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I've been wanting to go to Kabul for years, and last night the three of us went. Never been to Afghanistan, but the food seems authentic except for the Afghan bread, which lets face it, are tortillas. Kind of strange...
I don't know why people complain about the service, our waitress was awesome. Attentive, funny and yes, very pretty which never hurts!
We had the special mushroom appetizer and bolanis (turnovers), which really tasted great. Now that I think about it, are button mushrooms found in Afghanistan? The only item I wanted to try but didn't get to was another eggplant dish called burta.
Then on to kababs of lamb and beef, which could have been cooked just a little less, but in the end had good flavor. They came with rice, salad, and Badenjan Borani which is eggplant with a tomato sauce/yogurt garlic sauce. Delicious!
The best single item might have been the dessert, firni, which is a Custard pudding with cardamom, rosewater and ground pistachios. Be sure and try it.
First review was taken down by Yelp for being "inappropriate" (i.e. hilarious to me but not to people who surf yelp with 15 cats on their lap).
But I still think it is my duty to warn people of this place. Allow me to make this review as appropriate as possible, with no jokes, or anything.
This place is horrible...why?
1) Service - unfriendly
2) Food - grotesque. I had a goat dish, but you wouldn't know it if it were put in front of you. It was drenched in yogurt sauce, which permeated each and every bite.
3) Price - this place is quite pricey for the bad food and unfriendly service.
Let's hope this one stays up so that all of you may be forewarned!
I've been fighting with myself (Gollum-like) if I should review this place. Of course Kabul deserves 5 stars...but I don't actually want people to know about this place so there will be MORE EGGPLANT for me.
But finally my better side caved so here goes:
Appetizers: The soup is only ok, but the turnovers are quite tasty.
Entree: Oh.My.God. I think I died and went to Eggplant Heaven, where all lambs roll around in eggplant and there are never (ever) any broccoli to get in the way. That is how I feel about the eggplant--seriously. It is the best shit ever. I can't stop eating it. When I don't eat it I take pictures and think about eating it. It's a real problem. I probably need to go to a self-help group about this. So usually I get the combination plate with the rice, eggplant, and lamb. The rice is amazing--it's even better than Cedar's rice (and that's saying something!). It's so flavorful but still light. It even gets my super-picky roommate eating every last bite! The lamb (or beef) is succulent and juicy and tender. Spiced just right. Mmm.
Desserts: Our party of 3 shared the specialty ice cream with cardamom, mint, and something else. Heavenly. 'Nuff said. Go get it.
Service: The waitresses are really friendly, and sometimes the owner will even come out to check up on you!
Bottom line: Romantic dining experience with an exotic tang. Absolutely lovely. Very easy bus ride from the Udist. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
My wife and I spent two years in Afghanistan with the Peace Corps. When we get a hankering for Afghan food we head to the Kabul Restaurant in Wallingford. Their flavors are just right on the dishes we have tried. Recommended!
I am amazed that I didn't write my review of Kabul's yet. I lived a half block from them for over 12 years.MMMMMMMM the food. The ambience! Happy people coming and going. A very professional hostess always with a smile as though they ar ejust waiting fo ryou. It fill sup quickly. I liked everything I ever had there.. and truthfully I have forgottne names of many items. Smooth tastes, exotic blends.. plain old great garlic .. always tasty rice dishes..
This restaurant has played a wonderful part also in many Wallingford Dine-out in Wallingford evenings with great cheer.
I am really surprised to read the previous reviews of bad or no service! When I went to this restaurant we got seated right away, water was delivered and after a few moments of looking over the menu a server came by to take our order. The place wasn't busy, but the server was attentive and when our meal arrived (didn't take too long at all!) we were ready to eat. The food was really good! I don't remember the name of the dishes, but I had something with eggplant which I am not usually fond of but it came with the meal, and it was really yummy. I was happy with all the dishes, and the service. I am surprised the place wasn't busier as this we a saturday evening. But that's ok, since we didn't have to wait.
The only reason for not giving this a 5 star is the prices. I was a little taken back by the prices. The food was great but it seemed a little pricey for what you get and the location, etc. Although I can't wait to go back, just can't afford it right now.
My wife and I went to Kabul last week. This is our fifth time going. On average, the food and service is good. However, we have had a few dishes that were less than desirable. Specifically, the bolanie needs help! The ashak dish is great.
