Helmand Restaurant, Cambridge
Sep. 11th, 2009 06:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bex77I got taken out to dinner again last night! What a week....
N. arranged dinner with a couple of friends at Helmand, the Afghan restaurant on 1st Street, down the block from the Cambridgeside Galleria Mall. I adore it there, but hadn't been in a long time. It's such a pleasant room...yellow stucco walls, big brick fired oven in the wall...very classy. The food is like a cross between Greek and Indian food...lots of spices but not spicy, if you know what I mean. They have great photos of the place and the food on their web site. http://www.helmandrestaurantcambridge.com/
Be sure to make reservations. You can usually do it the same day, but do it. It fills up every night.
We started with their free flatbread right out of the brick oven. They give you butter and three sauces to put on it - a very spicy red sauce, the green minty nut sauce and the white yogurt sauce.
We shared a bunch of their side dishes. It all sounds like food that you wouldn't order and are a little afraid of what it taste like, but trust me...it is incredible. Here are my recommendations:
Aushak - leek dumplings
Bendi - okra with garlic, onion and tomatoes
Banjan - eggplant with garlic mint sauce
Kaddo - absolutely not to be missed pumpkin with yogurt, garlic, ground beef sauce
One of our companions said the Kaddo was the best food in the world. So I am not making it up!
All the soups are good. I like the Aush - a noodle soup with beef sauce and mint yogurt, and N. is partial to the Mashawa - lamb, mung beans, chick peas, black-eyed peas and yogurt.
It's always hard to choose an entree, because they are each delicious in their own way. They have lamb, beef, chicken, fish and vegetarian options. It's a great place for vegetarians. I usually order qabelee - lamb, rice, carrots and raisins. N. likes the kofta challow - large, spicy meatballs over rice with a tomato sauce. We also saw the bowlawni for the first time - two pastry squares, sort of like crepes or naan, one filled with leeks and the other potatoes, garnished with mint yogurt.
And don't forget dessert. They have what N. called "the best baklava ever" but I am partial to something called feereney (it's hard not to say Ferengi). It's a cool white pudding with fresh fruit (kiwi, strawberry, pineapple, blueberry, raspberry) that is a marvelous, light end to the meal. N. also had their cardamom tea.
They have an extensive list of wines, after dinner drinks, coffees and a full bar.
The service is very friendly, but slow...plan to spend at least a couple of hours. But that goes along with the classy feel of the place and spaces out the courses so you have room to taste them all. The prices are very reasonable for such a special place and food.
If you haven't been, go! I'd be glad to tag along any time. I hope to go back very soon.
N. arranged dinner with a couple of friends at Helmand, the Afghan restaurant on 1st Street, down the block from the Cambridgeside Galleria Mall. I adore it there, but hadn't been in a long time. It's such a pleasant room...yellow stucco walls, big brick fired oven in the wall...very classy. The food is like a cross between Greek and Indian food...lots of spices but not spicy, if you know what I mean. They have great photos of the place and the food on their web site. http://www.helmandrestaurantcambridge.com/
Be sure to make reservations. You can usually do it the same day, but do it. It fills up every night.
We started with their free flatbread right out of the brick oven. They give you butter and three sauces to put on it - a very spicy red sauce, the green minty nut sauce and the white yogurt sauce.
We shared a bunch of their side dishes. It all sounds like food that you wouldn't order and are a little afraid of what it taste like, but trust me...it is incredible. Here are my recommendations:
Aushak - leek dumplings
Bendi - okra with garlic, onion and tomatoes
Banjan - eggplant with garlic mint sauce
Kaddo - absolutely not to be missed pumpkin with yogurt, garlic, ground beef sauce
One of our companions said the Kaddo was the best food in the world. So I am not making it up!
All the soups are good. I like the Aush - a noodle soup with beef sauce and mint yogurt, and N. is partial to the Mashawa - lamb, mung beans, chick peas, black-eyed peas and yogurt.
It's always hard to choose an entree, because they are each delicious in their own way. They have lamb, beef, chicken, fish and vegetarian options. It's a great place for vegetarians. I usually order qabelee - lamb, rice, carrots and raisins. N. likes the kofta challow - large, spicy meatballs over rice with a tomato sauce. We also saw the bowlawni for the first time - two pastry squares, sort of like crepes or naan, one filled with leeks and the other potatoes, garnished with mint yogurt.
And don't forget dessert. They have what N. called "the best baklava ever" but I am partial to something called feereney (it's hard not to say Ferengi). It's a cool white pudding with fresh fruit (kiwi, strawberry, pineapple, blueberry, raspberry) that is a marvelous, light end to the meal. N. also had their cardamom tea.
They have an extensive list of wines, after dinner drinks, coffees and a full bar.
The service is very friendly, but slow...plan to spend at least a couple of hours. But that goes along with the classy feel of the place and spaces out the courses so you have room to taste them all. The prices are very reasonable for such a special place and food.
If you haven't been, go! I'd be glad to tag along any time. I hope to go back very soon.
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no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 12:13 am (UTC)Although I love small town life, I miss big town ethnic restaurants. :-)
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 03:35 pm (UTC)They find it odd, but they'll do it.
Happy More Birthday! (that's how I look at it!)