Many weeks ago an intrepid team of suburban Melbourne gourmets travelled into the heart of Central Asia, via Brunswick Street, to taste the delights of authentic Afghan cuisine. No review ever came back. It was thought lost forever. But now, at last, for the first time on this website, the story of that meal can be told…

Meal #34: Afghanistan

It’s been the low season for tourism in Afghanistan for a while now but there was a time when this spectacular country was a must-stop destination for any serious backpacker. While the Afghanistan of old, a legendarily relaxed land of tea-rooms, colourful bazaars and caravanserais, seems to have dissipated like a desert mirage, on Brunswick Street we found an oasis where some of the old spirit lingers on.

Afghan Gallery
327 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy

Brunswick Street, being something of a bazaar itself, seemed the perfect spot to find authentic Afghan cuisine. The Afghan Gallery is something of a Brunswick Street institution, and many passers by have been tempted in over the years by the promise of fine cuisine and the exotic pleasures of the “Afghan tent party” advertised on the chalkboard out the front.

Eight diners came on our Afghan foray - Rami, Caroline, Nick, Paul, Deb, Sai, Kel and Regan. The restaurant was divided into two sections – the downstairs area, which had standard western-style table settings, and the “tent party” upstairs, where diners lounged around low tables on sofas that appear to be have been upholstered with Persian rugs. The illusion of a tent setting was completed by a riot of colourful wall hangings. Naturally, we chose to have our meal in this section. Unfortunately the camera had technical difficulties, so please excuse the correspondent-style photos taken from a mobile phone, which don’t really do the colours and atmosphere justice.

Despite the exuberant surrounds, the staff didn’t appear to be in party mode. They were brusque and bristled if asked questions that didn’t involve actually ordering a meal. While waiting for some late-running diners we asked if we could get a plate of dips to tide us over in the meantime. Apparently not. We had to order everything at once. “No, kitchen very busy” was the last, and indeed only, word on the matter. Admittedly, the place was very busy, with constant streams of diners coming in and out. We took this as a good sign and after finally getting to order we eagerly awaited our meal.

… and waited.

…and waited.

…and continued to wait, at first eagerly, then a bit angrily, then simply hungrily. All in all, we had been on our low-slung sofas for well over an hour before any food got to the table. When it arrived though, it was like rain in the desert.

The meal

Afghan food, similar to northern Indian and Pakistani cuisine, relies more on subtle mixes of spices than on hot curry. Yogurt-based sauces appeared to be common. The menu also offered a range of vegetarian dishes, with lentils a common ingredient.

We started with the ubiquitous middle eastern entrée – the dip platter with unleavened bread – along with some Afghan specialties. There were pakouras - deep fried vegetables served with a refreshing yogurt sauce - and ashak, leek pastries, that came with a spicier sauce using yogurt and lentils. Together with a hearty vegetable soup, these tasty starters helped restore the mood after the long wait.

Things only got better as the mains came out. The kofte – spiced meatballs – were described by one diner as the best they’d ever eaten. Another favourite was the vine leaf roll, or dolma. Unlike the small dolmades that are becoming a delicatessan standard in Australia, this was a large meal-sized roll, exquisitely tasty and served with an excellent sauce. It was good enough that we even braved the surly service to order a second helping.

Most of the meat dishes on the menu were either qormas (ie curries) or kebabs. We had both the lamb and beef qormas. Both were great, although we concluded that lamb worked better with the mild Afghan spices, seeming to soak up and enhance the flavours more effectively than the beef, which could overpower the spices with its own strong flavour. This interplay of lamb and spice came into its own in the kebab barg, elevating a simple meal of lamb skewers on rice into a masterpiece. Our other kebab dish, the kebab karai, was a surprise, as it came as a hotpot. Chunks of lamb were served in a claypot along with mixed vegetables, olives and egg, the flavours blending into each other, for a sumptuous one-pot feast.

Rice came with most dishes and, of course, no Afghan meal would be complete with the signature Afghan dish, the pulao. The Kabuli pulao was a blend of rice, beef, carrot, almond and sultana, a semi sweet and wholely satisfying combination.

The verdict

Afghan Gallery played a delicate balancing act, weighing slow and surly service on one side versus brilliant food on the other. In some ways it was reminiscent of the “Soup Nazi” episode of Seinfeld. Yes, the process of getting the food was more difficult then it needed to be, but it was worth it in the end. While the service irked some diners, all was forgiven when the meal arrived and we wouldn’t hesitate to return. We wouldn’t try to fit in a quick meal before or maybe a movie or something though - go into the Afghan Gallery and who knows when you’ll come back out?

Mains were in the $15 - $20 price range and they have to be tasted to be believed. One warning though: after a long time on a low seat, enjoying a banquet of sumptuous food, getting back on your feet can be a creaky, awkward business. Or is that just us getting old after travelling over almost half the globe?