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untilalmostliquefiedthenliberallydousedwith
garlicyoghurtandfreshmint.It’srich,oily,slightly
sweetandutterlyaddictive.
TheKabulipalawisadazzlingmoundoflong-grain
ricejewelledwithfilamentsofcaramelisedcarrot,
sultanas,sliveredalmondsandpistachios.Like an
adventcalendar,eachbiterevealsanewsensation:
onemouthfulhasahintofcardamom,thenext a
burstofsweetnessfromtheplumpsultanas.
ParwanadefiespreconceptionsofAfghan food
asameat-heavycuisinebutthemorghlawang is a
visualdelight.Goldenchunksofchickenare bathed
inredandgreenspicesthatscreamfreshness and are
servedwithapiquant,chimichurri-likechutney.
Eventhedessertsarefragrantwithspices. Despite
thelargeportionsIcan’tresisttryingthespecial,
astarofsoftsemolinapuddingshoweredwith
pistachiosandaccompaniedbyrichvanillaand
cardamomice-cream.Threadsofsaffronadd a slight
earthinesstothepotpourriofflavoursandI linger
overitevenastherestaurantisemptying.
Soonwe’rethelastonesleftandoneofthe younger
Ayubisistellingusthatweneedtoleave.Iwant to
stayforanotherglassofwine,butit’s10pm and as
IlookaroundoutsideI’mremindedthatit’s late,
atleastforthesuburbs.DETAILS
PARWANA AFGHAN
KITCHEN
124B Henley Beach
Road, Adelaide, SA;
parwana.com.au
Verdict: Fabulous
comfort food that defies
expectations of Afghan
cuisine. A tight menu
foregrounds spices that
are blended subtly and
withgreateffect.
Score:
We rated: The warm
atmosphere, the
comfortable setting
and food that makes
judicious use of spices
without ever being
overpowering.
We’d change: I wish we
could have lingered just
a little bit longer.
Notes: Open for dinner
from 6pm every night
except Mondays.THE PIZZA SHOPS AND petrol stations lining
Henley Beach Road make it look like any other
suburban drag. And then I see the small crowd milling
outside Parwana. It’s 8pm on a Tuesday and the place
is completely full.
The Afghan restaurant doubled in size last year,
but getting a seat still requires a booking or a hefty
dose of luck. I’ve opted for the former.
Inside, it’s simple and homely. The walls are
painted in a patchwork of soft hues and hung with
colourful still lifes and black-and-white portraits.
These show members of the Ayubi family, who
arrived from Afghanistan 32 years ago. Now, three
generations work at the restaurant.
There’s no wine list but the Ayubis are happy
for diners to BYO and the nominal corkage goes
to charity. It makes the McLaren Vale nero we’ve
brought taste even better.
The menu is brief – always a good sign – with a
few staples available every day and several mains that
rotate throughout the week.
And one dish in particular has achieved cult status.
An inelegant slop of eggplant in a thick sauce of
tomato and onion, banjaan borani is not a dish prized
for its aesthetic qualities. But one mouthful is enough
to convince me of its virtues. The vegetable is cookedAUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COMAll AT reviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: An
appetiser of pekowrah, or spiced vegetable fritters;
Pictured here in the family-run Parwana, Zelmai
Ayubi migrated from Afghanistan with his wife
Farida and their young children in 1987 ; Eclectic
plateware is part of the dining experience.On a suburban strip between the CBD and airport, ALEXIS BUXTON-
COLLINS finds a surprising contender for Adelaide’ best dining experience.
HEART AND HOME
WEEKENDS | Reviews