb with split-peas, rice, in a nice somewhat pleasant vinegary base.
I sampled from my friends' plates as well. The Mourgh Challow was delicious and came in a separate bowl of curry-based sauce apart from the rice. The Mourgh Slata was my least favorite - chicken with some salad... eh. I'll get that anywhere else.
The Afghan Coffee was nice in that they will wheel out a little table, and prepare it in front of you - a fun little show. The service overall is very good, and the ambiance/decor lovely. The restaurant feels classy, and roomy enough for large groups.
Also, there is free bread and sauces. Phenomenal quality and quantity of the food for the price! -
Review from D H.
San Francisco, CA
1/1/2012
I wanted to like this place after seeing it reviewed on an episode of PBS show Check, Please!
Unfortunately, there is a musty, mildew-y smell if you sit by the entrance/bar, and if you are dining with others that are super-sensitive to this it can wreck your dining experience.
For appetizer I had the kaddo, pan-fried/baked pumpkin....seasoned with sugar & topped w/ground beef sauce. An unusual combination of sweet & savory...and almost too sweet/dessert-like. Fortunately I shared it so it wasn't too much.
For entree I had the dwopiaza, marinated/grilled lamb with yellow split-peas. The lamb itself was good but I didn't care for the split-pea sauce (my mistake, since I'm not a fan but ordered it anyway).
My dining partners had mixed reviews for their selections but overall were not very impressed.
The restaurant was pretty full & many people came in to pick up take-out orders, so this place must be doing something right.
Parking is challenging in that area & we ended up parking blocks away on Broadway/Fillmore...good for an after-dinner walk though.
I probably won't be back...overall food was okay but I've had better/worse. -
Review from Pamela K.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2012
I went here for my birthday recently and it was incredible. Bring ALOT of money because you will want to buy everything on the menu. It's all amazing. The staff is very nice. I will be back!
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Review from Shirley N.
San Francisco, CA
11/9/2011
Our friends suggested dining here after seeing the episode on Check Please. Our reservation was at 6 pm. We arrived on time and were promptly seated at one of several tables for four.
Perused the menu and saw lamb listed in many entrees. Kebab is the way to go. Charbroiled is the best option.
We started with the kaddo pumpkin and ravioli appetizers. We all loved the pumpkin. Topped with a yogurt and meat sauce. Lap up the sauce with the delicious warm flatbread that comes with three different sauces - yogurt, cilantro, or red chile. The pumpkin was so good that we all agreed that we each could have had our own. The ravioli was good, but not memorable.
Ordered a bottle of Cabernet sauvignon by Five Rivers from the central valley. Very weak for a cab, but we kept it.
Three of us had charbroiled lamb kababs, and one ordered the sea bass. Given a choice, go for the pallow rice. Nicely spiced.
Finished our meal with the cream pudding and cups of coffee. Hubby had the Turkish coffee. Interesting process and they prepare it at your table.
My con - several tables angled so that you're privy to the next table's conversation. I actually felt like I was at the other table rather than with my party. My back was to the adjacent table, and I could feel the guy's body heat and breath. Yes, it was that close.
Would enjoy coming back. Found street parking which can be challenging later in the evening. They have valet parking too.
Tab inc tax and tip for four $146.00. -
Review from Mark S.
12/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oh this place is a win! I had never had Afghan cuisine. This was a nice entry point. The restaurant seems a little fancy when you first walk in, but then you realize it's very casual. Think paper menus but cloth napkins. I loved the bread with dips. I had a vegetarian "ravioli" type dish which was fascinating and delicious. This would make a great first date place.
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Review from Clarissa P.
San Francisco, CA
10/10/2011
I went through a delivery food binge during the 8 months of studying for the CPA exams. I had ordered from a good amount of the restaurants on http://grubhub.com and soon felt that I had pad thai, fried rice, and sushi oozing out of my pores. I was so sick of eating asian, pizza, sandwiches, indian and needed to try something different. Enter Helmand Palace.
I read about this place on Yelp, and had always wanted to try Afghan Food (being a huge fan of Persian food, I heard they were somewhat similar.)
Every time I order delivery, the food arrives promptly and warm - they even included a side of bread(s) and dipping sauces!