My dining experience was similar to the last person who reviewed this place.
We started with the Bolani appetizer--a fried "turnover" filled with potato and scallions with a delishhh yogurt dipping sauce. Amongst the entrees we had Ashak--ravioli-esque dish with the yummy yogurt sauce; the Kabul special with bara kebob (lamb) and badenjan borani--an eggplant and beef dish. All were delicious, well portioned and easily shared amongst three. The food definitely earns itself four stars.
The deduction lies upon the odd service. Perhaps because we were the first (and only) customers as they opened for the night and maybe they needed to warm up the ovens...BUT when we placed our order for both the appetizer and then the entrees the waitress/hostess nodded in agreement and then went on stacking menus, straightening chairs and cleaning tables...waiting five minutes before placing our orders?
definitely something off in the service. I also found it odd that none of the staff was from Kabul?
oh well. Despite a good meal, not worth the price nor the service.
I had never tried Afghan food before - pretty delicious. Although, I am fairly certain that "Afghan bread" and tortillas may the same thing.
Service wasn't especially fast, but I thought the food was tasty. I tried the chicken kebab special - with this great eggplant side.
I have to agree it was rather pricey - over $20 each for just an entree.
Food quality and taste was great - I would definitely go back.
This happened this evening.
I was very disappointed as I had always heard great things about Kabul. My boyfriend and I decided that we would check it out this evening. When we arrived we were not greeted and we waiting for awhile to be seated, not a big deal.
The lady who was waiting before us was seated and then after 10 minutes walked out. We didn't know why, we knew she knew the prices and the food prior to sitting as she had been examining the menu as we waited.
We were seated in her spot most likely and looked through the menu. Everything looked great. We had already planned out our appetizer and two entrees, I was already wondering if I could handle dessert on top of it all.
We waited...
Then waited...
I looked around several times for our server. They were cleaning table tops, filling up water glasses (not serving them, JUST FILLING THEM!). There was no one waiting at the door to be seated. Everyone else appeared to be eating or waiting for their order. We were dressed conservatively and well groomed like any couple looking to go out for a nice dinner.
After 15 minutes the waiter came with two glasses of water, never asking if we'd like something to drink, never saying that he'd be back for our orders.
We waited...
We kept waiting...
We finally started to understand why the other lady had walked out. It was 25 minutes and no real greeting, no thank you for coming in... no nothing! I kept looking at the wait staff and they kept pouring more glasses of water and setting tables, but completely ignoring us. We were seated in an area around empty tables, so it wasn't terribly busy, the biggest table was a 7 top and they had already received the bill.
We kept waiting...
and waiting...
Finally we said no more and walked out. The waitress started to walk towards us. I thought she'd apologize and say we're sorry, we can take your order now or SOMETHING, ANYTHING! Nope, not even a thank you for coming in or have a nice night.
WOW! I'm shocked as a Seattle foodie!
Now, I understand having worked in the restaurant industry in the past that yes there are some bad waiters out there and if I was to receive a response from Kabul saying that this wouldn't happen again, I certainly would come and give it a second chance.
However right now when so many great restaurants are closing their doors in the Emerald City looking for diners, this type of service makes me very irate and very sad for the owners.
Odd well over a week now and no word or reply... typically an owner will send you an e-mail or something on here, but nothing.
Have been waiting to try this restaurant out for a while. The only other Afghan restaurant I have tried was in Boston so, I wasn't sure if I was a fan of Afghan cuisine yet. My experience was actually very good here. Some of the reviews I read about this place mentioned some not so great service. Perhaps the staff at Kabul read the reviews and changed some things because the service I had was excellent! I was seated very quickly and after ordering, my food came out in pretty good time. My waitress was very friendly and attentive. From my prior experience with Afghan cuisine, I remembered to get something with egglplant in it (can't recall the name!) and I was glad I did here! I ordered the kabul special with lamb kebab and type of savory rice and some type of savory eggplant side dish ( its horrible I can't recall the name of these dishes!). I guess I am a fan of Afghan food!
I was pretty hesitant to come in at the beginning, but my buddy who was leaving the city insisted on trying this place, so I did! I'm so glad that I did!!!
