Kabob Afghan & Persian Cuisine

 

0

5

Kristin M.

Los Altos, CA

Just went to this place the other day craving some local Afghan food. I already knew I liked Afghan House, but that it was more on the expensive side and further from home. As my family and I entered Kabob Afghan & Persian Cuisine we were a bit dubious about how good it could possibly be--because it was empty.

Turned out there was nothing to worry about. Everything was excellent...the house soup, the flatbread and Afghan red & green hot sauces, the Aushak (leek raviolis with yoghurt sauce) was great, and the chicken and lamb kabobs were out-of-sight. Our waiter was very friendly, patient and attentive, as we needed a little bit of guidance to figure out what we wanted to eat. He was conversational, and accomodating--he made my aushak custom vegetarian, while the folks at Afghan house are more rigid about custom veg.

The tea was yummy, and the baklava was very good. I hope to return and try more dishes.

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10

108

shiva s.

Gilroy, CA

I'm nowhere near an expert when it comes to persian cuisine  so I'll just compare this place to nearby persian/afghan eateries

Yup the interior is small, but the distant between tables and the amount of privacy you'll have is the same as Kabul and Shirin  (I uploaded a pic of the interior)

More menu items then Shirin and more vegetarian menu items then Kabul.

Service was really good. Waiter (think he was the owner) was friendly and came over and had a discussion about persian music with us. You'll be lucky if anyone at Kabul asks you if you found everything alright.

Food was good. Some may consider it to be a bit on the blend side, but theres more then enough condiments on the table for you to tailor the dish towards your preference. Meat here is halal so thats a plus if you have muslim friends (Kabul on the other hand does not have halal meat).

In terms of $ the place falls between Kabul and Shirin.

So to summarize:
- more menu items and more vegetarian options then its competitors
- decent price
- good service

I'll be back to try out more menu items and update my review/rating.

Uploaded a bunch of pics.

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Elite '08

59

437

Mary T.

Sunnyvale, CA

DC suggested we go here after she read a review. The restaurant was tiny and the tables were really close together, but it was really clean. The rice was soooo good. I'm giving up on white rice (red rice is yummy), but I would eat their rice every day if I could. DC had a vegetarian dish, which she really enjoyed. I would definitely come back.

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5

26

derik p.

Fremont, CA

Not sure what the place looke like but the food is a NICE change from the norm...and there's a lot of norm around my work.  I can see how one person mentioned bland but I wouldn't quite be that descriptive.  The chicken and beef kabob lacked elaborate seasoning but I'm not too much into the sodium thing anyway.  The meat was tender and reasonably seasoned to give partons the opportunity to use the table condiments or not.

Definitely check it out from time to time or at least once...you have nothing to lose - but very well may just settle for a big mac.  Tried and true yes....but so very uninteresting.

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21

220

Zeke S.

Santa Clara, CA

Lunch time review : Not nearly as tasty as City Kabob and the lunch menu was more limited. Really not bad, but I can't imagine why I would go here considering yumy yumy City Kabob aint that far.

* Where are my combos? Where is my lamb and Kubideh combo, my chicken and steak? I need maximum animal variety.
* Lunch menu had the option of 1 kabob with rice or 2 with "lavish afgan bread". You know that thing wrapped around your burrito? Aparently that is lavish afgan bread. A flour tortilla cut in half next to a kabob is just not very filling in my mind...

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0

10

C L.

Redwood City, CA

This is a nice, no-frills place that I think is own and run by a family.

I agree with the comments about the interior layout looking like a Tetris piece - funky!

I had the Koobideh (ground beef strips) that were nicely flavored and tender.  The rice was fairly typical and seasoned with saffron.  The lack of sides--although it seems to characterize Middle Eastern cuisine, perhaps--is a slight blemish (although you can order BBQ'd tomatoes for an extra $1).  

Extra props if they are genuine Afghans - they deserve our support!