My absolute favorite is the kaddo- I don't think I can ever get sick of this dish. It is so uniquely different and downright delicious- sweet and savory, the perfect app to dip the breads in.
Eggplant is also a fav, and Mourgh Challow is also very good. -
Review from M K.
San Francisco, CA
10/22/2011
Food is excellent here!
It is a quiet, no frills place. The decor, interiors look nice and clean. The food is exceptionally good. They serve you nice warm bread with different sauces to start with. My fiance LOVES this bread, its soft and at a perfect temperature. I always get the cauliflower dish and he gets the chicken in curry dish. Always the same taste and same quality. The best thing here to eat though is their rice (challow), its the best tasting basmati rice I have eaten. -
Review from Melissa H.
San Francisco, CA
8/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's Sunday night, the BF and I are tired of packing up our apartment for a move, and we want to take a break and check out Helmand Palace. We arrive at 7:50ish behind a family of four. We are all seated rather quickly.
We got some water, menus, and a wine list. And that is IT.
The cool thing about Helmand Palace is they have magic water that actually makes some people INVISIBLE. It definitely worked on me and the boyfriend (we're so special).
Try as I might I could not get the waitress' attention (she ran past us at least 40 times cleaning tables). The waiter was no better. He waited on the family of four, they ordered and received wine, they got complimentary breads/dipping sauces (just like everyone else eating around us), they ordered and received their appetizers.
8:30 PM: My boyfriend finally broke through his invisibility charm in order to grab the waiter's attention. The BF could hardly start his sentence before the waiter says "I KNOW you are waiting. I'll be with you soon."
Cue the two guys who walked in 5 min ago, "WE want to order too!"
Will they be waited on before us? THE SUSPENSE
8:31 PM : Guys are waited on by, apparently, the KING of Helmand Palace himself, Mr. All-Important Waiter
F**K, REALLY?
I'm ready to bounce, but the BF wants to see if Your Royal Highness will come over to us next. SPOILER ALERT: He doesn't. I wait in agony for another 10 min. before I can't handle it anymore, and we bust out of the dungeon we got trapped in.
I estimate we were about 5 min away from a Real Housewives of New Jersey TABLE FLIP. -
Review from Tiffany L.
Berkeley, CA
8/26/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Other people suggested this, and I def agree...get the Pumpkin Kaddo. It is a sweet/salty appetizer but incredibly tasty. They bring out pita-type bread and different sauces. The pumpkin is pretty sweet but the sauces are spicy so it is interesting.
My friend and I tried the lamb roast. YUM. -
Review from Vi L.
San Jose, CA
12/2/2011
SUPERB!!! Great service, great food, great atmosphere, and of course, I had great company as well.
Since it was my first time here, we all decided to get four different dishes and share amongst the four of us.
1) Seek Kabab
2) Mourgh Challow
3) Salmon Kabab
4) Theeka Kabab
We started off the meal with their flat bread that was accompanied with three sauces. As for the entrees, I really enjoyed the Mourgh Challow and Salmon Kabab (very moist and not dry), but overall everything was very tasting and delightful. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed it and we have a great experience here. I'm sure I'll come back next time I'm back in the city. -
Review from A. H.
San Francisco, CA
9/15/2011
Yummy chicken kebabs and salad.
Gluten/dairy allergy proved to be more prohibitive than usual, but, still many selections from which to choose!
Loved the green dipping sauce!!!!!
Finished up with hot tea.
Sugary pumpkin came highly recommended, but, proved much too sweet for my personal taste.
Would go back to try the lamb!!!! -
Review from melody m.
San Francisco, CA
9/9/2011
We had a wonderful night at Helmand.
They allowed us to do a full buffet cast party for the opera that I'm involved in. Over 40 people shoved into this quaint little homey place.
The food was SPECTACULAR! The Pumpkin Kaddo and Baklava were the best I've ever had.
One star is removed because one piece of chicken was just barely questionable as to whether it had been cooked long enough. I avoided that piece and alerted staff and they seemed shocked. I'm sure it's not normal for them as they cook everything fresh and are probably not used to accommodating such a large group all at once.
I will give them the benefit of the doubt. -
Review from david d.
San Francisco, CA
9/6/2011
Helmand Palace is on the hell that is Van Ness Avenue. That is the only major negative for the place. A minor negative is the somewhat distant and uncoordinated service. But the food is a big positive.
