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Categories: Middle Eastern, Afghan
37462 Fremont BlvdMon. 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Tue-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
"My husband and I LOVE this place. We always order the chicken taco looking thingy. I forget the name but its sssoooo goood! We always top it…" read more »
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Awesome.
4.9*
The servers and staff there were all very friendly, and the food--*drool*
I apologize for not remembering the names of the dishes--I'm not anywhere near Afghan, but I sure do like their food.
Ordered the stuffed bread, their special lamb dish (currants, carrots, leg of lamb over rice), braised pumpkin with rice, kabab special with beef and chicken and rice, and the Afghan dumplings.
Every Single One was excellent.
Afghan food is usually very fragrant and full of spices (but not spice-y hot). My favorite was the lamb with currants and carrots. The combination of sweet, salty, and meaty was just wonderful (reminds me of Alton Brown's "pot roast" with raisins and olives, wrapped in a foil pack--look it up sometime). They even "split" the order of the stuffed bread (which was also really good) for our group of 4--and by split, I think he meant they doubled the order because they sure did give us 2 full plates of the stuff.
For a real experience, take your shoes off and sit in the "tent" area with the low tables. Don't be facing the soles of your feet at people though--it's an insult.
-0.1 star for the Naan. What the heck? You guys make everything so good, but your naan is like old french bread crust! Get a tandoor like the Indian places near you! But for the diner, just order the stuffed bread and use that as your naan instead :-)
Salang Pass is an absolutely incredible dining experience! The food was beyond delicious, the ambience is wonderful, and the staff is great!
This was my first time trying Afghan food and it quickly moved up my list of favorite cuisines of the world, right up there with Thai, my favorite! The spices and flavors are all so vibrant and dance on your tongue individually, yet mix beautifully throughout the meal. So wonderful -- you leave full and satisfied, but not bloated at all.
I'm vegetarian and there were plenty of great options and an entire "Vegetarian" section on the menu (always love that!) The "vegetarian dish" platter for $11 was wonderful -- dahl lentil soup, sauteed eggplant, and spinach cooked to perfection with a generous side of fluffy basmati rice.
The traditional black or green tea is a wonderful compliment to the powerful flavors of the meal and the MUST-HAVE dessert is the ice cream!!! Probably the best ice cream I have ever had! It is vanilla with rosewater, cardamom, and pistachio. Unlike anything else you have every tried and a perfectly sweet climax to a wonderfully savory meal.
You must try Salang Pass!
NO TAKE OUT SERVICE!!!
This has happened to me three times now and I have lost my patience with their "rude" staff!!
"We are very busy we cannot arrange for a take out!"
Gee it's Monday evening 30 minutes before closing. The owners of Salang want to rethink about either extending their business hours or discontinuing to employ rude staff.
I have spoken with the owner several time, I have been a loyal customer here and I have even sympathized with the owner when crowds were low after 9/11 due to US- Afghanistan conflict. He would whine about how we all (residents of Fremont) don't go to his restaurant every time American casualties are high in Iraq and about how Afghan community in Fremont is innocent...etc. All those things I did sympathize with and I still do but please be nice when a customer orders your kabobs to go. Now that the crowds are returning to your restaurant....don't forget that some loyal customers kept coming and kept you in business even when times were bad.
I would give 4 stars for their food but I am just pissed at the rude answers. I don't think I want to go here again...even if the food is awesome...it's not worth the poor service.
Great food, greatservice, relaxing. You guys should try.
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We came here during our last visit to NorCal. I tell you, the experience was very memorable. Not only you get to taste authentic Afghan food but the ambiance really sets the mood. This was my first time ever trying their cuisine and made me research other restaurant alternatives near OC. The seating area was comfy with a bunch of pillows around, comes handy when you're so stuffed and just want to sit back and relax. I thank my two good friends for taking us to this joint.
Incredibly tasty!
We had the combo kabob plate (with beef and one of the chicken types) and the Lamb Korma. The meat was so tender and flavorful and the curry (and rice!) was equally good.
Let's not forget dessert! The Frini was so delectable.
Will return one day!
