rivka

Last night,

wcg and I went to the Helmand, an Afghan restaurant just a couple of blocks from my house. We'd both heard about this place for a while, and I'd gotten a personal recommendation from a guy who runs a fast-food place called Afghan Kabob. (He's related to the Helmand people somehow, I think.) I was expecting something a lot like Afghan Kabob, only with a liquor license - kabobs, rice, cucumber-and-yogurt salads, simple tasty food.

Not quite.

I started my meal with kaddo borawni, not because it looked like it was going to be the sort of thing I usually like, but because it's a dish the restaurant is famous for. I got several large pieces of golden orange baked pumpkin, served on a pool of a sharp garlicky yogurt sauce. I would never have dreamed of mixing those flavors together - sweet, sharp, garlic - but the intense collision of flavors worked marvelously in a way I can't even begin to explain. I wouldn't want to eat more than an appetizer-sized portion - I think my brain would probably leak out my ears - but in a small, concentrated dose it was incredibly good. Mmm.

For the main course, I had korma mahi, sea bass stewed in ginger, with mint, whole peeled tomatoes, and red potatoes, served with Afghan-style rice studded with cardamom seeds and the occasional raisin. I wanted to climb up on the table and roll around in my plate. The sea bass had a bit of a seared crust, and then melted away in my mouth. The sauce was intensely flavorful without being too spicy - except for maybe the time I bit down on an unidentified chunk of vegetable and discovered it to be fresh ginger root. Apparently when they say "stewed with ginger," they mean "stewed with ginger." And I couldn't stop eating the delicately spiced rice even after I was groaningly full.

wcg, who must have a hollow leg, wanted to order the special dessert of the house - vanilla ice cream mixed with fresh-ground cardamom, dates, dried figs, and fresh mango. He got two spoons, but I couldn't manage more than a few bites. I love spice-flavored ice cream, and this was no exception. The little chunks of dried fruit were delicious, although I would've preferred the mango flavor to come through a bit more strongly.

And the bill, for this incredible three-course gourmet feast (plus a beer for me and iced tea for

wcg)? $43. Forty-three dollars. You'd better believe I'm going to go back, and back, and back.