Kabul Restaurant Sunnyvale - Impeccable Afghan Cuisine
Written: Aug 14 '02 (Updated Sep 02 '02)
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Pros: Family owned for 14 years. Wonderful meat dishes and great service.
Cons: Limited vegetable options.
The Bottom Line: Excellent food, excellent service, amazing value. The interior is dim and quiet, perfect for couples or friends who want to talk.
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| zzJulia's Full Review: Kabul Afghan Cuisine |
Kabul restaurant sounds like it must be a very exotic restaurant, one for adventurous eaters.
Not so.
In fact, Kabul is all about simple, homestyle foods. Essentially, most of the entrees are meat and rice platters. Granted, they're very large platters and the meats may be topped with spices like cinnamon, cardamom or cumin...but still, it's just meat and rice.
Location & Setting
Lucky for me, Kabul Restaurant is just minutes from my house in Sunnyvale. Unlucky for you, it's tucked in the back of a strip mall (what is it with good restaurants in the South Bay and strip malls??) near Jack in the Box on El Camino and Grape.
The interior of the restaurant is dimly lit, furnished with rugs and photos of Afghanistan. The tables are covered with linens and set with water goblets, definitely more upscale than my usual haunt Armadillo Willy's--but Kabul's is not an expensive place to dine. In fact, once you factor in the portion size, it almost works out to be cheaper than eating at Armadillo Willy's!
Though the restaurant is usually full, it's never loud or crowded feeling inside.
Tell Me About the Food
The appetizers are great. I must say now that the appetizers are a tad more "exotic" than the entrees. I'm a huge fan of the Mantu dumplings. These dumplings are filled with a garlicky ground lamb, then the dumplings are drizzled with yogurt sauce, peas and carrots. The dish is savory and unusual and for those who can't get enough, a full entree size of the dumplings is avaiable (the appetizer has 4 or 5 dumplings). My husband complains that the mantu dinner is not filling enough so he now orders the Mantu appetizer in addition to his lamb kebabs.
The other appetizer that I love is the Bulawanee, which are deep fried pastry pillows, again filled with garlicky ground lamb. Others rave about the Pakawra-E-Badenjan, but it's eggplant so I never order it. You see, I'm just not adventurous about eggplant. The appetizers and side dishes are all reasonably priced, about $4 each.
There are a couple side dishes of note, namely the kadu (pumpkin) and the spinach. The pumpkin side dish is really quite impressive, the pumpkin has been glazed in something sweet (honey?), then topped with of all things...a tangy meat ragu. It may sound unusual, but it's a wonderful dish and really complements the meat entrees well. The spinach is a bit more ordinary, a puree with lots of garlic and salt.
MEAT. Yes, this brings us to the meat portion of ourprogramming. The kebabs are impressive. For a mere $16.95, you can order an enormous combo platter of Lamb, chicken or beef. I don't even like lamb all that much but the lamb at Kabul is superior, not gamey at all. My favorite kebab platter is the chicken (kebab e murgh) platter for $13.95. Two long skewers of perfectly cooked meat, served on a bed of pallaw (seasoned rice). If I have a single complaint here, it's that the rice can be a bit dry, but I solve that problem by adding some spinach or pumpkin!
If you're not a fan of kebabs, don't worry. The stews are exceptional! I adore the gulpi challaw, a lovely tomato based beef stew that has cauliflower and onions. It's exceptional, and two of the other stews are variations of the same theme, only with green bell pepper (Korma Challaw) or eggplant (badenjan challaw) instead of cauliflower. The Korma Challaw is really a favorite of mine and I admit that I've never ordered the eggplant version. These stews are served with white rice and Kabul's signature flatbreads.
For the lamb lover, Kabul offers the Qabilli Pallaw. It is an amazing dish, one of heaping proportions. Essentially it is a mound of boiled lamb, then topped with rice, then topped with raisins and shredded carrots.
All their entrees come with a house salad. The portions are so large that I usually eat only 1/3 of my entree and take the rest home. It guarantees good leftovers the next day unless my husband gets to the fridge first!
Vegetarian options?
Yes, the side dishes of pumpkin, spinach and eggplant can all be ordered entree size. Also, the cauliflower stew sans beef is available too. Frankly, I think the vegetarians end up paying a higher price to eat there because their entrees still end up in the $12-15 range.
Dessert
The baklava. It's gooey, not as crisp as other mediterranean versions I've had, but the pistachios and pastry layers are drizzled all over with honey and are so tantalizing. Best of all, the honey is very fragrant and makes me think of rosewater. There is also a pistachio pudding. I'm not a fan of pudding, but the reviewer from San Jose Metro raved about it. Lastly, they have some sort of fried pastry puff (think giant wonton) topped with sugar and cinnamon. I believe it's called an "elephant ear" and it was nothing to write home about.
Tea - definitely try the tea. It's spicy and fragrant... and very addictive.
Service
This restaurant is truly a standout in Silicon Valley - a place where restaurants are expensive and good servers are scarce. At Kabul, the owner oversees things and the staff is attentive without being intrusive.
It's really appalling how low the standard of service is in Silicon Valley compared to other parts of the country. I get used to deaf waiters, never having my water glass filled, or even never having a water glass period. Then I fly down to Pasadena or San Diego, or drive up to Portland and I'm blown away by how attentive and great the waitstaff is.
Kabul is like the last bastion of having good service in my neighborhood. Best of all, the timing of the food is always good. I never feel like I'm waiting forever. After you order, have a drink, your salad will arrive. Once they clear your salad plates, your appetizers or entree will appear quickly. This is a really well run operation!
The restuarant fills up quickly after 7pm. Prior to that time, you rarely need a reservation.
History
Kabul has been a beloved local restaurant in Santa Clara County for 14 years. My husband has been dining there for 13 years. The owner's brother opened a sister restaurant in San Carlos in 1990. After the horrendous events of September 11, 2001, we wondered what might become of our favorite restaurant. On Sept. 13, we drove over for dinner only to find that the front door had a large American flag draped across it. Once inside, we discovered the place was packed as usual. The locals had come out in full force to support a longtime restaurant in the community.
Recommended:
Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Try the Mantu appetizer or the Kadu side dish.
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
zzJulia
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Member: Juls W.
Location: Sunny California
Reviews written: 130
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Silicon Valley Girl.
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