The food is Excellent. I have eaten at Salang Pass several times and have recommended it to my friends, who have thanked me.
My favorite is the Quabili Pallow (basmati rice cooked with lamb shank, carrots, and raisins).
The ambiance is good for taking a date and sitting on pillows at low tables in dim light
There are some folks with midwestern tastes that my not find the spicey food to there liking., to bad.
They do not serve alcohol, but you can bring your bottle of wine and pay a small cooperage fee.
Service is always good. Owner is always attentive and asks us how the food is, even though he already knows it's good.
I am a big fan of the combination kabob (chopan + chapli)...Always cooked to perfection.
Everyone working there is businesslike, but well mannered.
The bolani is flavorful, tandoori chicken is better than most Indian restaurants, though the style is a little different. At least, unlike most Indian restaurants, they don't rely on artificial food coloring.
The Fish curry and chicken curries are also excellent.
Quabili Pallow is tasty, good for those who like flavorful, if not spicy food.
Went there yesterday after reading the reviews here on yelp. To be honest, I wasn't impressed at all!!
First, the place looked a little run down the decorations were old and looked dirty. We sat at the tables and from where we were the floor seating inside looked very crammed. I didn't feel it was overpriced...I guess because of the generous portion sizes. This is what we ordered;
Appetizer:
Hummus - Didn't like it at all, it had no flavor. I have had better!
Main Course:
Chicken Koobedieh- It was nice, flavorful and a
generous portion.
Lamb Curry- The lamb was cooked well, I felt that it
wasn't as full of flavor as most middle-
eastern food is and it was a little too oily.
Dessert :
Faloodah- I have had better, the noodles were extremely
tasteless I mean the liquid they were in tasted
almost chalky. The Ice-cream however was the
saving grace of the dish...FIY..the portion is huge!
Baklava- Fine, the portion was quite small. I would have to
say I have had better.
The only reason I gave this place two stars is because I liked the person who served us dinner. He seemed to be the owner but not sure, he had very nice old Hindi songs which he played while we were eating. That's about the only thing I enjoyed!!
Overall, I don't recommend this place.
Love the food.
We had the combination kabobs, the chicken is real tender, and the meat kabob is very flavourful.
They have good veg options too, the grilled eggplant stuff (i think its called bolani) - highly recommended.
They have some of the entrees in smaller quantities as the appetizers, thats really nice coz u can taste it all :)
Desserts are nice too.
Service is a little slow, floor seating is traditional so we always try to get that.
This place is so awesome!!! I love the potato things. The curry is soooo good!! And they bake their rice, it's the best thing ever. The owner is hilarious.
Ohkay, so I walk in and sit down. I had high hopes based on the reviews here. I will say that the service was good. Now it goes down from here...
The warm eggplant appitizer would have been OK except for the fact that it was drowned in olive oil. I was looking for the Exxon Valdez oil spill, I thought Captain Joseph Hazelwood was having another moment in the kitchen hitting the 'sauce'.
The salad looked tired and over it. I could tell that it was packaged lettuce and edges were turning brown. I know they have a farmers market next to the store on the weekends, why not buy fresh salad? Hello...
Our first basket of bread was nice and warm, our second basket was stale as cardboard. I didn't understand that. The place was busy too, so it wasn't like food wasn't moving. I didn't get it.
The only thing I could taste in the lamb was SALT. It was good, and juicy and probably contained 900 times the daily recommended amoung of NaCl.
Also, it was a little more pricey then the other Afghani place accross the street which I intend to try next.
I base my experience against the Afghani food my friend's mom would cook when ever I visited him. His mom really knew how to cook.
I am considering visiting this place one last time though as I hope this was a fluke and I am really interested in finding good Afghani food in the Bay Area. Then again...
Today was my 3rd time at Salang's & contrary to the popular saying, it wasn't charming in the least.
I went for a late lunch (around 2:30) on a Sunday and despite it being a downtime, the place got pretty packed. There are only two waiters running the place, so the service was very slow.
The food was good, but not great.
I enjoyed the pumpkin appetizer. They come in small portions here, good for 2 people.
The lamb kebab was slightly overcooked/charred and had lots of bones.
