Something Exotic

is not only Temecula’s only Afghan restaurant, it’s probably the most exotic.

The restaurant has about a dozen tables – both inside and a few on a patio – in a strip mall next to the Macaroni Grill to the east of the Promenade.

It’s been in the location for a little longer than a year. It’s small, independently owned and one of the most unique restaurants in the city for at least two reasons. First, it’s small, intimate and classy. Second, an Afghan restaurant is a pretty rare find, even in a big city.

Afghan cuisine’s characteristics are unsurprising, considering the nation’s location. It shares its longest boarders with Iran and Pakistan, and the cuisine has a lot in common with their cuisines; spiced kabobs, curries, flat bread and jasmine rice make up much of the meal.

The restaurant has a good atmosphere. It's decorated with middle-eastern memorabilia, an ornate room divider, traditional children’s clothing, a tapestry.

During dinnertime last week, the tables were dressed in cloth, sitar music buzzed calmly and the server was friendly. The owner was in the store working in the back, but she made time to check on her guests twice during my meal. The small dining area, smallish tables and dim light make this more of a date place than a bring-out-the-whole-raucous-family place.

Though the ambiance was nice, the food outshone it. I recommend the vegetable platter, which included four vegetable dishes and four seasoned rices served on one huge dish. The vegetables are seasonal, according to the server, but mine came with five: okra, lentils, green beans, potatoes and creamed spinach.

The spinach was heavy and bland, but the rest were the opposite – light and colorful. The okra bathed in a red tomato-based curry, the lentils were rich and spicy and even the green beans were full of flavor.

The highlight of this meal was the rice. They were all jasmine, but spiced differently. One was sautéed with shredded carrots, raisins and almond slices. Another was spiced with pepper and cardamom; the aroma was wonderful. Another – my favorite – was steamed with cherries. If you opt for a flavored rice, get this one. The entire vegetable platter cost $14.95.

The chai tea was mellower than what you get in a coffee house. It tastes more like tea and less like a liquid desert. The base is green tea with cardamom and cloves adding the character. Vanilla seemed absent, unlike more American commercial chai teas. It ran $2.50.

The curried chicken – or qabeli palow – was delicious, but nothing out of the ordinary for the fan of Indian cuisine. The chunks of chicken were large, and the curry sauce was not as heavy and oily as the kind most Indian restaurants serve. It came with the same sautéed rice that was in the vegetable platter. It cost $15.95.

The stuffed grape leaves were different from the ones I had at Greek restaurants. They were filled with sticky rice, and they were mellower and less vinegary. I was a little disappointed, but if you shy away from the acidic taste of vinegar, you'll like them.

This is the place to go if you’ve never tried Afghan cuisine or you’re looking for something a little out-of-the-ordinary to try after a night on the town.