Afghan Cuisine — Restaurant in Richmond

THIS IS IT: HE BEST FAMILY OWNED SMALL-BUSINESS

I eat out all the time and let me tell you, I don’t usually give 5 stars in all categories out easily. This place deserves the title of “best small business” spot in VA. And here is why.

The Food: attention to food quality is the number one priority, I have eaten fine dining in New York, and commonly you eat out of premium silverware and golden chairs but the food is the main thing you come for, and these people brought to me an “authentic” Afghan cooking like the one I taste in an Afghani home or in Uzbekistan. The Lamb shank was cooked to perfection, the Pillow was steamed soft and properly seasoned, the bread was fresh, hot, and not over burned.

The Service: they posted fast-food low prices, me and my friend spent 50 bucks and ate like kings, but that’s not all, we were greeted promptly as we entered, the menu was explained to us in detail and pleasant attitude, and although payment is upfront, the service is brought to the table and the waiter checks on you similar to how you would dine at Olive Garden or better places.

The Atmosphere: people don’t often care for more than a comfortable sofa, big table, and nice interior decor, this place while looks like a restaurant gives you a homie feeling thanks to its lighting, big windows, spacious arrangement and comfortable seating, and even thou they are in the middle of remodelling they take care to keep the area tidy and quite during opening hours.

This place has no professional management it is family owned and powered by the ethics and traditions of its operators, this disconnects you from the white-glove western methods of service and brings you to a sense of “normality” of how well people treat each other like people.

——— Support this business, stop by, and try that Lamb Shank, other restaurant owners should come here and take notes on how good...

I was in Richmond yesterday and wanted to check out some Afghani food. I've had a great deal of experience with the restaurants up in the Washington DC area. This restaurant appeared to have some good reviews but I was pretty disappointed. The Samosa was good and the Manto dumplings were ok, but the tomato and lentil sauce was also pretty bland when it should have been more rich tasting. The most disappointing was the lamb shank Qabili (Kabuli) was definitely not up to par. It was a very large portion, but it was very bland, lacking the warm spices of cardamom and cinnamon. It was more like steamed basmati rice with carrots and raisins. It did not seem to be cooked in the broth like it should have been. The lamb shank was large and cooked well but again, it lack flavor and seasoning. The flatbread apoearded to be store bought abd reheated. I don't live near any Afghani restaurants, which I have enjoyed a lot in the past. So I was looking forward to this on my trip to Richmond. However, if I return to Richmond I will definitely try a different restaurant.

NOTE: in response to your response, I didn't say cinnamon on the lamb, I said seasoning (salt, pepper). I referenced it in the bland rice.

"Qabili, also known as Kabuli Pulao or Qabili Palaw, is Afghanistan's national dish, celebrated for its rich blend of savory and sweet flavors. It is a fragrant rice pilaf traditionally made with tender lamb or chicken, caramelized carrots, raisins, and a blend of warm spices like cardamom, cumin, and cinnamon, often garnished with almonds and pistachios."

Afghani qabili To Par-boil the Rice ▢1¼ cup basmati rice, rinsed and soaked for 10 mins ▢5 cups water ▢1 green cardamom ▢2 cloves ▢1 inch cinnamon...

Sometimes magic does happen. In 2018, we visited Washington DC and on the way home to Charlotte visited Afghan Cuisines and loved the food so much that we always desired to visit them again. Fast forward 2023, we visited DC again, but didn't have a clue about this restaurant as none of our past pics captured the location. We took an exit to go to Panera bread to have our lunch and magically Afghan Cuisines pops up and we decide to take a chance and drive up to it in search of good food. To our surprise, it was the same restaurant and we were all super excited.

The food, service and atmosphere has not changed since the last time we visited this place. I have gone through all the reviews and it looks like some travellers had a bad experience, but we had pleasant food that could be rated 5-star. Anyone looking for authentic Kabuli food should visit this place for sure, and hope you will not be disappointed.

If you have to order just one dish, go for Lamb Shank. We...