Eating here had changed my life. Who knew that eggplant can be such a delicious dish when combined with correct ingredients! (&their eggplants are pretty huge, I'm warning you)
THeir kebab is soo yummy too. My friend also ordered another lamb dish which was also fabulous. Can't wait to take other people to dine here!
My husband loves this place and insists on going every time we visit Seattle. He's Central Asian himself - Tajik - so I suppose that says something about the authenticity of the food.
Since I'm not Tajik, all I've got to rely on is my tastebuds, which definitely approve, and my knowledge of his family's cooking. For starters, Afghan food is a lot more heavily spiced than my in-laws' Northern Tajik cooking. If I had to describe the difference, I would say that Tajiks rely more on the meat for flavor and Afghans rely more on the spices. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages, as you can guess.
The spicing on Kabul's shish kebabs overwhelms the flavor of the meat, a little. Much as I adore lamb, next time I'm going to try to remember to save a few bucks and get beef instead. They also don't attain the height of melt-in-your-mouth tenderness my husband gets with his (my family calls him the shish kebab god, his are so good). However, the spices are excellent, the meat was true medium-rare, and I was in no way disappointed.
The pilaf is also much more heavily spiced than Tajik pilaf, and less rich, but probably also much healthier! My husband does a relatively dry version, but a couple of his female relatives overdo it on the oil by quite a bit for American tastes.
I absolutely LOVE the Badenjan Borani. One of the tastiest eggplant dishes I've ever eaten, and I'm pretty fond of eggplant in general. It does quite literally melt in your mouth, even the skin. (And what I wouldn't give to figure out how to do that!)
Though I'm generally leary of getting desserts that don't match the ethnicity of the restaurant serving them, I took the chance on our most recent visit and the Chocolate Mousse turned out to be fantastic!
Kabul is an excellent restaurant. I've had 4 dishes and they have all been excellent.
Just a heads up, the portions are really small and pricey. I took my father and little brother and they both hated it.
It was my birthday and my momma was paying so I wanted to think of a place outside the box of what I normally go to for my special day. I happen to have an appointment in the U-District area before my dinner and decided to find something close by for convenience. My roommate suggested Kabul which kind of weirded me out at first because I've never had Afghani food before. I surveyed the menu online and decided there were enough things on the menu that I'd eat so I decided to try it out.
The food was DELICIOUS! I ordered the cilantro and leek pasta (ravioli) with garlic cream sauce and about died from pleasure once it hit my mouth. It was so flavorful and different I was more than content. My mom was kind of scared at first and ordered something safe (the beef kabobs with a side of eggplant) and was more than happy with her choice. The rub on the beef was spicy but not over powering and the eggplant was cooked to perfection.
My only complaint is that it seemed to take awhile for our food to arrive but that might have been b/c I was starving.
I had never had Afghan food before, and decided to scope it out with some friends and the bf. While this place was a bit pricey, I was pleasantly surprised by the dishes!
We started out with these fried turnovers...I'm not exactly sure what was in them, but that plus the sauce was incredible! I wish there had been more of them...
For a main dish, I had eggplant with some kind of yogert (sp?) sauce. It was pretty good...had some interesting spices to it and was very flavorful.
My favorite was the rice and the cucumber salad. The rice came with shredded carrots and raisins...definitely not something that I'd think would go together, but it was such an awesome mix! The cucumber salad was amazing, too! It tasted like it was soaked in some kind of vinegar with tomatoes with just the right amount of dressing on it.
The best part about the experience is that my boyfriend hates ethnic food. He's not big on Indian, Ethiopian, and I actually just got him into different types of Asian cuisine. But he LOVED this place! He normally doesn't like the spices that accompany different types of food, but had the lamb kabobs and downed them in less than 5 minutes! I don't even like lamb but appreciated how good it was.
I wish this place wasn't so far away from my house b/c I'd definitely come here more often. It may be worth making the occasional trip to Wallingford for more of this delicious food! :)
Every once in a while, you go somewhere that opens doors for what food can be.
Tonight was one of those such nights.
Never again will I look at kabob places to be all the same. Kabul, truly, showed me the subtlety and delicate nature that can be found in gently pairing flavors in Afghani cuisine.
Not only is the food, as I surmise, of the highest order of this style, but the presentation is beautiful and thoughtfully presented.
