Taste Afghan Bliss: San Diego's Hidden Gem for "Xinjiang Pilaf"

Hidden Gem Afghan Restaurant in San Diego: A Great Alternative to Xinjiang Pilaf The other day, after visiting Balboa Park, I suddenly craved Xinjiang cuisine. Since I had tried an Uzbek restaurant in Florida before that tasted very similar to Xinjiang food, I searched Google Maps for Uzbek cuisine but didn’t find any. Instead, I came across this unassuming Afghan restaurant, and to my surprise, it was unexpectedly delicious! Khyber Pass Zarparan Restaurant 📍 523 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103 Royal Kabob Combo: This includes one chicken skewer, one kofta meatball skewer, and one beef skewer (the beef was incredibly juicy and flavorful), served with rice. ⭐️ Key Point: We upgraded the rice for +$3. Without the upgrade, it’s just plain yellow rice typically served with Middle Eastern grilled meats. But after upgrading, it resembled Xinjiang pilaf with raisins and carrots. I highly recommend upgrading—the grilled meat paired with this pilaf tasted very much like Xinjiang pilaf but with a unique twist. We also added grilled vegetables for +$4, which I don’t recommend—it was just big green peppers, onions, and a few undercooked zucchini slices. The grilling was not well done, and they were somewhat raw. ⭐️ ALC Lamb Kabob: Grilled lamb skewers These were included in the plate shown in the first picture—the two skewers on the far left. They were also very tender and flavorful, sprinkled with a tangy seasoning. Paired with the pilaf, they were absolutely delicious. Highly recommended! 4 Firnee: Milk pudding This is a unique dessert topped with crushed pistachios and cardamom. It’s not overly sweet, but the cardamom flavor is quite assertive, so if you don’t like cardamom, be cautious. However, I found it grew on me the more I ate it. 🅿️ There’s no parking lot at this location. I recommend parking in a nearby small plaza with free parking and walking over—it’s just across the street and very close. You can navigate directly to Five Guys. 📍 670 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103 #SanDiegoFood #SanDiegoLife #SanDiegoFoodExploration #AfghanCuisine #SanDiegoRestaurants #SanDiegoDateNight #SanDiegoDining #SanDiegoTravel #SanDiegoAfghanFood #SanDiegoPilaf