The beef was pretty good, but nothing spectacular.
I have to commend the houe ice cream which was made with rose syrup and tasted heavenly.
On the downside, the restroom was very dirty and left me wondering about the sanitary conditions of the kitchen. A few hours after eating at Salang's I got sick and became very good friends with the toilet. Needless to say I am not going back anytime soon.
OK, I love Afghani food and this is pretty good Afghani food, on par with Kabul's in San Mateo. If your a big meateater, you may want to also visit the crowded dive across the street called "De Afghanan Kabob House" at some point in your Afghan culinary adventures, I didn't go because it was not vegetarian friendly.
Salang Pass has many vegetarian & vegan items! Yay!
The Bolani appetizer - warm, flaky bread, stuffed with potato, leeks and herbs and big enough to feed 4 people! Its sort of like an Indian aloo paratha, buttery and good. $6
The Veggie Borani Kadoo - (aka. like a Pumpkin Curry) was really good a little sweet. It was topped with dried mint and a garlicy yogurt sauce. I also enjoyed the well cooked, fluffy, long grain basmati rice it came with. $9
My dining partner fell in love with the lamb Sabazi, a leg of lamb cooked in a bushel of green herbs, (Sabazi means green, or green veggies). She commented it was so well cooked- it had been obviously slow cooked and the meat fell off the bone. $10
Not as good as De Afghan across the street but at least you can sit down with a group of friends for dinner. The food is pretty good, the service was all right. Our server was sweet but made mistakes with our order (gave us a wrong item, forgot to give us extra forks like we requested, was slow in coming by to see if we needed anything/for refills). It was a mediocre experience, overall. Would probably not be my first pick for an Afghan restaurant.
Super yummy Afgan food. Excellent atmosphere and even better food. Family style deliciousness.
This place is fun to go eat as a group. I always like to sit in the area with the floor pillows. I appreciate that they have vegetarian selections, it's not all kabob's like some other Afghani places. I always get the bolani bread and borani pumpkin dish. They are so delicious together. The mantoo is also very good. I recommend the tea as well. They don't serve alcohol, but many people bring in their own wine. Definitely make reservations for a group on fri/sat.
Great Food if you like kebabs and rice and curry. Afghan food is a milder blander version of Indian.
The chicken kaboodeh is excellent so is the Lamb. This fish curry is also a pleasant surprise. The starter eggplant is another favourite
Service: Mixed experieces. I like the sit down on the ground cushion experience but service is sometimes so slow that you feel ignored.
We had a couple of frustrating experiences regarding service but I will give them the benefit of a frustratingly busy day.
Dont go if you want a quick dinner.
Despite a somewhat nondescript storefront, Salang Pass is a lovingly and tastefully decorated restaurant ideal for introducing Afghan cuisine and culture to novices of Afghan food. The owners of Salang Pass used natural light, beautiful artifacts, and a gold-and-brown palette well for decor.
The restaurant is divided into "western" and "traditional" dining sections. My friends headed to the latter, which had floor seating with very low tables, "couches," and many many pillows - it had the feel of a palace. It did cross my mind later perhaps I should have taken off my shoes, though the restaurant staff and my friends were gracious enough not to mention a word. I also hoped maintenance isn't a problem; it would be a pity for any food or liquid to get on those lovely pillows, but from what I saw everything was in pristine condition so I would assume a well-maintained eatery attracts well-behaved customers.
At my friends' suggestion we ordered the quabili pallow (basmati rice cooked with lamb shank, carrots, and raisins). Mixing carrots and raisins with rice may not sound terribly enticing but the results were above my expectations; the dish itself was a beautiful sight of orange, purple, and brown. The raisins were soft and sweet - I wonder if they sun-dried the grapes themselves? The lamb juices bathed the entire dish in a fragrance; the meat practically fell off the bone and was tender and flavorful without the strong "personality" that lamb sometimes has. This dish definitely satisfies the three criteria - color, smell, and taste (in that order) - of good cooking.
We also ordered dumplings which I would consider the missing link between ravioli and pot stickers. I actually ate all of them without finding out what the filling was; all the dumplings were topped with a creamy sauce - yogurt? - and ground beef. I loved them so much that I just had ravioli for lunch today as a substitute.