Additionally, the chef here is alive and has higher aspirations than just maintaining what has always been done. Their specials are new and inventive, and the staff is curious for feedback.
A wonderful experience.
There are people here who've criticized KABUL for being too expensive or for being a rip-off or for having portions that are too small ... whine whine whine, blah blah blah. Personally, I just don't understand it.
While this place is not cheap, it's NOT expensive. Maybe people are thrown off by the Wallingford location or the fact the interior was not custom designed by some celebrity interior decorator. Maybe because it looks like a nice, comfortable family restaurant people are expecting $10 blue plate specials. The fact of the matter is that this is a good quality restaurant that serves good quality food and they charge a fair price for their food. A dinner at the Met costs at least $100/person. A night at Nishino's can run you about $70/person. My wife and I came out of here, thoroughly satisfied (albeit no leftovers), at about $35/person (dinner, drinks, desert, tax, tip). Again, I realize that's not "cheap" but it's not out of line with most mid-tier Seattle restaurants.
I won't say anything about the food itself since everyone else has pretty much said it already: it's very good (although the salty yogurt drink is something I'll probably not try again).
We went here on St Patty's because our original plans of living it up like leprechauns fell through. Kabul is really good, it has great atmosphere and service too. I just have to complain about the prices though. For the amount of meat you get on a Kebab it's ridiculous. It comes out to like $3 for each little square of meat! I have to say the egg plant was to die for! And the Ash soup, mmmm mmmm good! I really want to go back but doubt I will :(
This was my first time at Kabul even though I've heard great reviews for several years, I wish I didn't wait so long!
We had the Kebabs for two, which was a bowl of their noodle soup, a chicken kebab, beef kebab, afghan bread, cucumber salad, large plate of rice with carrots and raisins, slice of melt in your mouth eggplant, and a rice pudding (?) for dessert. I'd say for $45, it was a great deal. All the food was full of flavor but also not too heavy. Service was excellent and the atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed. I can't wait to try the other items on the menu. I hope this place stays around for awhile!
I used to live in Seattle and miss this place.
The food here is really tasty and the owner is so nice. They've got good vegetarian options and really tasty meaty things.
We twisted their arms to take my husband's parents here (they're the type of all-American folks that can't pronounce "tortilla" and think americanized Chinese food is exotic) and even they loved it, despite their initial skepticism.
After eating dinner at Kabul during my short trip to Seattle, it has become one of my all-time favorite restaurants.
My friend and I showed up around 7 pm on a Friday night. We didn't have a reservation, so we took a seat to wait for an open table. While sitting there, about 3 other parties came in also waiting for a table. The owner saw us waiting, so he came over and bought us all a drink on the house. Shortly, we were seated.
For appetizers we ordered the Ash and the Bolani. Ash is a traditional soup with noodles, yogurt, beans, dill, and mint. Very, very good. Bolani is a turnover filled with potato, cilantro, and scallions - also very tasty. For our meals, my friend enjoyed the Ashak, while I enjoyed the vegetarian versions of both the Quorma-i-Sabzi (spinach) and the Badenjan Borani (eggplant), along with a side of basmati rice. One word - amazing. I cannot only comment on the amazing taste of the food, but I have to mention the wonderful presentation as well.
The owner, Wali, was friendly, accomodating, and a really nice guy. We received stellar service and stayed long after dinner, enjoying coffee and dessert as well. You'll also notice Kabul's delightful ambiance.
Usually, I don't comment on others' reviews, but I really don't know where some of these other Yelpers are coming from when they talk about expensive prices and small portions. The prices are moderate ($12-$20), while the portions are generous. I mean, if you're looking for cheap eats, don't opt for fine dining. At Kabul, you're paying for authenticity, quality, presentation, and ambiance.
Well done, Wali - it's too bad I live 2,800 miles away from Seattle.
The service here was simply fantastic! We had (what I consider) a larger group of six and they managed to not only serve us very well but they didn't appear to be ignoring any other tables, either.
My main complaint here is the noise - it got very loud, very quickly.
Everything we ordered was fantastic and well-served. The portions were not too large or too small.