I started with Mantwo which to me were lightly ravioli-like wrappers filled with vegetables and sided with a light beef puree and yogurt. The spicing was lovely and this was a very good and very different plate of food.
Chowpan was a plate of three nicely marinated and grilled lamb chops that were accompanied by eggplant and really, really good rice.
Oh, and the price is pretty good. -
Review from Melissa M.
San Francisco, CA
11/26/2011
I wanted to try this place not only because it was different, but because there were numerous vegetarian choices on the menu, and I was not disappointed. I had the pumpkin and eggplant--I'm not really a fan of either one normally, but was in an adventurous mood. The flavors were surprisingly good together.
I also had the chickpea and potato salad, which was very delicious. My husband had the beef kebab (I know that's not the actual name of the dish, so I apologize) and he was also very impressed.
They had a very nice selection of wines, with bottles at very reasonable prices.
The atmosphere was nice; there was a good crowd in there but it didn't feel packed and it was easy to have a conversation. The service was pleasant and attentive, but not incredibly enthusiastic about making suggestions for either the food or accompanying wine. That's not a huge deal, but I guess to me that would be the difference between 4 and 5 stars.
I highly recommend Helmand Palace and definitely intend to go back! -
Review from Jaymes H.
Evanston, IL
7/6/2011
I think the Kaddo should be a required appetizer. I loved the large starter pumpkin-yogurt-meat dish; it is an amazing combination of sweet and savory. I finished not only mines but gladly offered to help of my friends around me.
The Chapendaz, which is a healthy serving of beef tenderloin, is very tender, juicy and tasty. The sides were somewhat forgettable.
Given the slow service and price, I'd say an otherwise 3-star restaurant bumped up a notch by the kaddo. -
Review from ASP L.
San Francisco, CA
6/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
First time having aghani food last night. Place wasn't too busy on a saturday night so got seated right away for a party of 4. Food was fantastic! What stood out for me surprisingly was the bread that they served. Normally at restaurants I never care for the bread but the bread here was amazing, I just kept chomping on it while chatting it up with my friends. Although the entrees are not meant to be shared, we did it family style which I recommend if its your first time trying.
What we ordered:
Appetizers:
Ashuk- this is like a ravioli dish, very good. It became a really good dipping sauce for the bread
Bowlani- I personally loved it, esp the one with chives the fried skin reminded me of chinese green onion pancake and the filling reminded me of the filling in chinese panfried chive dumpling.
Shornakod- Alright, i felt that the chickpeas were a little overcooked and the dressing needed to be more tangy
Entrees:
Dwopiaza- this was probably one of my favs.. the lamb was very good, but the complements and sides on the dish was just okay
Mourgh Challow- very good, can't go wrong with this dish if you eat chicken
Chapandez- I didn't really like this one... it reminded me of a sour hamburger patty
Vegetarian special- I did not like this dish either...it was too sweet for my taste.
Overall, I had a wonderful time, service can be better but I can't really complain because my friends paid for me =) -
Review from alizarin c.
Oakland, CA
1/5/2012
I love the food here. It is melt in your mouth good. The servers are nice too. One of my favorite restaurants ever !
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Review from Ken G.
4/19/2011
I had an excellent meal here:
Bowlawni - A vegetarian-filled pastry which included exotic spices and made for an excellent appetizer. It arrived with a yogurt-mint sauce that made the dish even richer.
Banjan - a delicate-tasting dish of fried eggplant with tomatoes and served with yogurt-mint sauce. This was lightly seasoned and perfectly balanced.
Mourgh Challow - A great, well-seasoned dish of spiced chicken breast, split peas and curry, all of which are cooked in a yogurt-based sauce. This tasted great and was pretty unique. It arrived with challow (lightly seasoned rice) and was a perfect meal combination.
I'd totally recommend this place for a great dining experience. The service was good. The décor could use some updating, but it's fine. -
Review from Edward R.
San Francisco, CA
8/28/2011
4 of us ate here last night and the food was delicious, the ambience was nice, and the service was very slow.
For appetizers we shared the aushak and the kaddo. Both were excellent and we had to be careful not to get filled up on the bread while dipping into these appetizers.
