Vancouver World Tour > Middle East> Afghanistan
Pulling up in front of the Afghan Horsemen’s new location – a restaurant I hadn’t eaten at in years – I exclaimed over their sign, still intact since 1974. It was a guess at the date but, even though it turned out to be correct, this restaurant has been around a long time and corresponds with my first forays into “adventurous eating”, driving into the city from Langley to sit on cushions and eat strangely named luxuries.
Lush fabrics, ethnic art and artifacts hung on the walls make it feel as though you’ve been transported to a yurt in the Khyber Pass. They have tables and chairs, but for the full experience be sure to sit in one of the “pillow rooms” on a night when they have a belly dancer. Seated on cushions at low, communal dining tables sets the stage for an exotic dining experience.
From their website:
Afghani cuisine is mainly influenced by that of old Persia, India, Greece, and Mongolia. It draws together spices from India and Greece, styles of cooking meat from Persia, and rice, noodles and various pastas from Mongolia. The ingredients are fresh and without preservatives. The flavors of Afghanistan include cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, saffron, cloves, coriander, garlic, black pepper, cilantro, dill and mint. Onion and tomato are also important in Afghani cooking. Afghan cuisine is noted for its succulent kebabs in addition to its variety of lentil and vegetarian dishes.
Meals come out in platters, so you’ll have the best sampling if you go in a group, but everything is available individually as well. At $17.95 the appetizer platter for two is not the array of riches it portends, but you will get one of everything; salata with feta cheese, humus, sabzi mast (spinach & yogurt dip), boulany (crust stuffed with mashed potatoes and onions) & sambosa (spiced mixed veggies and potato, wrapped in dough & deep fried), with chaka (sour cream & yogurt) and pita.
We also had the mantu, a Middle-Eastern version of the Chinese mantou. It’s a mixture of spiced minced beef, onions and herbs wrapped in dough, then steamed and topped with the ubiquitous chaka. We also had the kabuli palaw which comes vegetarian or with a choice of meat. Like in Indian cuisine, palaw is baked rice with sautéed carrots, raisins and almonds while kabuli is spinach, cauliflower and potato mix. We got it topped with a braised lamb shoulder.
I remember being enthralled with the Afghan Horsemen. So many group dinners of my past were held there, but maybe the magic of the room captured my imagination or perhaps my palate has changed. On this visit, the flavours were interesting but everything tasted watered down and oily, the delicate spices being overrun by the need to feed too many dinner guests.
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Afghan Horsemen
1833 Anderson Street #202, Vancouver
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