“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
—James Beard
Have you ever attempted to make plans for dinner with friends and can’t think of where to go. How soon we forget about some great eateries of the past that escape our consciousness because it is not in our neighborhood. Bill recommended Kabul Authentic Cuisine, a place Cecile and I have gone to several times with friends back in the day, forgetting how good it is on many levels. The exotic entrees, the relaxing and hospitable ambiance, the big portions, and reasonable price have propelled them to the center of the Silicon Valley dining scene. Kabul came into existence in 1987 and moved to Sunnyvale near Murphy Street’s Restaurant Row, a year later. Owners, Najib and Adib Naimi’s traditional recipes are derived from their mother’s kitchen in the heart of Kabul, Afghanistan when they were teenagers, passed down from generation to generation. Afghan Cuisine is imbued with robust spices found in their home country and surrounding neighboring countries.
We shared two appetizers: Aushak, onion-filled dumplings topped with yogurt and meat sauce, sprinkled with mint; and Manta: dumplings filled with ground lamb, onion, and spices, topped with yogurt and vegetables. Bill and I had a Heineken and Sarah had a glass of wine.
For our entrees, Cecile and Bill ordered Kabul’s Combination Kabab: a skewer of lamb and salmon, with a side of fragrant pallaw (seasoned rice)
and salad. I had a skewer of lamb and chicken with the same side dishes, and Sarah had Marinated lamb loin chops, with rice. Each entree comes with Afghan nan which is almost a meter-long and half-an-inch thick. The skewers are sort of menacing. thoughts of sword swallowing on America’s Got Talent (AGT) came to mind, and Bill re-enacted what that may look like and I got him on video:).
Afghanistan is located at the culinary crossroads of many cultures. The food relies on spices such as cumin, sesame, cinnamon and coriander, which is also central to Indian good. The country’s many types of kebabs show kinship with the Middle East, including the liberal use of yogurt which gives the dishes
a cooling effect in contrast to the aromatic spices. As we feasted on our delicious food, it was difficult not to think that the country from where these delicious recipes are derived from, that nearly 20 million people in Afghanistan, almost half of its population suffering from food insecurity die due to Taliban’s rule, the US-led economic sanctions, and extreme droughts triggered by climate change.
Postscript: When we were escorted to our tables and took a seat, the first thing I noticed was a haunting image of “Afghan Girl”
who was arrested amid a refugee crackdown. He piercing sea-green eyes, captured by photographer Steve McCurry and was published on the cover of National Geographic.
