Bamiyan Kabob is one of those rare places that uphold tradition, cater to the masses, and punch well above their weight for culinary skill. Pretty impressive for a casual Afghan fast-food restaurant. Although new competitors like Kabob Guys and Bread & Salt are nipping at its heels, it still manages to have the best price-quality ratio in Toronto.
There are branches around the region but I can only vouch for the original location at Thorncliffe Park. I haven’t been to any of the others.
Toronto has a couple of Afghan fast food chains. To name a few, Naan & Kabob, Kandahar Kabab, and the reigning champion Bamiyan Kabob. Kabob Guys is the newest entrant to the fray and poses some serious competition.
Kabob Guys
Afghan cuisine is at the intersection of Iran and Central Asia. From Iran comes polow: rice dishes cooked in meat broth, dried fruits, and nuts. From Central Asia, kebabs and mantu (dumplings). It’s the perfect setup for fast food. Grilled meats on flatbreads works in any culture, whether it is Greek souvlaki, Turkish döner, Mexican al pastor, or Hawaiian plate lunch.
You say kabob, I say kebab
Kabobs and kebabs are different spellings of the same thing. There is no standard transliteration for كباب (same word in Arabic, Farsi, and Pashto). Kabob is used more in USA and kebab is used more in Commonwealth countries. I use kebab here because Canada is part of the Commonwealth and has stronger ties with British English.
Afghan kebabs are almost the same as Pakistani ones. The difference is that Afghan kebabs can be served with rice instead of naans. Not just plain rice, but rice seasoned with broth and spices, like in Central Asia. It doesn’t quite reach the level of complexity as Iranian rice dishes, but is still more interesting than white rice. As for kebabs, a unique variant to try is chaplee kebab, made from ground meat and flattened into a disc.