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Elite '08

314

1042

Kathleen M.

San Jose, CA

Bland Kabobs but Good Koobideh Located Inside a Tetris Piece --- Afghan Persian Kabob in Sunnyvale

I've never been inside a restaurant before that's shaped like a Tetris piece. Seriously, it is. Also, this restaurant goes by at least three different names: Afghan Persian Kabob, Kabob Afghan & Persian Cuisine, Paradise Afghan & Persian Cuisine, and various combinations of those words. It's enough to be a little disorienting by the time you go inside.

I was excited to go here because I love Persian food and Afghan food. Although the koobideh was pretty good --- moist and nicely spiced, not much else was. The chicken kebab suffered from extreme blandness. The rice served alongside was okay, but could have been flavored or saffron-ed up a little. We splurged and spent a whole extra dollar on the barbecued tomatoes (which are usually standard with the entrees at other Persian restaurants), and they were fine but nothing to write home about.

Our meals came with a soup or salad. Our friends were underwhelmed by their salad consisting of cubes of cucumber, tomato, and onion. The boyfriend and I got the Persian lentil, bean, and noodle soup which looked and smelled amazing. However, it was also bland. We initially had to send back the soup since the boyfriend asked for no yogurt on it, and I asked for it on the side (to cut calories).

Our friends got the barg. Usually barg consists of filet mignon pieces that melt in your mouth. Here they're unimpressive gnarled sirloin pieces. They also got the kadu. I tried a bite and it tasted nothing like the melt in your mouth Arghan pumpkin-y dessert side dish I've had elsewhere - notably The Helmand in San Francisco. It was more yellow than orange - I'm not sure if that should have been the tip off.

No one really ate the basket of complimentary bread. Everyone tried a few bites of the generic, possibly storebought Afghan bread and the bread that looked like tortillas, but no one went back for more. They were brought to the table cold as though made hours before (or bought elsewhere).

Whenever I read a good review for a place like this (as appeared in The San Jose Mercury News recently), I always think it's by someone who doesn't know the cuisine. I'm not Persian or Afghani, nor am I an expert in the food, but if you've gone to a reasonable number of Persian or Afghan restaurants you'd know this wasn't a standout. But if it was the only one you'd ever been to, it'd be okay to fairly good.

Katya's Persian rankings
1. Khayyam's --- Albany (the master --- now closed - against which all Persian restaurants will forever be judged)
2. (tie) Shalizaar --- San Mateo
2. (tie) Pomegranate --- Berkeley, Walnut Creek, Concord (great barg and joojeh kabob with zereshk polo; pomegranate chicken is good but sweet taste can be cloying)
4. Chelokababi - Sunnyvale
5. Rose Market --- Mountain View (rated so highly because of the value; need to re-evaluate because I only had a small sample of food)
6. Yas --- San Jose (really impressive selection of polos --- but other food is just OK)
7. AFGHAN PERSIAN KABOB - Sunnyvale
7. Bijan --- Fremont (food too oily, and stews either too sweet or too ketchup-y)
---
Visited and have trouble remembering, but not near the top of the list:
Kabob House --- Pleasant Hill
Papa's - Berkeley

Katya's Afghan rankings
1. The Helmand - San Francisco (their $10 weekday lunch buffet is a great deal; right now it's red-tagged from a landslide)
2. Da Afghanan - Fremont (amazing potato bread; kebabs not as amazing)
3. Kabul - San Carlos
4. Kabul - Sunnyvale
5. Salang Pass --- Fremont

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Elite '08

463

2131

kim n.

Mountain View, CA

This is a nice little place tucked into the corner of a strip mall. This used to be Afghan Persian Cuisine Paradise in Mountain View, which I never went to even though it was a hop skip and a jump from my house. Wasn't expecting much but after entering the space, it has the nice decor of every Afghan place I've been to, albeit much smaller. Not sure why but all the Afghan places I've tried have nice decor.

