Lemar-Aftaab Oct-Dec. 1997 - Articles -The Helmand : Exquisite Four Star Afghan Cuisine

The Helmand:
Exquisite Four Star Afghan Cuisine

Farhad Azad

After a long day of sight seeing the city of San Francisco, my cousin Yamah, my dear friend Walid, and I grew an appetite. Driving down Broadway, we ran into a restaurant; the awning of the restaurant read, "Afghan Cuisine- The Helmand."

Delighted to find an Afghan restaurant, we immediately found parking and made our way by foot up busy Broadway to The Helmand. The restaurant was not opened for another fifteen minutes, thus, we waited outside and pasted the time by reading the reviews of the restaurant by various newspapers and magazines which were posted outside the door. Overwhelmed by the superb reviews, we were ready to give the place a try! The doors opened, a gentlemen with a dark mustache let us inside. We spoke to him in Dari, and he responded with a big welcome and smile; he than showed us to our table.

The restaurant was dimly lit. The dinning room had just the right Afghan touch in decoration: various posters of rural Afghanistan and a huge burgundy Herati rug hung on the red clay brick walls. Light instrumental Afghan music(rubab,dutaar,and dowl) played which gave the place a much warmer effect.

The menu was will organized and the prices very reasonable. The man who sat us came and presented himself in a polite and professional manner. He inquired a little about us, and we did the same of him. We discovered a few facts about the establishment: The Helmand was established over eleven years ago in the city of San Francisco: it is the only Afghan restaurant in the city: another Helmand is in Massachusetts: in the year 1994, the restaurant was picked 94th best restaurant in America.

We ordered our dinners. I selected theTeeka Kebab which was delicious! The food was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of seasonings. The appearance of our meal was extremely well organized and tasteful. There was a very authentic, and familiar aroma coming from the food. The food was more than plenty. In fact, I believe we were served more for we were Afghan! After finishing the delicious meal, the manager treated us to hot tea and dessert: baghlaawa and firni.

The meal was superb and the service marvelous, and the extra was the hearty Afghan hospitality that you can not find anywhere else in the world. In every aspect, The Helmand is one of the finer Afghan Restaurants in America. So when you are in the Bay Area, please stop at The Helmand for exquisite Afghan food and hospitality awaits you!