Story time! In my first visit to Seattle, I stayed with an old friend that I hadn't seen for ages... and wow, those ages sure did distinguish us... see, my hostess friend's idea of ethnic food equals Taco Del Mar, and her culture was Lost + Prison Break... so I sought refuge in Hospitality Club, one of two key traveler's resources that I consider critical (Couchsurfing the other)... I saw this profile of a musician going to culinary school (me being a food whore, this inspired hope) who worked in an art gallery... ok so color me a beggar, but I had to escape the world of "is it okay to put cinnamon in the hot chocolate I'm making from scratch, or is that too spicy?" and experience the Seattle I was yearning for... and he listed Tom Waits for fave music... OK, he's officially got points for that, even if he turns out to think Homer Simpson farts are awesome...
So after we went museum hopping and walking around, taking obligatory "hug the stranger you just met in front of the water" photos, at Gas Works... we conveniently enough passed (at 4:30pm, starving entirely by then) Kabul, which made me say essentially "There, pleeease?" in a cool "Feeling adventurous?" manner cause I'm cool like that... well, Kabul... that mischievous owner, darn him... he wooed our curious taste buds... gave us free bolani while not even being discrete in calling talking about how beautiful young lovers are (GASP! scratch that, BLUSH! EYE TWINKLES AND BLINKIES!) and asked us to be patient while the cardamom tea I excitedly ordered was made since we did, after all, arrive just before opening time (oh man that smell.... sigh... if only it wasn't so much work without his equipment!)...
So chatting him up a bit, he told us that the combo for 2 with BOTH lamb (only 1 "upcharge" though) is THE thing to order... that yes the other meats are less costly and such but that on lamb, oh that tough-spot-free meat that he so so carefully removes all parts not-perfect-texture from before ever cooking it (!)--that's the cost thing--the time in preparing it--ain't no fondue joint, kids, no chunks of boiled meats with dipping goo... well, when you get lamb for both, assuming the price hasn't gone down for his top quality, meticulously carved meat, he breaks even on the price of that part of the meal--all because he wants to keep the love for it alive without getting so expensive that everyday digging-this-cutie people can't, on such special occasions, have that special ensemble (it would be worth $75 and upwards to me if it came with another eggplant and that bonus bolani to round it off, but that amount would be for starving artists like we were, which he could tell). So, that eggplant is definitely of the devil, I'm certain, and putting all kinds of evil in me when I eat it and have oralgasms repeatedly--did I mention that thing positively MELTS in your mouth?? Eggplant... melting... with that amazing saucey moat... god I am about to drool... ok, my chin's back on my knee to Dam the flood in there)...
So on this Thursday at 5, while more patrons quietly followed the scents and joined the orgasmic night... it was clear to him that as we, at the romannnntic little corner window with its blinds and beats and bobbles, analyzed every spice (being supertasters, after all) in the ash and all else... that look of love (for the food, the experience) did transfer to the owner who made sure we felt very special all night--he even gave me, a visitor, and him, a then-new-resident here, Kabul pens and such... I took a menu...circled the drool-creators... stored their # on my cell with "Wallingford near that park with the gas thingy, combo for 2 all lamb" and proceeded to finish falling in love. Whaddayaknow, my friend called as we'd just left, and she got sick. I should find backup hosting. Oh drats. "Let me see if it's ok" with big thumbs up, oh yeah.... Thanks, Kabul. And flu.
Moral of the story?
Kabul is dangerous. If you are hungry and with someone you are getting along with pretty well, you're asking for it. Go, ASK... Dance with this devil. Be enticed... start with the rugged but gentle pastry filled with potatoes, scallions, and delicate cilantro (I nearly hated cilantro before that day) served with the PERFECT sauce(s--they gave us 2 cause the waiter liked another off-the-menu sauce, and wow, both were amazing, yogurt the best for this combo... to exotic, sensual cardamom tea... to comforting ash soup, mmm how hearty--what perfect minestrone therapy produces in your mind but not in the bowl often enough... (no not the taste, the therapeutic effect)... to meticulous thoughtful lamb, lovely little breads for grabbing... then that sultry, seductive, saucy eggplant... going between lamb and eggplant, the eggplant being that last bite of moist melting that ... yeah. foodgasm. Finish it off like good sex-ice cream. Pistachio rose water ice cream (with saffron?) for us.
I go every time I can afford it. EVERY time. I skip other meals to visit Kabul.
We really liked this place and would definitely go back. the eggplant dip was really tasty as was my beef kabob and my husbands filled pasta. I never knew Afghani's ate pasta, so I learned something new.
