I stepped out of my conservative food box the moment I entered Bamiyan Restaurant on Greenback Lane in Citrus Heights.

I’ve always been a Mexican, Italian, American food kind of girl, but I felt the time had come to try something new. Afghan Cuisine seemed to be the perfect way to take that leap, especially since I’ve heard raving reviews about this place.

While exploring the menu, I noticed that there were many dishes containing beef, sausage, lamb, and chicken, especially the Shish Kebab Dinners.

However, there were several selections of fish and seafood dinners as well and approximately 15 of the main dishes and appetizers could be served as vegetarian meals.

It was delightful to see diversity on a menu, but frustrating because it was very hard to choose from so many options. The entrees ranged between 15 to 20 dollars.

I decided to try the Afghan Tea (Kaimak Chaiy), and we ordered an appetizer called Pakawra, which consisted of approximately five pieces of large potato strips dipped in a seasoned batter, fried, and served with a chutney sauce.

The tea was described as “a sweet, tasty hot drink made with milk and flavored with cardamom (which is a very ancient spice originating in the East from a ginger-like plant).” It was indeed the tastiest tea I have ever had. The presence of milk gave it a caramel coffee color and the cardamom’s touch of ginger flavor was pleasantly airy. I knew it had been the aroma I encountered when first entering the restaurant.

The appetizer, the Pakawra, had a deep orange-red color. The batter was crispy and the potato was on the border of mushy and firm. Its chutney dipping sauce quickly awakened my senses with a tangy kick. It was more than I could have hoped for in my first taste of Afghan Cuisine.

I ordered the Kofta Dinner which included flat Afghan meatballs, long-grain brown rice and sauteed potatoes. The meatballs were smothered in their own sauce and contained a hint of flavor that supported the spicy theme of the evening. I was not as impressed with the rice. Although I was glad it was chewier than I thought it looked, it seemed to be lacking the zing of the foods that had preceded it. The normalcy of its flavor was disappointing. Nevertheless, I found that when the rice was mixed with the meat sauce, the pieces of grain became re-inspired. The potatoes were much more pleasing because they nearly melted in my mouth each time I took a bite.

I was pleasantly surprised when the check was a very affordable 41 dollars for two people. This is always a draw to the working college student who doesn’t always have a lot of money to spend on the luxury of eating out.

For those wanting to step out of the box of food conformity without spending a pretty penny, Bamiyan Restaurant is perfect for the first-time Afghan cuisine experience or for the seasoned food reviewer looking for naturally complimenting tastes full of flavor.

Bamiyan Restaurant is located at 7622 Greenback Lane in Citrus Heights.

Bridget Jones can be reached at [email protected]