Our main entrees (all shared) were the qabelee, seek kabob, mourgh challow, and vege kourma challow. All were delicious except for the vege kourma challow (which was OK but nothing special).
All in all I would recommend this resto. Valet parking is $5 and given the neighborhood (tough parking) I would highly recommend taking advantage of it.
Enjoy. -
Review from Dolce S.
San Francisco, CA
9/27/2011
A fun place to try to some different flavors. It's not fancy or romantic, but a nice place for a date nonetheless, especially for a carnivore. I know nothing about Afghani food, so I have no real idea if it's authentic, but everything was good, and I'm told the owner is actually the brother of President Karzai, so I am going to assume that it's authentic cuisine. Not so good that we should invade their country to get more of it, but worth a meal at this restaurant.
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Review from Lynn N.
Santa Clara, CA
10/11/2011
This place is wonderful! It was my first time trying Afghan food and it was delicious. I was with a party of wonderful people and the service was great. I had a lamb and rice plate and we all shared 3 bottles of red wine. I would definitely come back to this place! Glad I had a satisfying first time experience.
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Review from Yana K.
San Francisco, CA
10/30/2011
Amazing. My new favorite restaurant. I'm completely in love. The lawand is so tasty. Makes me hungry again.
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Review from Kristin P.
San Francisco, CA
3/10/2011
What a pleasant surprise! Their website doesn't make it look like much, but its actually quite a nice restaurant, with linen tablecloths and everything!
Went here with my Book Club after we read a book about Afghanistan. Who knew Afghani food was so delicious? We had a vegetarian in our midst so we stuck to the veggie dishes (of which there were many). We LOVED the bowlawni (and all its seemingly superfluous "W's) so much that we had two orders! The bread and dipping sauces that they bring out are super amazing, I could just eat that all night. The eggplant dishes were also great. Top that off with a bottle of Pinot Noir, some bawklava (again with the W's) and $25 later (per person) we were out the door, satisfied and enlightened.
Can't imagine when I'll EVER be in this neighborhood again but I can see this place being a real go-to spot for all those North of Market St. and beyond. -
Review from Josh K.
5/8/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Great place and there's nothing lousy on the menu, both vegetarians and meat eaters have awesome options available to them here. They go for a more formal dining setting and it shows since it's a bit expensive. With a http://restaurant.com coupon -- which they've recently stopped accepting -- you can take the edge off it. I have trouble remembering the dish names, but most of the meat dishes come with rice pilaf, vegetables, and bread. Some of the dishes like the Mantwo are standalone.
I do like this place, but now that they don't take those coupons anymore, it may be a bit too expensive for my blood going forward. -
Review from Kurt A.
Long Island City, NY
8/25/2011
Good food, though not amazing. Go for the lovely ambiance and friendly service. A great place for a date.
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Review from Nick B.
3/25/2011
I've only been here once, and I ordered take out. However, my fiance has been several times, and her brother is a regular. I was very impressed with my first time.
The portions were large, and felt very authentic. Not too much processing, the veggies were fresh and everything tasted great. The bread was good, and their spinach was fantastic. The lamb was excellent, lean, and didn't have any chewy bits. Both me and my fiance were very satisfied with everything. The prices were reasonable too, with both dishes, tax, delivery and tip coming to under thirty dollars. We'll definitely come back. -
Review from Becca S.
12/11/2010
I ate at Helmand Palace for the first time tonight, but believe me when I say that we are no strangers. In fact, I have no older or better friend in the world of restaurants than the Helmand.
We first met in Baltimore. I was a freshman in college, I had just met my roommate, and our families decided to go out to celebrate the abrupt onset of our respective adulthoods. We opted for Afghan cuisine at a local place called the Helmand. It was mind-bogglingly delicious, and over the course of my undergraduate degree it became the place to go for all manner of special occasions.
I moved to Boston for graduate school. I lived my life, as people tend to do, and then at one point I was talking to my roommate (different one, in case you were wondering) about restaurants featuring different ethnic cuisines. She said there was an awesome Afghan restaurant owned by the family of the president of Afghanistan. I said, "Is it...the Helmand?" And she said, "Why yes! It is." It turns out that the one in Cambridge has an open oven and you can watch them making the bread. Very cool beans, indeed.