Seems like a family runs the restaurant, and they're quite friendly and attentive. We started with the hummus and got the koobideh, lamb kabob, and koufta challaw. Koobideh is usually my staple and I found it not as flavorful as some I've had. Stil it was really tender and a little salt perked it up. THe lamb was pretty good but the koufta was the winner. Not sure what the sauce was but it was super flavorful. Not as cheap as say City Kabob but not as expensive as Chelokababi and Afghani House. Definitely a good spot for the kabob cravings.

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Elite '08

17

615

Andrew S.

Concord, CA

I have to say that I was really disappointed by this place.  The service was friendly, but that's about the only nice thing that I can think of to say.  The restaurant interior is not quite abysmal, but pretty close (Kathleen M's description that it's shaped like a Tetris piece is apt), and the food just wasn't that good.  Stay away from the yogurt "soda", unless of course you are in the mood for a glass of what basically seems like watered down tzatziki sauce.  I found the meat to be dry, I just didn't care much for the flavoring of the spices, etc. in the food, and the fesenjon was a letdown.

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Elite '08

29

194

Caroline B.

San Jose, CA

Good, freshly prepared food that seemed like it was really healthy. The lunch special portions were large enough that many of the folks in the group ended up taking home leftovers. The service was friendly and really good despite the fact the restaurant was moderately busy. We unfortunately forgot to order barbecued tomatoes - it seems a little odd that they don't come with any of the kabobs but since it is only a dollar extra, it isn't a huge deal.

The whole group was talked into ordering doogh - a yogurt drink. It was quite different than any of us expected. Although it looks like sweet lassi, it has a much stronger taste and is not at all sweet. It reminded me of drinking rye bread - but since I really like rye bread, I would definitely order it again :).

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2

3

ubaid d.

Milpitas, CA

We had dinner at Persian Afghan Kabob last weekend and it was fantastic! I'd HIGHLY recommend the soup (there's only one kind) - the appetizers and the kabob were all great. Highly recommended!

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0

19

tennispardner c.

Sunnyvale, CA

Have been noticing this place for some time on my daily commute. Finally tried it last night after persuading Vivian that they have vegetarian dishes. Well, we were pleasantly surprised.

It's a really cosy place, but then in Asia there are many even cosier restaurants. Service was efficient and courteous. The complimentary barbari and nan breads were served with spicy green and red dipping sauces. Nice presentation.

We ordered none of the kabobs, opting instead for the traditional dishes of fesenjon (diced chicken in pomegranate and walnut sauce served with basmati rice), Quabili Polo (lamb cubes with brown rice topped with raisins Yum!) and for Vivian, Keddo Bademjon (Persian eggplant and zucchini parmagiana?  in tomato sauce topped with yoghurt). Oh I loved the quabili, such tender pices of lamb, and the Keddo Bademjon, great  flavors of spices and tastier than the Italian version. We were stuffed full and still had food to take home :-)

Definitely  a place for to dine with our visiting friends.

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139

71

Lloyd C.

Sunnyvale, CA

Summary: I liked it enough to recommend this place as February's Yelp South Bay Monthly Dinner location, so we can all post our reviews.

Based on what I read on jatbar.com bulletin boards, this is the re-opening (on 12/7/06) of the former Afghan Persian Paradise Restaurant, formerly in Mountain View.  The new location is known as Kabob Afghan & Persian Cuisine in Sunnyvale.

I think it's comparable to Kabul (Afghani food).  Less expensive than Afghan House (Afghani food) and Chelokababi (Persian food).

Prices: ~$10 to ~$16 per dish.  ~$3 to ~$5 for appetizers on medium size plates.  $2 gets you a lot of BBQ tomatoes.

Service: They were attentive in checking up on us frequently, and asking if things were okay :)

Atmosphere: It's a small restaurant that recently re-opened at a new location.  It seemed somewhat empty when I went with my roommates.  That was a plus because I was able to have conversations easily with my roommates.

