Of the many things I expected in Afghanistan, AMAZING  food was not one of them. In fact, I’d gone so far as to pack some smaller jeans. Imagine my great delight (or disappointment) when I discovered that the food here is some of the best I’ve ever had! Spices like you wouldn’t believe followed by delicate bursts of flavor that are impossibly layered.

Before I go any further, I must proffer an apology to my “foodie” friends (you know who you are, Jo and Tyron)! I wish I had your sense memory. While I love a great meal, I generally just appreciate it and move on. Rarely do I go back in my memory to savor a dish…but the food here has been something other, so following is my feeble attempt to recapture a few meal highlights.

The country team I’m working for hosted my first amazing meal in-country. They threw an incredible welcome-to-Afghanistan-BBQ for the team. While the  BBQ was great, the runaway hit of the evening was Heidi’s chocolate cake. Chocolate explosion! Part sweetness & light and part warm chocolaty – gooiness.

Typical lunch at Rumi Restaurant

The following day we were surprised by Rumi Restaurant. It is a lovely little place near the agency’s main office that just happens to have a conference room…that comes complete with the best lunches, well, ever!!! I’ve  been lucky enough to have worked from this room for the past couple of weeks and each lunch has been better than the last! Not kidding. From rice with raisins, carrots and lamb to potatoes that have spices I don’t think I ever tasted – each day has been a gustatory delight!

Colleagues relaxing in the courtyard at the cafe.

Then there are the local restaurants…okay, not so much local as “approved” for expats.  The first was Flower Street Cafe where we enjoyed a lovely Italian lunch – salad (spinach, candied walnuts, apple and blue cheese) a panini, banana milkshake and a cappuccino. Almost like being in Rome…well, the armed guards might kinda tip you off, but still, nice food!

L’Atmosphere is decidedly French up to and including storming the entrance…which is much like storming the beaches at Normandy – potential for harm, but ultimately rewarding. To enter the restaurant you are first scrutinized by an armed guard at the main gate, you then enter a small room, the gate is shut behind you and the guard checks your bags – and does a quick visual check to make sure you don’t have weapons. Once cleared from this room, you enter a second chamber where once again the door is closed behind you before the armed guard in this room gives the signal for the final door to be opened into the compound. Phew!

Once inside you’ll be greeted with a mediocre bottle of wine (of dubious storage)  but the food is worth the hassle. A brilliant spinach and pomegranate salad, nice pesto pasta…but the piece d’resistance has to be the chocolate fondant. Seriously! I don’ t know who supples chocolate to Afghanistan, but I’ve never tasted it put to better use!

Finally there is the Lebanese Taverna… a.k.a. little slice ‘o heaven. The first night my colleagues and I ordered family style (hummus, tabbouleh, falafel and baba ghanoush) what arrived on our table included lentil soup, savory pastries (cheese & spinach), homemade pickles and dessert that started with the best hot chocolate I have EVER had (…and yes Chandler, it was even better than mine!) then chocolate cake and nuts clustered together with thickened honey. If I remember correctly I believe we were rolled out of the restaurant!

…so much for my new jeans!