A side salad (tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers) had a remarkable dressing - my tongue is very sensitive to sour tastes but this dressing proved to be appetizingly, mouthwateringly sour. It is a sign of the chefs' confidence that dressing is already added when the salad is served.
It was a special occasion for my friends and I was honored to be invited. The eating experience completed a very memorable evening.
P.S. Salang Pass is the major mountain pass connecting northern Afghanistan and Kabul province; a tunnel also runs through the region.
I never have any reason to go to Fremont, but my honey and I happened to be in the area and we stopped in because she had been there before. I don't have a lot of experience with Afghan food but what I have had, I've liked.
I ordered the Afghan beef "ravioli" and green tea, she had the curry chicken and a yogurt drink with cucumber in it. I loved the raviolis and would take these over any Italian ravioli. So flavorful and light! I'm also a big fan of Afghan style green tea - they put cardamom in it which gives it a sweeter and cooling flavor, and this is the only time you'll ever catch me putting sugar in my green tea!
To finish it all off, we had the baklava and an earth-shattering, time-stopping pudding flavored with rose water and cardamom. I had to halt all conversation because this pudding was so good it demanded my full attention.
Now I have ONE reason to go to Fremont, and a very good reason it is. I'd like to bring a whole crew down there some day. I hear they play Bollywood films across the street, so movie and dinner sounds perfect.
I have always prefered Afhgan food over Iranian food, even though both share similar qualities, ingredients, and presentation. But Afghan food has a lot more flavor and that's why I always find some myself craving it.
So when in Fremont, I cure my cravings by heading to Salang Pass. This place does not look like much from the outside. However, once you step inside, you are transported to another the world. This restaurant is decorated very well and I loved that I was able to eat on the floor Afghan style.
The service is top notch. The PLI and I were well taken care of the entire time we were there.
As for the food, it was stellar. The mattoo appetizer was really tasty. My lamb and chicken kabob was delicious. She ordered the kobideh beef and kobideh chicken combo kabob and it was also delicious. It was hard to pick a favorite. But when everything is good, I guess that's a good thing.
The dessert I had was good too. It was an Afghan style cheesecake. I forgot what it was called, my tongue certainly did not forgot how it tasted.
That's what she said!
Okay, bad joke aside, if you want truly superior Middle Eastern experience, head over to Salang Pass. It's no Kabul, but it's the next best thing.
Been living in the Fremont area since around 1984 and Fremont is known to be Little Kabul, so I guess it's a bit surprising that I haven't had any of the local Afghan food this area is know for.
Finding Salang Pass Restaurant is easy, it's right off of Fremont Blvd close to the fire station across the street from the Persian Movie Theater, finding parking on the other hand, well, good thing I knew about the back parking lot behind Salang Pass otherwise I might have been a bit frustrated. So we parked in the back which they have a back entrance and walked to the front.
We were immediately seated and found a nice cozy spot in the "Western" seating area. They also have a traditional floor seating area complete with pillows and everything for a more intimate arrangement. The restaurant is very colorful and clean. We were given a menu and looked over the options.
The menu is nicely divided up and even had several vegetarian options for my wife. Prices here are reasonable. Most appetizers and salads will cost you around the $5 - $7 range and have items such as salads, kabobs and bolani. Their more extensive items have stews and bigger kabobs section will run you around $10 - $13. I don't recall seeing an item on the menu costing more than $15.
Going over the menu we decided to get the Bolani and my wife got a Vegetarian stew and I got the Lamb Stew. First up came the Bolani. This was really good. Don't be fooled by their description of it being like a "calzone". Sorry this is nothing close to a "calzone" as it's very flat and reminds me more of eating fresh made tortilla than anything else. Also the yogurt sauce that comes with it was excellent.
While enjoying our meals, up come the stews. Portion wise, very generous, each one was more than enough to serve two. I dug into my lamb stew. It had nice chunks of lamb and other vegetables. The sauce was good. Not to spicy, but had a decent amount of heat. My biggest complaint was that the lamb was a bit tougher than expected. I was hoping for something that was more tender.
