Buzkashi, the traditional Afghan sport after which the newly opened Massachusetts Avenue restaurant is named, literally means "goat-grabbing," or "goat-killing." In the game, mounted players compete to be the first to throw the carcass of a headless calf across a goal line.
Luckily, the similarities between the restaurant and its sporting namesake end at the name. Although diners could technically engage in their own version of the contest, their resulting dining experience would be a) not on horseback and b) slightly diminished if they tried to shove their food down their throats without savoring its sweet Afghan flavors. Buzkashi is a delicious new alternative for dining out in Cambridge.
Afghan food shares many elements with Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines. It's dominated by kebabs, rice dishes, legumes and yogurt sauces. Cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom, coriander and mint are favorite spices.
At Buzkashi, diners are brought flatbread, the Afghan version of Indian Naan, along with green chile, red chile, and yogurt dipping sauces. Appetizers also echo other South Asian favorites. For example, the vegetable samosas, stuffed with vegetables and flavored with coriander, are delicious, fried and flavorful, although not as distinctively Afghan as some of the other choices. The chicken soup is also very good, a slightly more exciting version of the American favorite.
Kaddo is an intriguing appetizer. The dish is pumpkin that is first fried, then baked, "seasoned" with sugar and served with yogurt garlic sauce. Although it's made of pumpkin, there was something vaguely reminiscent of French fries in the taste of the appetizer. There is also an entr?©e that features baked pumpkin and other veggies
Entr?©es seem to be Buzkashi's strength. Koufta Challow is made up of delicious beef meatballs served in a seasoned tomato sauce. Qabelee, which the waitress recommended, consists of lamb served with raisins and sweet glazed carrots in a bed of rice seasoned with cumin. The lamb is tender, good enough to convince even the least carnivorous diner to sink her teeth into it.
Buzkashi displays a wood grill for kebabs and other meats in the center of the dining room. The sweetish smell of smoke permeates the room
Buzkashi has a limited dessert menu, featuring only baklava and firnee, a milk pudding. Beer and wine are available. There are extensive options for both vegetarian and meat appetizers, along with main courses. Entr?©e portions are big enough to share.
The restaurant opened on April 9. It's still new enough that the signs in the window are made of hand lettered paper, and the menus come in plastic folders like elementary school book reports. The wait staff was polite, if inexperienced. The d?©cor is simple, with prints of photographs and artwork (most prominently, a huge print of the 1985 Steve McCurry portrait of an Afghan girl with striking green eyes).
Although the restaurant is still in its infancy, it has apparently been doing very well. It is only the second Afghan restaurant to open in the Boston area (the other one is Helmand, near the Cambridgeside Galleria). On the Sunday night this reviewer dined there, the restaurant was full of families and couples; people were waiting approximately 10-20 minutes for a table by the time I finished my meal.
Buzkashi is a great casual option for dining out. Go on the early side of the evening or expect a little bit of a wait. Although it's not available yet, the menu promises that takeout will be available in the near future.