If I had to complain about anything, it was the excess of cologne that the server was wearing..and my mountain of rice. I think that I could have been happy with a little more beef kabob and a little less rice, for the high price of the entree. rice cant be that expensive, right?
we will definitely go back though!
Got the chicken kabob plate, $17. Tasty, but only six chunks of chicken. Like others have said...not a huge plate of food.
To get four stars the plate would have to cost either $14 or come with eight pieces of chicken.
Solid three stars.
Went here with a group of four, and we threw ourselves at the mercy of the server - she brought us four dishes which were to die for. I don't know what we had, so can't list them here, but given the selection I don't see how you could be disappointed with anything! Absolutely phenomenal food, and great service!
Every time I drive by this place (which is a lot) on 45th, I laugh just a wee bit.
*wee laugh* They're still ripping people off in there *wee laugh*.
3 slices of eggplant for $15. WTF? Even my carnivore companions felt ripped off by their small portions. We're not Claim-Jumper-portion type of people either.
Staff was friendly and the Afghan bread and salads were, well, there.
The portion sizes are quite small for the price. The bread you get is a single skinny section, equivalent to about 1/8 of a tortilla...
If the portion sizes were larger I'd give it a 4. The food is good, though not the best Afghan food I've had.
We tried this place on a whim last night before heading over to the Guild to see a movie, and were pleasantly surprised. In perusing the menu, it is reminiscent of an Indian restaurant to some degree, and since we're big fans of Indian food, we gave it a try.
The service was friendly and swift, and the food was tasty. I can't comment on the kebabs since we are both vegetarians, but the menu does clearly point out the vegetarian entrees. We started with some lightly friend turnovers filled with potato and herbs, served with a delicious yogurt-garlic sauce. For my entree, I opted for a homemade pasta dish that was very flavorful. I recommend the house tea, which is a blend of black teas spiced with cardamom, which was a pleasant, spicy flavor the likes of which I'd never had before. We would have tried dessert, as there were a couple enticing options, but we were operating under a schedule.
The owner (I'm guessing) was very friendly, and engaged us in conversation on two occasions, asking whether it was our first time in and also discussing the various contributions that Afghan culture has made to even seemingly distant western culture. It's not as though he was hitting us over the head with "rah rah" Afghan promotion--it was welcome, friendly chatter in our opinion.
It's not a cheap place, really, but not outlandish, either. If you find yourself hungry in Wallingford, and wonder what Afghan food is all about, Kabul is worthy of your consideration.
I lived in Seattle for four years and miss very few things about it... but this place is definitely one of them.
I ended up there on two consecutive birthdays and one anniversary-- they have a roasted eggplant dish that simply melts in your mouth. The atmosphere is subdued, elegant, and somewhat festive all at once, and my then-boyfriend and I always felt welcome (and remembered!). He was a huge fan of meat, and the steak kebobs were always a favorite. We were shit-broke, but always treated like royalty, and so our dining experiences there were well worth the splurge (Kabul is not particularly expensive, but, like I said-- we were broke. We lived in the U-District over by the freeway... need I say more?).
Go. Enjoy yourself. Take a date. They'll love you for it.
I'd never had Afghani food before, so I didn't know what to expect - now I know to expect flavorful, warm dishes that are perfect for fall evenings.
We went to Kabul for a friend's birthday and really, really enjoyed ourselves. Our large group of 11 was accommodated gracefully and happily by the staff of Kabul - they made sure we were comfortable and well fed. I had the awesome cardamom tea (free refills!) and shared the kebab combination - tender chicken, beef with flavors to die for, a ridiculously good piece of eggplant, soup, flat bread...tons of food, and all of it was good. Turns out Afghan food features a lot of dill, and I'm OK with that.
Contrary to one of the reviews below, the eggplant was my favorite dish of the evening - the tomato sauce it's served with is so good. I would go back again just for that.
The interior of Kabul is totally different than what I expected - not sure why, but I expected it to resemble a sparse and plain teriyaki restaurant, rather than the nice and comfortable atmosphere we encountered.
Though we went on a Sunday, the place was full - now we know why it's so popular!
MMMM...eating the food here is like going down a slip and slide on a sunny day- exciting yet familiar, and at the end, when you're drenched and covered in grass, you want everyone else join in.