My wife absolutely loved her vegetarian stew. She said it was great and had good flavor to it. My wife not being a fan of eggplant, even loved the egg plant. I had a taste of her dish and while it was good, I think they overcooked the egg plant to the point that it was mush. But my wife likes it that way and made her happy.
We ate about half our food with plenty left over. The service here was friendly and the food came out pretty quick. The waiter took good care of us.
As to rating, my wife would rate them much higher than I would. Honestly I think they undercooked (not as in raw but as in not as tender as it should be) the lamb and overcooked the eggplant. My wife loved everything. Would I come back, I probably would, both the prices and portions are very reasonable. I would give Salang Pass Restaurant a 3.5 rating, if my lamb was more tender, I probably would have rounded up to 4, but since it wasn't, I'm keeping them at 3 star. But overall Salang Pass Restaurant is a pretty good spot for middle eastern food.
Since I was taking out a large group of people out for lunch, I chose Salang Pass. They have this wonderful section for groups, with floor cusions, that make the experience a little more "cultural".
We ordered a ton of food and everything was delicious. I love the Qabli Paloa and chicken kabob. Simply awesome!
The service and atmosphere was also great.
In my opinion the only downside was the price. It's a little too expensive for my liking. So if you plan to take out a group of people for lunch (like I did), be sure to be in a generous mood....
Came here with my family to celebrate Father's Day. My mom picked out the place after reading reviews online and had dishes in mind already. Lucky for us, since it seemed like they didn't record our reservation (or another group's) and didn't give us our menus until we were seated for about 10 minutes.
The bread and salad were pretty standard but the appetizers we ordered were great. The borani kadoo, bolani, and the aushak are all highly recommended. For entrees, the lamb shank was the star of the show, as well as the rice that's served with all the dishes. Much better than the drier, charred kabob. The dessert pudding was nice and nutty but I prefer Indian rice pudding.
Service was friendly, albeit slow. Took about 20 minutes for a round of green tea (excellent) to come out and we weren't checked on very much.
Summary: 4/5 stars
+Appetizers were great
+Lamb shank was oh so tender
+I would eat this rice every day
+Afghan green tea
-Service was a bit slow
-Reservations not recorded
We've come here 3-4 times and I finally decided to take time to write a review. I love that this place is pleasantly homey and really feels like a family-run operation. When you walk in, you're greeted immediately and seated. It's the typical Afghan setup with a low cushioned seating area + regular tables and chairs.
The food:
1. Bread - comes to your table after you've ordered the entree. Warm, wheat pita-like with black and white sesame seeds. Very, very good.
2. Salad - not a throw-away. Has tomatoes, cucumbers, romaine, onions, and a delicious (do they bottle this?) peppery dressing. Yum!
3. Aushok - we order this each time. It's a spinach ravioli topped with a meat and yogurt sauce. Addictive.
4. Kebab - don't remember how it's written on the page, but it's the ground meat kebob that comes with rice and roasted tomatoes. My husband orders this each time and it's fantastic.
5. Challow w/ lamb - a lamb shank, cooked to perfection. The tomato sauce on top is to-die-for. I could eat this every day!
The service is great, the food is delicious. What more can you ask?
Great Veggie options, takes http://restaurant.com certificates on all days
Great food, but terrible service if you're not White.
The Chapli Kabob is amazing.
I've eaten here a few times, and have a pleasant experience each time. I think the portions are extremely generous, and the price very reasonable. $13 for the fish curry and I took half home. The bolani is super good and spicy and the waiters have been really nice. I dig it.
Went there for the first time yesterday. Food was disappointing: 4 pieces of kebab meat and a big plate of rice drenched in oil for $12.50. The food was cold. We also got sick from the food.
I went here with my girlfriends a few weeks ago and it was good enough for me to remember to write a review.
My advice is to definitely get the Bolani as an appetizer and to bring a bottle of wine, because the corkage fee is only $5.
In addition to the yummy Bolani and the wine, I ordered the vegetarian entree, which was a sampler of some of their vegetarian dishes. Although everything was a little oily, the spinach and eggplant were very flavorful and delicious.
