Tri-City: Afghan Village Restaurant
When my coworker HA told me that there is an Afghan buffet in Newark, I demanded that we go. As soon as possible.
We made it happen one weekend early in September:
Afghan Village Restaurant was set up like a banquet hall:
There was even a little alcove with two thrones set up on a raised platform (I'm assuming for wedding parties).
The wall panels looked really familiar to me. I swear it's the same as the one at De Afghanan Kabob House. I shared my observations with HA, who joked that all Afghans buy their interior decor from the same place. I noted that must be true since the other wall looked suspiciously similar to the backsplash in her own kitchen.
We could have ordered a la carte off the menu, but we were there for one thing and one thing only...the buffet:
Besides the hot food, there was a salad bar as well as a dessert one:
Even though the selection wasn't crazy big, it had everything I wanted. Chicken kebabs, lamb pilaf, mantu (dumplings), eggplant, and sabzi (spinach) to name a few:
I'm a bit spoiled when it comes to Afghan food, because HA is an amazing cook and a generous one to boot. Her eggplant is the best and the one at Afghan Village just couldn't compare. But while HA's mother's sabzi is to die for, Afghan Village's wasn't half bad. I kept going back for seconds and thirds. The chicken was surprisingly juicy, the lamb tender, and unlimited chai is always a plus.
At around $18 per person, the buffet wasn't cheap. But the food was good and Afghan buffets are few and far between. My family was appalled when HA's mother beat us to the bill. Even more so when she ordered ice cream for us off the menu at the end of the meal.
Yes, she was the one who discovered and recommended the restaurant, but still! It was our turn!
Grr...this just means we should plan another food outing soon. Tell your mother no cheating next time, HA.
Afghan Village Restaurant
5698 Thornton Ave
Newark, CA 94560
(510) 790-0557
We made it happen one weekend early in September:
Afghan Village Restaurant was set up like a banquet hall:
There was even a little alcove with two thrones set up on a raised platform (I'm assuming for wedding parties).
The wall panels looked really familiar to me. I swear it's the same as the one at De Afghanan Kabob House. I shared my observations with HA, who joked that all Afghans buy their interior decor from the same place. I noted that must be true since the other wall looked suspiciously similar to the backsplash in her own kitchen.
We could have ordered a la carte off the menu, but we were there for one thing and one thing only...the buffet:
Besides the hot food, there was a salad bar as well as a dessert one:
Even though the selection wasn't crazy big, it had everything I wanted. Chicken kebabs, lamb pilaf, mantu (dumplings), eggplant, and sabzi (spinach) to name a few:
I'm a bit spoiled when it comes to Afghan food, because HA is an amazing cook and a generous one to boot. Her eggplant is the best and the one at Afghan Village just couldn't compare. But while HA's mother's sabzi is to die for, Afghan Village's wasn't half bad. I kept going back for seconds and thirds. The chicken was surprisingly juicy, the lamb tender, and unlimited chai is always a plus.
At around $18 per person, the buffet wasn't cheap. But the food was good and Afghan buffets are few and far between. My family was appalled when HA's mother beat us to the bill. Even more so when she ordered ice cream for us off the menu at the end of the meal.
Yes, she was the one who discovered and recommended the restaurant, but still! It was our turn!
Grr...this just means we should plan another food outing soon. Tell your mother no cheating next time, HA.
Afghan Village Restaurant
5698 Thornton Ave
Newark, CA 94560
(510) 790-0557
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