We Fall in Love with the Food of Afghanistan

The holidays slowed the pace of our diplomat dining a bit, but Murray and I were able to have one more great meal before the close of 2009.  This time, our adventure was with Afghan food.  A diplomat at the Afghan Mission to the United Nations recommended two Afghani restaurants to Murray, but his remarks made it clear that Bamiyan is his favorite.

We were a group of five for a fairly early dinner on the Sunday after Christmas.  Prior to our visit to Bamiyan, none of us had any particular knowledge of Afghani cuisine, but somehow we knew we were going to love the food.  And love it we did!

In doing a bit of research since our meal, I’ve learned that Afghanistan is geographically situated such that, over the centuries, travelers from numerous other cultures have brought in all sorts of influence, including culinary.  As a result, Afghan food bears some similarity to Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Persian, Central Asian, and Indian foods.

When we placed our order at Bamiyan, we relied almost exclusively on our waitress.  Everything on the menu looked great, and we suspected we’d be happy with anything, but we wanted to make sure we were ordering items that were most authentic.  This is what we ended up with:

Appetizers

• Aushak, steamed scallion dumplings topped with yogurt-mint sauce
  
• Kadu, turnovers filled with pumpkin; with yogurt dip on the side
  
• Baunjaun Bouranee, eggplant slices layered over mint yogurt
  
• Fesenjan, sweet and sour tender pieces of boneless chicken with walnuts and pomegranate juice
• Dolma, grape leaves stuffed with lightly seasoned ground beef and rice
  

Our favorites were the kadu and the the fesenjan, both offering an unusual combination of flavors that I am still, almost two weeks later, thinking about.

Entrees

• Lamb Kabob (Bareh), a skewer of lamb pieces grilled with green peppers and onions; brown basmati rice topped with raisins and carrots

• Bamiyah Chalow, sauteéd fresh okra with tomatoes and fresh herbs
• Quorma Sabz with Lamb, sauteéd fresh spinach and herbs with tender pieces of lamb
• Lowand Chalow, tender boneless chicken breast sauteéd in savory yogurt sauce seasoned with dill and tarragon
  
• Shireen Palow with Cornish Game Hen Kabob, a sweet baked rice dish flavored with orange peel and saffron, and grilled cornish game hen

The entrees were as memorable as the appetizers.  The lamb, chicken and cornish hen were all extremely tender.  And even though all but one of us said ahead of time that we didn't really like okra, the okra disappeared quickly, and I think there's been a change of heart.

Even after eating all of that, we were interested in dessert, so we ordered:

• Malai-e, vanilla ice cream flavored with rose water and honey
• Phirnee, a creamy rice-flour pudding with pistachios and rose water
• Baklava, an especially tasty version of this rich layered dessert with nuts and honey

I do not hesitate to recommend this as a choice spot for vegetarians.  There are more than 10 vegetarian entrees, and -- given that Bamiyan was able to get us all to enjoy okra -- imagine what they can do with eggplant, peas, and beans! 

The bill for five of us totaled around $250, including tip and wine. All major credit cards are accepted.

I highly recommend Bamiyan, and hope to be able to return there soon.

Where and When

Bamiyan
358 Third Ave. (at 26th St)
New York, NY 10016

212-481-3232

www.bamiyan.com

(If for no other reason, look at the site to see the unusual interior and exterior decor of Bamiyan.  Unfortunately my photos did not do justice, so I didn't include them in this post.)

Open 7 Days a Week
12:00 noon - 11:00 pm