The staff was friendly and professional, but the service was a little slow. But I had a relaxing time and didn't really mind the slowness, especially since I had friends and wine to help pass the time.
I would come back here again for the Bolani and to try other vegetarian dishes.
Visited this place with my parents today. It was PACKED. and I can see why. The food here is excellent, although the wait staff is a bit undermanned.
We had the pumpkin and eggplant appetizers, both very good. Two lamb dishes that were really good. One was a lamb shank with rice all over it. and the other a lamb tandoori (which is nothing like the Pakistani style tandoori). Also had a chicken curry that was good but not great. The salads and rice accompaniments were nice and fresh.
Everything was flavorful and I must say... *gasp* this place is better than The Helmand in SF. The textures and flavors were much more delicate and refined. The food tastes light and airy while packing robustness and definition. You can tell that someone is preparing this food very carefully.
We shared a bit of pudding and that was the perfect topper for a meal that left us all very happy.
This place is a gem. If you are ever in the area, you have to stop by. Also, prices are very fair compared to what you'd pay at the Helmand.
I was so sad that I went to a halal restaurant, missed the tiny print on the bottom that said it was halal and asked 2 (not 1, but 2) different staff, a busboy and a waiter if the food was halal and they both said NO. So, there I was ordering veggie and fish again, when I could have been having lamb. I was so mad, when the owner finally came around to our table and I asked him. He possible only came around to our table because there happened to be an Afghani at it. Although, in fairness, he did appear to be very active in managing the restaurant, checking on people, etc.
However, the food was really yummy. It was my second attempt at Afghani food, so I'm still comparing it to Pakistani & Indian food a bit, but it was spiced well and tasted good going down.
Plus, I love sitting on the floor to eat, so the nice cushions and the low tables in the section we requested to sit at were so fun.
OH MY GOD this place was amazing.
The decor alone earns this place mad stars. A beautiful central area filled with comfy pillows and low tables under gorgeous colored drapes will become your nesting area for the next hour (at least) if you're lucky enough to get space on the floor. That, and the staff is super friendly, super attentive, and just super awesome. Kick back and relax in the cushions as you peruse their extensive menu of savory goodness...
And then your food will come, and you will never want to leave, both because you're so comfortable and also because...you physically can't. I forget the names of all these dishes, but we had the Middle Eastern "calzone," "ravioli," some chicken kebab, and a spinach-y curry thing, and they were all amazing (even though the ravioli strangely tasted like my grandmother's boiled potstickers).
What looked even more amazing was the banquet being served to the party next to us. Enormous trays of kebab samplers and rice pudding and who knows what else made me feel grossly hunger even though I had just ingested more food than I thought was possible to fit into my stomach. Definitely consider taking a large group here and seeing what banquet menus they have to offer!
As much as I wanted to try dessert, I just couldn't. Plus, the fact that you're sitting on the ground paralyzes you that much more after your meal. But it doesn't matter, since it feels so good to recline almost completely and enjoy the rest of your afternoon talking yourself out of food coma with good company...
Only negative note: don't get the dogh drink. It tastes like your salad dressing.
Thanks, Yelpers! My S.O. and I were in the Fremont area today, when we decided it was time for dinner. We used the Yelp app on his iPhone to find a good recommendation, and Salang Pass was the first one to catch our eye.
Our meal started with a basket of warm bread which acted as a vessel for the two spicy sauces on the table. We also got a salad with what tasted like homemade dressing.
Like another reviewer mentioned, their website doesn't seem to be working correctly, so I'm unable to look up the exact name of one of the dishes we got, but I can tell you that we shared chicken kabobs (that was the name of one) and an eggplant dish. Both were delicious. I ordered the eggplant with the yogurt on the side, and I'm glad I did because I enjoyed the taste of the eggplant so much without the yogurt -- the yogurt would have hidden the other flavors too much. The chicken was flavored well and was cooked perfectly.
The eggplant was served with plain Basmati rice, which was cooked just right and had just a hint of flavor. The chicken was served with a more flavorful Basmati rice reminiscent of biryani that you would order at an Indian restaurant. The yogurt I got on the side tasted great on the more flavorful rice.
