Khyber Pass

Authentic Afghani cuisine attracts an eclectic crowd in Hillcrest.. In Short
One of the few restaurants in the San Dieo area offering traditional Afghani cuisine, this upscale eatery features casually elegant décor including a soothing stone fountain and walls filled with colorful tapestries, paintings and photographs reflecting Afghanistan's history. Apricot lamb, sautéed eggplant, spicy potatoes and scallion-filled dumplings are crowd favorites, but the menu also includes shish kebabs, meat-stuffed samosa, hearty beef casseroles and several vegetarian and curry entrees. Baklava, made on the premises, is the star dessert.…

Fantastic food, great location & ambiance. My father and I were in San Diego due to a death in the family. It was also my father's 75th birthday, and I wanted him to at least have a decent meal to celebrate. I've eaten Afghan cuisine several times before and really enjoyed it, so when we passed this restaurant we decided to give it a try.

WOW! The food (we had bolani and aushak for appetizers, mashawa soup, garlic nan, kachaloo and yaghoot chalow for main course), and service (we were lucky enough to have Angela Nusari, the owner, as our waitress due to the earliness of the hour) were superb, and the iced tea particularly good (I'm a snob about my tea).

The ambiance of the restaurant is one of relaxed elegance, with a tall stone fountain on the back wall, paintings and photographs of Afghans along the other sides, and complimentary lighting. It fits Angela - a refined lady and gracious hostess. Its location between 5th & 6th Ave on University is very convenient for spending an afternoon or evening in the area. I'd definitely recommend this restaurant for a first date, or for a fairly small group of friends having an evening out.

Now for the food: I am a foodie. I love and appreciate well-prepared, good tasting dishes. Though everything we had was excellent, the sweet and sour rice cooked with lamb and cherries (yaghoot chalow) was amazing. It was one of the finest dishes I have ever eaten. The kachaloo (potatoes simmered in tomatoes, spices and peppers) was so good we surreptitiously dipped our bread in it (don't tell Angela).

We liked the meal so much we came back for dinner the next night. I almost ordered the cherry lamb again, then considered the apricot lamb (recommended by the waitress), and finally settled on the lamb kachaloo. It, too, was excellent, though I believe I preferred the yaghoot chalow. My father tried the baklava dessert and thoroughly enjoyed it, as well.

If we weren't leaving tomorrow, we'd be tempted to go again. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough.…