Afghan Horseman Restaurant: the first Afghan restaurant in Vancity

This was my first time trying Afghan food and I assumed it was similar to other middle eastern cuisine I've tried before (i.e. Lebanese, etc.). I was surprised to find out that it was middle eastern cuisine with a Greek twist to it. I believe this restaurant is the first Afghani restaurant that opened in Vancouver and it's been open for 41 years now. If they've been open for that long, they must be doing something right!

We were guided towards a room where you had to take shoes off and sit down on cushiony floor. I am very much used to sitting on the ground as there are a lot of restaurants in Korea where you sit on the ground so this made me slightly nostalgic. There were a lot of comfortable cushion and plenty of room to stretch my legs which was nice. 

The dineout menu was only $20 which I was extremely excited about. There were two options to choose from: A & B. A was the meat option and B was the veggie option. Zach and I decided to order one each so we can try all of the dishes. 

Aush Soup (Tomato-based Noodle Soup Mixed WIth Yogurt & Mint Flakes) & Potato Boulany (Whole Wheat Crust Stuffed With Potatoes, Sautéed onions & Herbs) 

The Potato Boulany looked like two chapattis with potato stuffing. This was slightly spicy, greasy and delicious. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of the dish but imagine two chapattis put together and there you have it. The aush soup was very bland. It didn't even take like tomatoes and the noodles were so over done, it tasted as if they've been in the soup for days.

Aushak (Pasta Dumplings Filled with Leeks & Cilantro Topped with Yogurt) & Bedenjan Borani (Baked Eggplant With Tomato & Herbs Topped with Yogurt)

This was the veggie option. The aushak was good but I didn't find it particularly delicious. It tasted like any other dumplings. I found the sauce interesting because I am used to eating dumplings with soy sauce versus a tomato based sauce. The bedenjan borani had a bit of sweetness to it and it just melted in my mouth which made me re-think of the deliciousness of eggplants. If I know how to cook them properly, I would eat egg plants more frequently.

Lamb Shoulder - Our House Special Roasted Seasoned Lamb Shoulder

The lamb shoulder was cook perfectly and it was yummy and the deep fried potatoes were a perfect addition to the meal. It was so crunchy and yummy. I would eat them every single day if I could (without gaining weight and feeling guilty). Overall, I had enough food on my plate and felt satisfied with the different flavours and textures.

The desserts were chai flavoured pudding and milk flavoured pudding. It wasn't too sweet which was a pleasant addition to the meal. We also ordered chai afterwards but I was quite disappointed by the lack of flavour.

Overall, it was a good experience for $20 but I am not sure if I would come back again. I was looking for kick of flavours and I didn't really get that. It may be that the Dineout menu didn't provide what I was looking for. I hear they have belly dancing some nights so that may add to the experience.