The service was prompt and reliable, and the water carafe on the table never left us needing more water. A gentlemen, perhaps the owner, came by to ask how the food was, and I got the impression he would fix it if there were something wrong.
Best of all, the check came, and the total bill for two entrees was under $30, and I'm completely full.
Looking forward to returning.
I had dinner here with my girls last Fri.
Even though it was prime dinner hour, we were seated immediately, and were thrilled there was parking in the lot!
My friend Wendy had been here before and told me they didn't serve liquor, but the corkage was a very cheap $5.
What would a girls night be without a little wine?
Our server was really nice about opening it for us too!
We immediately ordered a bolani, I'd had it somewhere else and LOVED it.
We were brought bread immediately, (it was called naan on the menu, but wasn't.) It was ok, but we mostly saved our bread calories for the bolani.
We waited a VERY long time for it. What seemed like an unreasonably long time.We found out our order had been given to another table.
When it finally got there, it was really good!
For my entree I ordered the kebab combo: 1/2 a kebab of grilled chicken breast, and 1 chicken koobideh kebab.
The chicken breast was juicy and flavored well. As for the koobideh....Not so much..I've had the same dish at numerous places, and it's never been the slightest bit spicy. It was literally covered in either red pepper or chili powder. At first i thought it was sumac, and couldn't figure out where the spiciness was coming from. The bolani was a little spicy, and I thought maybe that was it.
By the time I was almost done, and had another friend taste it, the culprit was found!
I would eat here again, I just wouldn't order the chicken koobideh!
All in all, this place is probably closer to a 3.5, but because of the uneven service, I had to give it a 3.
I wish it hadn't taken me this long to make it to Salang Pass - the food was DELICIOUS and full of flavor. I really liked the complimentary red hot sauce and mint chutney at each table though the food didn't really need extra sauces. They also leave a carafe of water at the table so you don't have to keep asking for water. They refilled our bread basket so we kept munching while waiting for the entrees.
The bolani ($6.50) is a crisp, thin pancake filled with mashed potatoes & leeks and served with a whipped, thick plain yogurt dip. Though everyone preferred De Afghanan's version with a thicker, softer grilled exterior, Salang's version was also good. The yogurt dip was okay - the texture was a bit strange (thicker and fluffier than the usual plain yogurt).
Mast-e-Khiar is a good side to order because the thick yogurt with chopped cucumber topped with spices goes with most dishes (similar to raita). It's a "cooling" dish.
The entrees come with Afghan bread (wheat, chewy, soft and thin with indentations) and salad (green salad with onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes with a light oil & vinegar dressing).
I ordered the fish curry ($12.95). I was pleasantly surprised to receive a large portion (as in the whole fish) of a mild, white fish that must have been fried a bit (it was crispy in parts) topped with a complex curry that reminded me of the fish masala you'd get at an Indian restaurant. I'm sure that the curry had coriander and turmeric, among other spices. The curry was quite oily and a bit saltier than it should be but once mixed with the long grain rice and doused with some hot sauce, I truly enjoyed the flavors of the dish.
Loved the canopied seating area with floor cushions and lanterns. It looked so comfy (but we sat at a regular table). The room is dominated by a painted mural of an Afghan woman in traditional dress in a grassy area and they have some carpets on the walls and floors. The restaurant smells like aromatic spices.
I'm sensing more of an Indian influence here than at other Afghan restaurants I've visited. They even have tandoori items on the menu.
My friends took my bf and I here. I had never had Afghani food so I was both excited and a little nervous to try it. Love how they have their own lil parking lot too.
We started wit the Bolani and it was so good, especially with the red sauce at the table, and a touch of yogurt. I ordered the eggplant dish and it was good. A little oily, but good. My bf had a chicken dish, don't remember what it was called but he seemed to enjoy it very much. I wasn't really feeling the yogurt drink though. Yogurt, cucumbers, and mint...I don't know why, but I thought it was going to be sweet and it was far from it. It was sour and reminded me of salad dressing! No thanks.
For dessert, I opted to try the cheesecake, and it was not your usual cheesecake. Thick block of cheese or something soaked in a sweet sauce. It was alright, next time I want to try the rose ice cream.