Food: It was very filling, especially for the price.  I enjoyed my vegetarian dish.  My roommates enjoyed their meat dishes.  They ordered vegetarian appetizers so we shared those.

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1

6

Jason A.

Sunnyvale, CA

I'm a great fan of Afghan and Persian food and this place has turned me into a fanatic.  I started with the hummus and a side of yogurt, all homemade. I ordered Chicken Koobideh, which came with soup, a skewer of juicy chicken, a skewer of tender ground beef, and rice. Barbicued Tomatoes come on the side for a dollar extra, Highly recommended. My wife ordered Morgh Challow, a savory chicken dish in tomato sauce served with basmati rice and soup. We both loved our dishes. No MSG and no preservatives, everything is homemade. A Cozy atmosphere, great service, excellent food.

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0

33

Chris N.

Mountain View, CA

This is a nice place to go for lunch. Very quick service. (Puts Kabul to shame). I ordered the sirloin kabob lunch deal ($7.95) which came with a salad (iceberg lettuce, some shaved carrots and yogurt dressing) and a warm piece of bread. They also added a small bowl of nice potato/pea stew, (uncredited on the menu).  The steak was tender and the rice not overpowering. It was definitely a satisfying lunch.

The woman behind me had the Koobideh kabob and said it was excellent. She then ordered four of the same kabobs to go.

There seemed to be a problem when she got her bill, though. It seems they charge dinner prices for food ordered to go at lunch (and she had ordered just the kabobs - no rice, no bread, no salad and I'm guessing no free serving of stew) and her four a la carte kabobs were costing more than having four full lunches. They were still working it out when I left.

I'd give it a four if they'd let you get things off the lunch menu to go.

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Elite '08

164

319

Jen S.

Cupertino, CA

I came here for lunch with a friend of mine.  There was no one in there except for a mom and her two kids who left shortly after we sat down.  They do offer lunch specials and both my friend and I ordered the Koobideh.  With it comes saffron rice, salad, and a potato tomato stew.  All blended together well and the price was not bad - $7.95.  Service was good probably because there was no one else in there.

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0

1

Daniel S.

Sunnyvale, CA

Wow, such amazing food. I highly recommend getting barbecued tomatoes if you order kabobs, adds excellent taste. I tried the lamb kabob! mmm delicious! Love the smell, love the taste, and love the service.

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10

71

N S.

Santa Clara, CA

You know that funky smell meat gets after a couple of days in the fridge but you decide to grill it anyways, hoping the smell will go away but it's still there, every time you bite into it? That's what the Koobideh lunch special smelled like. It came with a bunch of really plain rice and a side of really plain vegetables.

I've had great Afghan food. I've had great Persian food. This wasn't it by a long shot.

We came here because of all the good reviews but I'm starting to suspect they are either fake or just not very discerning.

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0

1

Bill B.

Menlo Park, CA

Very nice small place.  
I am not an expert on Afghan or Persian Cuisine, so I cannot compare it to other restaurants with similar cuisine.  I did like it more than I do most Indian restaurants.  I was there with a group of (6?).

Enjoyed the chicken and beef kabobs, roasted tomatoes, all the sauces and toppings.  Enjoyed the drink (the name of which I cannot remember, but it had yogurt and mint).  The pumpkin dish was interesting too.  

Worth the drive.  I will go again.

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Elite '08

188

999

Rachel R.

Santa Clara, CA

Paradise offers a small menu of interesting Afghan and Persian dishes, nestled in the back side of the shopping center on Grant and El Camino.  I didn't *love* everthing, but it was fun to eat somewhere different.

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0

8

Mike M.

San Jose, CA

A very small restaurant with a friendly family atmosphere.  Great kabobs, and the Chello Kadu (pumpkin topped w/ homemade yogurt) was great.  Very reasonable prices.

Lunches for less than $10, suppers for less than $20.

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