A is for Afghan - Bamiyan Restaurant

Last night we had our first foray into this culinary adventure with an Afghan restaurant!  Russ had told me he has walked by this place a thousand times in NYC and never thought to go in so we made it our first stop along the way.  The restaurant is Bamiyan at 358 Third Avenue in Manhattan (on the corner of 26th Street.)   A large wooden door with a tree carved on it greets you and the restaurant is very warmly lit.  On the right when you walk in are a number of small tables on the floor where you can sit around on pillows and then it opens up into a full bar and large dining room.

Above:  The main dining room and bar

There was a really extensive menu with several appetizers, vegetarian options, kebabs, entrees and desserts.  There was also a wine list and a cocktail list with a full bar.  You can check out the whole menu by clicking HERE.

Above:  The menu

We each picked an appetizer that we both shared and an entree along as sharing a bottle of wine.  I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the food!  I had no idea what to expect but it was hearty, flavorful and interesting.

 Above:  Afghan Bread - thick, toasted on the outside, soft and warm on the inside, completely delicious 

 Above:   Hummus - super creamy with paprika on top.

Above:  Saland-e Sib - Warm fresh apples simmered in split peas and cinnamon, very sweet, delicious on the bread, tasted more like a dessert than an appetizer.

Above:  Basmati Rice - flavorful, well cooked, came with both entrees

Above:  Fesenjen - Sweet and Sour tender pieces of boneless chicken (mainly shredded) simmered with walnuts and pomegranate juice.  The sauce was thick and on the sweeter side, reminded me of a Mole sauce in terms of texture, very filling.

Above:  Sabzee Chalow - sauteeed spinich in herbs, fairly potent with a hint of onions, really good over the rice!

Above:  La Linda 2010 malbec - medium tannin, bright, juicy wine that complimented the food well.

All in all, I have to say I enjoyed my first try at Afghan food!  Everything was rich with a lot of spices, mostly on the sweet side but very filling and delicious.  My favorites were probably the bread and the apples, I probably could have made an entire meal out of just that but it was all delicious!  Can't wait to see what happens when we get to "B!"  To finish up, a few pictures of us at the restaurant!

 Above:  Russ photographing me photographing our food

Above:  Us outside of the restaurant after a great meal!

~Carly