Kabul Charcoal Restaurant

KABUL CHARCOAL RESTAURANT HAS PERMANENTLY CLOSED.

Kabul Charcoal Restaurant is a secret treasure of a budget eatery that brings the delectable tastes of traditional Afghani cuisine to a busy Milton intersection.

Well worth seeking out for its delicious Middle East-meets-Indian dishes refined over the years from ancient recipes, Kabul Charcoal Restaurant is also top value and, as a bonus, BYO. The interior of this charming eatery is decorated in keeping with traditional rugs, carved wooden furniture, silk tasselled drapes and glass chandeliers.

But the food is the main attraction, with just about everything on the menu a flavoursome delight. Start with an entree of Bolani (home-made Afghani dough), filled with fresh chives or mashed potato, seasoned with herbs, lightly-fried and served with yoghurt; or the Chapli Kebab (minced patties made with vegetables, garlic, onion and spices, lightly-fried and served with chutney.

A house specialty are the charcoal-cooked Afghan kebabs (chicken, lamb mince or lamb backstrap), marinated in the chef's special spices and served with rice and salad, and not to be missed is the delicious Afghani naan as a side.

For mains, an absolute must-try is the Mantu (heavenly Afghani dumplings, filled with ground beef mince, garlic and steamed onion, in yoghurt and lentil sauce) and the Qabuli Palow (fragrant rice withslow cooled lamb meat, fried sultanas and carrot). Also highly recommended are the Kofta Challow (traditional Afghani meatballs cooked in rich tomato sauce and served with Palow rice) or the Ashak (pasta dumplings filled with chives and served with minced sauce, yoghurt and fresh mint).

There's also a selection of Afghani korma curries, Meat Karahi (BBQ marinated lamb or chicken cooked with fresh tomato, onion egg and hot chilli) and an excellent choice of vegetarian dishes including Afghani okra stew and Burani - eggplant, potato or pumpkin cooked in rich tomato sauce with garlic, fresh mint and yoghurt), as well as Afghani or Garden salads.

And for dessert, there's a choice of Baklava or Gulab Jamaan, with drinks including Afghani black or green tea, lassi and Dough Drink ( a savoury yoghurt-based drink).

Nice to know - The majority of dishes at Kabul Charcoal are gluten-free and the traditional vegetarian dishes can be prepared as vegan.

Need to know - There's a small amount of off-street parking on the corner of Baroona Rd.