BAMYAN NARGES – Isarvorstadt – afghanisch

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“"Restaurant of the Year" – that's how Bamyan Narges is advertised. Restaurant of the Year – Afghan Cuisine 2014, to be precise. Since this further convinced me after browsing their website, and I'd always wanted to try Afghan food, I spontaneously called Bamyan Narges from the car the other evening – 20 minutes before our arrival – and we were kindly invited to just drop by, as many guests were just paying and leaving. When we arrived, there were indeed a few tables for two free, but as the evening progressed, we realized we were quite lucky with our spontaneously obtained table, as the restaurant filled up very quickly.

Immediately upon entering, a friendly woman—I suspect the same woman who spoke to us on the phone—showed us off to our table by the window, seated on a cushioned bench adorned with many red, oriental pillows. The restaurant, with its approximately 10-15 tables of varying sizes, some pushed together, offers ample space for diverse groups. Next to us sat a couple, at the next table a group of eight women, diagonally behind them an older couple, and in the somewhat secluded, elevated rear section of the restaurant, draped with fabrics, a few people wearing paper hats, who were clearly celebrating a birthday. 🙂

Bamyan Narges completely won me over, at least in terms of service. Our friendly waitress was consistently polite and attentive. However, immediately after we sat down (while I was taking some photos), she came to me and forbade me from taking pictures in the restaurant, so unfortunately I can't offer you any photos of the interior. According to them, the menu is deliberately not available online, which I always think can only hurt a restaurant – I always prefer restaurants that offer a printed menu. Anyway, here's a description: red walls, gold ornaments, upholstered seating by the window front – floor-to-ceiling windows – a small, dark bar with simple dark bar stools in the middle of the restaurant, decorated with oriental lamps above the counter, a picture of large, staring eyes above the door, and overall a very oriental ambiance. I felt comfortable relatively quickly, but as the evening progressed and it became increasingly crowded, it eventually felt too cramped, loud, and crowded for me. The small table for two where we sat—like the other tables—was very chic and incredibly elaborately crafted; you can see a bit of it in one of the photos, decorated with a tealight holder and in a typical oriental style.

The extensive menus were presented to us shortly after we were seated, and we opted for a Diet Coke (€3) and a still water (Evian - 0.33l for €2.90). After some searching, my companion chose Borani Torai as her main course – rice with chicken, lentils, carrot strips, raisins, etc. – for €12.50. I chose Quabelli Palau – which, according to the menu, should have been brown-baked basmati rice with raisins, pistachios, almonds, and carrot strips, with a side dish of my choice – for €15.50. Only now, as I'm writing this article, do I realize that's not what I actually received! 🙂 I got a dish with zucchini, tomato sauce, and white yogurt sauce – without a single grain of rice. However, we were still charged €15.50. You can see our two main courses in the photos. My companion enjoyed it, but it wasn't anything special; it was just rice with a few extra ingredients, meat, and some Middle Eastern spices. What was quite good, however, was the Nan-e Afghani, an Afghan naan bread for €2.50, which we had ordered beforehand and which was brought to our table. We dipped it into the two small pots of spicy sauces – one with chili and coriander, and the other with a plum flavor – rather sweet and sour, but also quite hot. My dish was rather bland. On top of that, I don't like tomato sauce or any dishes prepared in it. The fact that I didn't notice I was eating something different than what I ordered can only be attributed to my intense hunger. The zucchini was okay, combined with a bit too little white yogurt dip and too much tomato sauce. Otherwise, in my opinion, there wasn't much to it. My companion mopped up the remaining sauce with the leftover bread at the end – but I definitely wouldn't order it again, which, in fact, I never did. It certainly tasted okay, but it was very basic and nothing exciting or special that I'd want to recreate. 😉

After the server told me she didn't want me to take photos, she gave me a small flyer listing the dishes available for takeout at Bamyan Narges. I took a picture of it for you, and you can see it there. As mentioned, the standard menu offers a very extensive selection. For example, at the front of the menu, there's a lunch menu from Monday to Friday (12-2:30 pm) with a soup of the day and various main courses ranging in price from €6.90 (for Dall Taschalau – yellow lentils with garlic, ginger, and fresh coriander with basmati saffron rice) to €9.50 (for Dampocht – chicken leg with saffron tomatoes and onion sauce with basmati saffron rice). Furthermore, a wide variety of lamb dishes are offered in many different styles: tenderly boiled, braised, spicy, with mango, lime, and vegetables, or tender pieces of lamb with fried eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and peppers (for €9.90). There's also, for example, pan-fried fish fillet with coriander-saffron sauce and mixed salad for €8.50. In addition, there are various cold and hot appetizers (between €6.90 and €15.90, ranging from mixed vegetables baked in spiced batter with herb quark sauce to a mixed appetizer platter for two), soups (lentil and chickpea soup for €5.90 and lamb soup with coriander for €7.50), and a dessert called Ferni – a creamy dessert with almonds, pistachios, and cardamom for €2.50. The prices for the numerous vegetarian dishes are also quite reasonable. For example, Naregi Palau – fried saffron rice with strips of bitter orange peel, sweet and spicy almonds and pistachios, plus a side dish of your choice – costs €14.90, or Sammarod Palau – spinach mixed with basmati rice and cooked in the oven – costs €11.50.

We finished our meals, were full, and paid relatively quickly after our empty plates were cleared. Including tip, we paid €39 by card. In conclusion, it's certainly a pleasant place to spend an evening and enjoy simple to good, authentic Afghan cuisine. I definitely recommend making a reservation in advance. We left quite satisfied. The fact that I couldn't take photos doesn't negatively affect my rating. The service was good, the atmosphere is great and very cozy for anyone who enjoys an oriental ambiance. If you ever fancy trying Afghan food, you should definitely give Bamyan Narges a try.

I'll be back: Despite friendly service, and although the ambiance was pleasant and the atmosphere was cozy, the food was only mediocre.

Place visited: Bamyan Narges
Address: Hans-Sachs-Straße 3, 80469 Munich
Website

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