Celebrating an Anniversary with Afghan Fare

On Tuesday evening, Z and I celebrated our two year anniversary by partaking in two activities we both really enjoy: Eating good food and drinking good wine. Z had made reservations at a restaurant while I was away in Orlando last weekend, and he refused to tell me where he made the reservations at. Let's just say I never would have guessed where he was taking me.

Z and I both love Indian food, so he had a feeling I would enjoy dinner at Helmand Restaurant, an Afghan eatery in Cambridge. I had never tried Afghan food before last night, so I was really eager to get inside and start eating.

I didn't snap any photos, as I was "off duty" for this special occasion, but hopefully my words will express just how amazing our meal, the service and the atmosphere was. The restaurant's decor alone was instantly comforting - the walls were painted in warm colors, the tables were well spaced out (and filled on this Tuesday evening), and we were greeted by a welcoming, attentive hostess. Since we had reservations, we were sat at a table within minutes, and our server took our drink orders. We opted for a bottle of 2008 Valiano Chianti Classico ($35), a varietal we both fell in love with while we were in Tuscany.

Our friendly, knowledgeable waiter brought us complimentary Afghan bread with three sauces - a mild yogurt sauce, a slightly spicy cilantro sauce, and a very spicy hot pepper sauce - and we eagerly gobbled it down while perusing the menu. After some intense decision-making, we ordered the Bowlawni special (just over $10), which included three brick oven-baked pastry shells, one filled with leeks and scallions, one filled with spiced potatoes, and the third filled with fresh butternut squash. The plate was garnished with yogurt sauce and mint. All three pastry shells were chocked full of their flavorful, obviously-fresh stuffings, which made the $10+ price tag completely worth every penny. (Note: Helmand has Bowlani on their regular appetizer menu that includes the scallion/leek and potato pastries for $7.50).

For our entrees, I opted for the Showla ($14.95), which was rice, mong beans and black-eyed peas sauteed with onions, tomatoes and garlic, then baked with dill and coriander seeds. This was all served with a stuffed poblano pepper filled with spinach and cheese, and smothered in tomato sauce. The rice with beans was amazingly creamy, and was perfectly seasoned (it takes a lot for me to say that). The pepper also contained a nice level of heat, and complemented the side of rice and beans surprisingly well.

Z ordered the vegetarian special ($14.95) that evening, which included baked pumpkin, pan-fried eggplant, sauteed spinach and okra sauteed in fresh tomatoes, and served with pallow rice. Z's dish was also wonderfully seasoned, and the baked pumpkin alone made my knees weak.

Our waiter offered us dessert menus (with options like Pudeen ($3.95), which is homemade cream caramel, and Sheerberaing ($3.95), rice pudding served with pistachio and cardamom), but Z and I were were too stuffed to even think about dessert. I even had half of my entree to go for lunch the next day.

Overall, our meal at The Helmand Restaurant was an exquisite introduction to Afghan food for me. The food, service and environment made Z and I's special occasion that much more enjoyable. If you're looking to try Afghan food, or are simply looking for a local place to have some traditional Afghan fare, Helmand is your restaurant.

Have you ever had Afghan food? Are you a fan?

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