Eating Out - Afghan

Once again, the phone camera does not do the food justice.

The Afghan Grill (Afghan)

There are times I feel like we've tried every type of cuisine available, but then we stumble across a restaurant that reminds me that there is no way that's even possible. Fortunately, Groupon sometimes acts as a reminder, too, and armed with a half off coupon, we headed to Woodley Park to see what the heck Afghan cuisine even is.

Observations

• We went in the absolute pouring down rain, after eight, on a week night, and much to my surprise, the place was crowded. We had to wait for several minutes for a table, and fortunate for us, it was first-come-first-served. That system was not so fortunate for the folks who made reservations.
• The restaurant is really pretty. They have a nice view of the fringes of Adams Morgan, comfortable lighting, and beautiful plates and dishes. Judging by the diners around us, it appears to be a go-to date place for college seniors, liberal arts grad students, or not-for-profit staffers. You know, young, liberal minded study abroad types.
• We started the meal with an order of bulanee, a leek filled turnover topped with mint (pictured above). I immediately wanted more...
• I had the korma chaloa - chicken breast simmered with tomatoes, garlic, onion, and coriander seeds. It was pretty delicious.
• Kathryn had the mantoo - steamed beef dumplings topped with garlic yogurt and vegetable sauce. It was definitely a comfort food - very similar to beef stroganov but with more spice.
• We bought their next Groupon a few days later! We're definitely headed back.