Throughout our culinary journey together, my wife Jun and I have tried so many delicious dishes from all over the world. One cuisine that has escaped us was that of Afghanistan. Perhaps due to the country’s history of tragedy from the Soviet invasion in the late 1970s through the rule of the Taliban (with the post-9/11 U.S. invasion and occupation in between) that made the country inaccessible to most outsiders, Afghan cuisine does not seem to have found a footing in the United States (at least in big cities, but I am happy to be corrected on this one) as prominent as, say, Middle Eastern or Indian from countries nearby. What our recent visit to Bistro Aracosia has taught us, however, is that Afghanistan’s food should be much celebrated with enthusiasm for its diversity of influences and flat-out delicious dishes.

When we sat down and started browsing the menu at Aracosia (we visited the original DC location but the restaurant has another location in McLean, VA), we were quickly overwhelmed by the number of dishes. We pleaded our server for help and she suggested that we try the Complete Taste of Aracosia tasting menu at a generous price of $50 per person. After we chose that option, we were greeted with an assortment of dumplings. Jun, having tasted delicious dumplings from all parts of Asia, initially looked at these dumplings with skeptical eyes but was immediately won over after she got a bite of leek and scallion dumpling. Other dumplings with spicy beef and pumpkin inside, respectively, were also quite delicious and set a great tone for what’s to come. The subsequent assortment of dishes, called Mini Taste of Aracosia, turned out to a great introduction to Afghan cuisine. You get solid meat dishes like the skillfully grilled lamb chops and boneless chicken thigh in a garlic yogurt-based stew, but it was really in the vegetable section that we ended up focusing, from chickpeas to squash to lentils, all in different types of stew with aromatic flavor. We were so preoccupied with digging into these smaller plates that we barely had room for the larger lamb shank in spicy tomato-based stew that came separately. What we discovered from Aracosia was how diverse the Afghan cuisine was in the flavor of dishes; Jun remarked that she was able to taste a bit of Middle East and a bit of India here and there to create a distinct culinary identity and I couldn’t agree more. After our feast, we ended our meal with a light milk pudding called firni with rose water and cardamom that offered a nice break to our palate after all the rich, savory dishes.

Getting a reservation at Aracosia won’t be terribly difficult as long as you plan a few days ahead; the restaurant was pretty much packed by the time we finished our early dinner, so I do suggest booking in advance if possible. There is a full bar with a surprisingly diverse wine list and playful cocktails using ingredients used in the country’s cooking. I also liked the décor of the restaurant with colorful photos of Afghan people back in the days that made me wonder what the country’s capital Kabul would’ve looked like back when it was a thriving city. Aracosia is a great introduction to explore Afghan cuisine, and Jun and I are happy to go back again (or even order delivery) to try more dishes in the near future.

KenScale: 8.0/10 (Jun’s Score: 8.0/10)

Address: 5100 MacArthur Blvd NW, Washington, DC 20016

Website: https://www.bistroaracosia.com/

Reservation via OpenTable