Eating Afghan food might sound exotic, but the kabobs taste a lot like the kabobs you make on your Midwestern back porch in August. It's just that Kabul's kabobs are made with more flavor and better meat (sorry dad!).
My beau tried Afghani food for the first time on a recent visit to San Diego, and raved so much that we simply had to try it when we got back to Seattle.
We were searching for a last-minute, local place that offered take-out and Kabul came up in the short list. I ordered Badenjan Borani, an eggplant dish covered in a tomato and ground beef sauce. It doesn't sound like much, but it was amazing! I had enough left over for breakfast the next morning. My beau ordered Kebab Murgh, a chicken kebab. It was good, but I was much happier with my choice.
We'll definitely keep Kabul in our repertoire.
A wonderful find in Wallingford, our first experience with Afghani cuisine, and we've come back a few times because of the food, service, and convenient location.
The menu is pretty limited, but what they do have is very good. We have tried the Bolani and Burta for appetizers. The Bolani are deep-fried, thin triangles filled with mashed potatoes, cilantro and scallions, and come with a yummy yogurt dipping sauce. Delicious! The Burta is an eggplant-based dip with many other flavors, including yogurt, mint, and olive oil, and comes with Afghan bread, which is something like lavash bread, but thinner and lighter.
In terms of entrees, we have tried all of the kebabs (lamb, chicken, beef), and the Ashak with ground beef. The kebabs are basic kebabs, but whatever spices they put in perfectly complement the meat, and they are marinated and grilled to perfection. No dry, overdone meat at this place! The accompanying salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and green onions with mint and lemon dressing highlights every entree.
The reason that we continue to return to Kabul is the Ashak. At first, the description made us a little curious - pasta with yogurt garlic sauce? But when we jumped, we were rewarded. Ashak is flat sheets of pasta layered with a tomato sauce and the yogurt sauce, and is like nothing you've had before. The way that the ground beef is seasoned makes it so tantalizing you don't even think of it as ground beef. The way that the spices are layered, one might expect sensory overload, but somehow, it works!
From what we've had, Afghani cuisine uses a lot of yogurt and spices in their food, especially mint. It reminded me of a cross between Mediterranean and Indian cuisine, and Moroccan as well. If you're not used to these flavors it might send you whirling - but in a good way!
The waitstaff are very polite and attentive, and the atmosphere is cozy and great for a unique date. I was also told that they only take reservations for groups of 4 or more, but I've never seen it crowded enough to worry about not getting a seat.
PS - the baklava is lovely for dessert!
A great place for a meal of layered flavors, especially Cardamom. If you are trying it for the first time order the 2 person combo. An Astro favorite.
I know that Afgani food is hard to do, and almost never done right... and this place is, sadly, no exception. I know people always say that the food is better in the country it is from... easy to see why, and a lot of the food was pretty good when I was in Afganistan... that being said, the whole cuisine isn't the best in the world, and you're fooling yourself if you think it is.
The fried stuff is soggy, everything is covered carelessly with yogurt, everything. Also, that yougurt isn't very good.
The ambiance is nice, and it was romantic enough for the date I had there, but the food was just not that good, the service is overbearing, and it isn't worth the dough.
I went here on a week night with my girlfriend and had a great time. We had some sampler meal that contained three seperate dishes. The spices were great in all of them, but the eggplant in one dish was served as a 'cutlet' but had the consistency of cornmeal mush.
The servers were really really friendly and quick. They also were very great at describing the dishes so we knew what we were getting.
I'd recommend this place but suggest you steer clear of the eggplant.
PS The mural on the side of the building is pretty tacky.
Lamb is the new pork. Mmmm.
(By the way guys, that "hot chick" was 12 years old. Perverts.)
To set the record straight, this place is slightly pricier than you expect only because it looks like one of those restaurants on the ave that sits next to a terriyaki restaurant. However, the food here is well prepared and very tasty!!! Also the staff is inviting and very professional.
I always get this pasta dish with some sort of slightly tangy yogurt meat sauce and its unlike anything else I've had. If you like Greek yogurt you will definitely enjoy this place!
Neighborhood: University District
Category: Afghan
Neighborhood: Wallingford
Category: Hawaiian
Neighborhood: Wallingford
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Wallingford
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Wallingford
Category: Greek
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