PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

Newshounds will recognize Helmand as a region and river in Afghanistan; Boston-area foodies know it as a restaurant that's both low-profile and always crowded. Definitely make a reservation. The elegant setting belies the reasonable prices at this spacious spot near the CambridgeSide Galleria mall. The delectable flavors and textures evoke Middle Eastern, Indian, and Pakistani cuisine. Many dishes are vegetarian, and meat is often one element of a dish rather than the centerpiece. Every meal comes with delectable bread made fresh in a wood-fired brick oven near the entrance. Service could be more attentive, but with food this good, that's a minor quibble. To start, you might try slightly sweet baked pumpkin topped with spicy ground meat sauce -- a great contrast of flavors and textures -- or aushak, "Afghan ravioli" filled with leeks or potatoes and buried under a sauce of either meat or split peas and carrots. Main courses include grilled meats, poultry, and fish, plus several versions of what Americans would call stew. Kourma challow, an excellent mélange of lamb, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, and green beans, comes with flavorful, cumin-scented rice. For dessert, don't miss the Afghan version of baklava.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Boston 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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