And then I got a job and was asked to move out to San Francisco. I was out here for a week with my boyfriend, and we were frantically trying to find apartments. One such place was on Van Ness. As we were walking along the street - Holy mother of pearl, it's another Helmand! I don't know that everything happens for a reason, but I can tell you that at that point, I knew my impending move across the country was meant to be. How bad could it be? There was a Helmand!
For better or worse I ended up moving to the Inner Sunset, which is not terribly convenient to the SF Helmand's location. So tonight was my first excuse to go and sample its delights. It was so worth the wait. The cuisine served at the Helmand contains flavors you're not apt to soon forget, and I felt the phantom taste of Kaddo all day in anticipation. And then bam, there it was: in all of its beefy, pumpkinny, yogurty splendor.
My boyfriend and I each decided to branch out and try new things but our friend got the Mantwo on our recommendation, and you should, too! The freshness of the leeks inside the pasta, the savory beef, the tangy yogurt, the carrots and peas sweet by comparison - all was as it should be. No one got the Aushak, but I would bet money that's as good as ever, too.
Looking at this place through new and older eyes with slightly different priorities, I do want to make a special note about the excellent vegetarian options and surprising array of options that are both tasty and healthy. I got the vegetarian special and everything was cooked to a tender perfection, without being oily or greasy in the least. It's really pleasing to see that the omission of beef makes for all your favorites just a little bit lighter, but if you can you should still get the Kaddo with the beef. It adds a whole new dimension of flavor that you wouldn't have thought possible.
We unfortunately could not possibly have squashed any dessert into our stomachs at the time but yes, I can tell you those are also things you should try sometime. Mmmmm, homemade ice cream!
The service was good, the old blue chairs were cozy, and the dim lights and soft music lent themselves perfectly to our impending dozy food coma. And yet, as much as I love it, this was probably my least favorite Helmand experience. Granted, that's like saying something is your least favorite BMW, or your least favorite episode of the Wire. And I think most of my lukewarm afterthoughts come from the fact that nothing can really live up to years of good memories.
For a $15 entree, I was perhaps expecting a little more quantity, but I'm still going to get a lot of leftover goodness out of my meal. The bread that they serve with meals, I recall being crustier on the outside and more buttery on the inside. It was all more exciting when my palate was being flooded with flavors that were new and unlike anything I had ever had before. But these are the quibbles of a girl who thinks too much, and perhaps a girl who thinks it's important to honestly review her relationships once in a while. But Helmand and I, we're still tight and I'm still loyal. I even did some research - the only other city I'm really allowed to move to is Chicago, it being the only city in which I haven't yet lived that contains a Helmand! -
Review from Aubrey Y.
San Francisco, CA
6/22/2011
The times we had passed by this place, they were closed, so I was glad that yesterday our timing was just right and we had a delicious meal.
Always a fan of aushak, which is a leek filled ravioli with meat and yogurt sauce, I wasn't disappointed with their version. We had the eggplant , and tried also the chicken with greens, and kababs. Everything was delicious. The restaurant was clean, and the ambience was terrific, with regional clothing and art on display.
The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is the chicken was a little dry, but I will definitely go there again. -
Review from Francis U.
San Francisco, CA
3/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Kodda. Do I have to say more? Ok fine, it's a decent afghan joint otherwise but lately I've found Afghan main courses a bit un-inspiring. This place didn't shake that, but the Kodda!
Of the deserts the fruity pudding is the best, imho.
Also look for the Kodda recipe in the SFGate. I plan on sprining it on an unsuspecting midwest family this Thanksgiving. Did I mention I liked the Kodda? -
Review from Stefanie L.
San Francisco, CA
3/9/2011
Reason #2304098 why I love San Francisco: The closest take-out joint to my apartment is an Afghan restaurant.
Over the last year and a half, I've had several selections from Helmand Palace's menu--Dwopiaza, Mourgh Challow, and Sabzi Challow, to name a few--and I haven't yet been disappointed. The portions are always plentiful, the flavors are always interesting, and the bread and three dipping sauces (the tzatziki one is like crack) are basically icing on the cake.
The waiter got my wine order and my friend's meal order wrong when we ate in the restaurant last night, but who cares? We ate and drank everything anyway, and he gave us a free rice pudding dessert for our "troubles." We weren't that troubled.