My stomach did gurgle for a while after....It was a little heavy, but it was good! Oh I took off one star for the turtle speed service. It wasn't crowded when we arrived but got super full as we waited, plus we were seated in the bootsy corner where they could barely see us.
So today is my first time ever eating Afghani food (i hope i spelled that right). I was actually apprehensive about trying it my whole life, but I dont know why when the food is so good.
Me and the hubby got the ravioli stuffed with leeks and topped with ground beef and yogurt for apps. Then for lunch entrees , I got the mantoo, which was dumplins stuffed with ground beef and topped with yogurt.. it was basically the same thing I got for the app but it was delicious. I just wished the waiter would have told me it was very similiar so that I could try other dishes that they had. But I guess its my fault because it clearly stated that they both had ground beef w/ yogurt. =( The hubby got the lamb something and it was also very tasty and tender. I ate lamb before and there always seem to have this weird aftertaste but the lamb here was very well seasoned and juicy.
I am usually scared of trying new types of food because I've always seemed to get disappointed when trying things for the norm. But today salang pass did not let us down. I will surely come back to try their other dishes.
After bitching for 2 years about the lack of restaurants in Fremont, it seemed like a good time to try this place that's half a block from our house.
The place is really lovely inside...and the food ain't half bad either. We had one vegetarian meal thing (I can't give you the exact names because their website appears to be down) which came with some spinachy blissfulness, some other veggie thing with yogurt on it, dal (I happen to find Afgan dal very uninspiring btw), basmati rice, and enough bread for my husband and I to share. We also ordered the eggplant from the vegetarian menu which was SO good.
We left stuffed and happy, and had a nice waddle home. The menu has plenty of variety for vegetarians. I left with several things is mind to try next time (I didn't even get any bolani!)
So my friend suggested this place for dinner the other day. We've passed by this place many times and I've had it bookmarked for a while too.
Salang Pass is on the Centerville district of Fremont Blvd just before the train tracks (or after depending on where you're coming from). Its very low key and non-flashy outside but who would have thought it so cool inside. They have a seating area with tables but most notably is this area where people sit on cushions on the floor. Its decorated to look as if you were under a colorful tent which is really nice.
So my friend made reservations for the floor; which me and my boyfriend didnt know so when we got there and told them how many, they started setting up a table for us. We ended up sitting on the floor but they were nice enough to move out table settings. The floor was pretty fun to sit at and the cushions were really comfortable. The only downside to it was if you come in a big group. If you dont get a corner seating, your group will end up sitting all in one side which makes conversation kinda hard at times.
As for the food; everything was delicious. They give you some naan and salad complimentary with your meal. The salad was lightly dressed and the veggies were crisp. The naan was pretty buttery tasting but its not warm like Indian naan.
Me and my boyfriend ordered the Bolani for appetizer and I loved it. The portion was huge; enough to share for our party of 6 and even some left to take home. Its this potato pancake thing with leeks and it comes with yogurt for dipping. So good! I loved mixing the yogurt with the green sauce (I think its chimichurri sauce).
One of our friends ordered a Manto (mantoo?) for appetizer which is like a ravioli or dumpling with ground meat, yogurt and tomato sauce. That was really good too. I think we could have made a meal those appetizers.
For the main dish, I ordered the challow kabob which is a ground sirloin grilled with some spices and its served with basmati rice and grilled tomato. The meat was really flavorful and tender. The portion was huge! I think I got to about a third and couldnt eat any more.
The service was okay. Our server was pretty cool and the manager/owner came in and check on us to see if everything was okay. They were pretty busy so we didnt get to order right away but our food came quick. There was only this other wait staff that was kinda off--everytime we ask him for something, he had to go get our actual server. Other than that, I have no complains. Plus our waters were refilled by them even though we had the pitcher in front of us and we could have done it ourselves.
Definitely coming back for more of that Bolani.
Fremont, CA
Category: Afghan
Newark, CA
Category: Afghan
Fremont, CA
Category: Middle Eastern
Fremont, CA
Category: Persian/Iranian
Fremont, CA
Category: Afghan
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