In Toronto, we’re blessed to be able to eat cuisines from so
many cultures. Up until recently, I’ve never experienced Afghan dishes: the
spiced meats, herbed yoghurt or fruit studded rice. The tastes are familiar –
Persian, Indian, and Middle Eastern – but it’s still unique and the spices
balanced and not quite as overwhelming for a virgin palette.
You have to try the mantu
(5 for $6.99 or 10 for $10.99), they’re fantastic. Square shaped dumplings
filled with sautéed onions and ground beef pinched into an ultra-thin wrapper.
Generally, I find dumplings need to be piping hot to be at their peak, however,
mantus are topped with a light
garlicky yoghurt, stewed split peas and mint making it equally delicious cold.
For a heavier appetizer, the bolanee’s ($6.99) potato filling wrapped in a thin pan fried naan
will satisfy. The mixture is studded with green onions and herbs, but there’s
also a hit of heat that sneaks up on you. Since they don’t use a lot of fats at
Naan and Kabob, the bolanee is rather
dry; a dip into yogurt or the “magic sauce” really helps.
You can’t visit the restaurant without trying their namesake
kabobs. Each is served with salad and fresh naan (more like a thick dry crusty
flatbread than the flakey soft Indian counterparts). It’s worth paying the extra
$1.50 to add rice, the long grains are perfect for mixing with pieces of meat
and the accompanying sauces. For another $1.50 the rice can be topped with qabli, a mixture of re-hydrated raisins
and slivered carrots, which keeps the rice moist and adds sweetness.
Having tried two pieces of the classic chicken breast kabob
($9.49) throughout the evening, it was a hit or miss. The first piece was the
typical dry unappealing chicken – the output of something skinless and
boneless. Meanwhile, a later piece was juicy and tender.
If you’d rather stick with chicken (lamb is a more popular
Afghan protein), I’d go with the tandoori breast kabob ($9.99) instead, which
was succulent every time having been marinated and cooked at a higher
temperature. Moreover, the tandoori spices adds flavour so you don’t need to
rely on the hot or magic sauce for taste.
Their shish kabob ($8.40) takes ground beef and a house blend
of Afghani herbs and spices then forms it onto skewers before grilling. It’s a
tasty combination of seasoning and the sprinkling of lentils (?) put into the
meat helps to seal in juices.
You can tell the kids that the chaplee ($9.49) are burgers with the naan substituting for the bun.
The ground beef patties are more flavourful than the North American version,
but also leaner and thoroughly cooked through.
Naan and Kabob only has one dessert, a firni ($2.49), but it’s a delicious one. After a heavier meal of
rice and meat, it’s nice to end with a lightly sweetened rosewater milk dessert,
its texture a cross between pudding and mousse, oh so silky.
There’s also a mango smoothie ($3.49) available, it’s a
thinner consistency that makes it more like juice. For something really
different try the doogh ($2.29), a water and yoghurt drink topped with dried
mint. It takes some getting used to as the drink is salty, so works better when
you’re eating the kabobs.
A portion of Naan and Kabob’s proceeds is given to Covenant
House. But, they don’t stop at just donating money; the restaurant also
provides youth job opportunities so they can get culinary training and develop
their skills. A commendable endeavor the four-restaurant chain has implemented
to give back to their GTA community.
Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
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