We celebrated the birthday of a very adventurous buddy with Afghan food. Parwana would be my virgin foray into Middle-Eastern cuisine. Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted with a familiar face. It seems that Adelaide is most definitely crawling with Malaysians, I knew I have met the waitress somewhere previously. Hmm. The restaurant was sparsely decorated. Heavy wood tables and red chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. If this place was trying to create a homely ambiance, they have hit the nail spot on the head.
Still pretty full from the day’s gluttony (we celebrated with plenty of food since the previous night!), we ordered sparsely, fully wary of the stretch limit of our stomachs. We decided on three dishes and a dessert to share among four. A wise choice indeed.
Ashak was the first to arrive. Dumplings stuffed with leek and topped with yoghurt and lamb sauce. Delicious!
Next, came the Banjan Baree. More of a side dish, this eggplant dish was simmered in rich tomato sauce and topped with yoghurt and mint. Absolutely loved it too! I would love it if they had bigger portions for this.
The Kabuli Palaw certainly was the dish of the night. Browned basmati rice with chicken, topped with beautifully caramelised carrot, sultanas, almonds and pistachios. Such a delight to have this dish. The basmati rice was longer and had a better texture compared to the types we buy from the supermarket. I wonder how that is. As for the chicken, I was not aware of its existence until I read the menu again afterwards. Not a problem with me though as it was a splendid dish altogether.
The Falooda was the perfect finish to our meal. Layers of ice cream, rose syrup, saffron jelly and basil seeds. A refreshing dessert with just the right amount of sweetness. The only problem was not having a straw to clean the glass completely. Not to worry, we have suggested this to the waitress. Hopefully the next time we visit, we have nice thick straws to polish off all the remaining goodness of this Falooda.
Parwana Afghan Restaurant | 124b Henley Beach Road, Torrensville SA 5031 | (08) 8443 9001
Hmm, if you think Adelaide is full of Malysians welcome to Melbourne
And yes, Parwana is one of my favourite places in Adelaide too, one that I recommend to everyone going that way.
Oh yes, I should have said AUSTRALIA is full of Malaysians.