The Freedom Restaurant, traditional Afghan cuisine
It was a nice experience, and I’m glad that after five years I was given a chance to enjoy an experience such as this. I would like to thank our hosts for inviting us, and look forward to visiting other Afghan restaurants in Herat in the near future.
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Herat, Afghanistan
Cuisine Style: Afghan, Middle Eastern
Cuisine Style: Afghan, Middle Eastern
Dined
in October 2013
Chef Sean Overpeck (CFE)
I have worked in Afghanistan for almost five years, and had
never been to an Afghan restaurant before. Granted most of the places I did
work were on FOB’s (Forward Operating Bases), and you were not allowed to
leave. We flew in and out by helicopter or airplane. Now we prepared Afghan
cuisine at the dining Facilities, but it was not the real thing. It was the
Western interpretation of Afghan food, not the real deal. In 2013 I started
with a new group, and got the opportunity for the first time to go out into the
cities and see the sites. It was the first time I saw Afghan children and
women, even though the women were covered with the chadri, the full body gown
that covers everything but their shoes and a slot for their eyes. While in
Herat, and Afghan gentlemen and doctor, who also was the company owner that
supplied food to us invited me and my boss to Isteqlal, which translates into
“Freedom,” a befitting name.
Follow Wine, dine, and Play:
Head Cook:
sayeed Asef
Main review:
We arrived, and went through the normal security checks
before entering the restaurant parking lot and compound. As required when you
enter a facility in a vehicle in Afghanistan, the vehicle has to be searched
for explosives, mirrors under the vehicle and a dog to sniff out an explosives.
Once we parked, we were escorted to an open outside seating area, a cabana
surrounded by water and lush green tree’s. The traditional mode of eating in
Afghanistan is on the floor. So as we entered the cabana, the edges were surrounded
by large cushions, called toshak. These cushions were placed on carpets. We
removed our shoes, and were presented with the tea service. Tea or Chai with
cardamom or Green and black tea is a traditional starter, and was much needed
since it was night time at the end of October. Most people have a misconception
that Afghanistan is desert and hot. Well, it was about 40°F and not even winter
time yet, so yes Afghanistan gets cold. I must have had five glasses of tea to
warm up, since we were out there for an hour.
As we enjoyed our tea and conversation with our hosts, a hookah
water pipe was brought out, and though I had seen this tradition before when I
was in Jordan eating at the Bourj al Hamam at the Intercontinental Hotel, in
Amman, and the Sufra Restaurant, I had never tried it until this night. I had
feared that it had opiates in it, and would fail a drug test if I did use it.
Now, you can have opiates in it, if you so wish, after all Afghanistan is still
the largest exporter of opium in the world, but this hookah had smoked apple,
mint, and orange. I was actually very nice.
After an hour of drinking tea, smoking from the hookah, and
great conversation, we were escorted inside the main restaurant, where we were
seated, and enjoyed our main meal. Though it is tradition to eat with your
right hand in Afghanistan, forks and knives were provided. We enjoyed the
traditional Naan bread made in a Tandour stone oven, an assortment of kebabs
from chicken, beef, and lamb, grilled chicken legs, salad assortments, and Shorma
which is a chicken based soup, scented with local saffron. Although I do not
drink carbonated beverages, they had a soda made locally in Herat, so I enjoyed
some of that as well. For dessert we enjoyed Ferni which is a custard of rich milk
with sugar and pistachio’s. It was very sweet, but a perfect ending.
It was a nice experience, and I’m glad that after five years I was given a chance to enjoy an experience such as this. I would like to thank our hosts for inviting us, and look forward to visiting other Afghan restaurants in Herat in the near future.
Final notes and observations:
What is a restaurant review? Is one better than the other? How is the rating system broken down? Most reviews you read online are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsibly, and respectfully written, upholding the truth and accurately conveying the experience. My job is to put you at the table next to me, and to try and be objective to the best of my ability. Being impeccable with my word, never taking anything that happens at the restaurant personally, being honest in the review, never make assumptions, and to always write to the best of my knowledge is the goal. My ratings are notated by the level of stars I award (from 0 to 5). The star rating is based on the calculation and point accumulation of six separate factors with nearly seventy questions broken down by my individual experience such as wine and other beverage selection, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, plus a bonus section called the wow factor. To see more details on how I do my ratings read this article:
Over all from this experience, and using my rating system linked above, I give Isteqlal a 1 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were an average dining experience of most restaurants. The six factors used to get this rating are scored in the chart below.
Review basics:
|
5 stars
|
An Extraordinary Experience
Worthy of a Michelin rating
|
94 - 100% (105% with full bonuses added)
|
|
4 Stars
|
An Outstanding Experience
(Top of its class)
|
87 - 93%
|
|
3 Stars
|
Exceeded All My Expectations
|
80 - 86%
|
|
2 Stars
|
Far Above the Average Experience
|
72 - 79%
|
|
1 Star
|
An Average Dining Experience
|
66 - 71%
|
|
0.5 Star
|
The Restaurant is a very Basic Experience
|
65 - 61%
|
|
0 Stars
|
ALERT: Poor, or Appalling Experience
(Do not waste your money or time)
|
60% or below
|
Other Afghan reviews on Wine, Dine, and Play:
United States Marine Corps Birthday 2013 in Herat, Afghanistan
Food price per person (excluding gratuity)
Price chart:
$ - Under $50.00 USD
My food bill:
|
Currency :
|
Price chart :
|
935.00 AFS
|
Afghani
|
AFS
|
$17.00
|
USD
|
$
|
£10.61
|
GBP
|
£
|
€12.40
|
EUR
|
€
|
Restaurant address:
Bagh-e-Mellat,
Roodaki Hwy,
Herat, Afghanistan
Cross streets:
Takht-e-Safar Road & Martyr Mirvais Sadeq BLVD
Proprietor / Manager:
Sayeed Abdul Wahab
****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list based on who is writing about them, and it changes on a regular basis. My list of best reviewed restaurants here on Wine, Dine, and Play is based on a rating number at 4 or 5 stars. From the 350 + published reviews as of summer 2017, less than 15% hold these prestigious rankings, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. I have dined at restaurants on five continents from cafés, chains, and fine dining spots including a few that are rated on the Michelin one to three scale. Below is a sampling of some from my list, which include mom and pops + holes in the wall. These places can be just as good, or if not better than a top ranked restaurant of the world in my opinion. To visit my full list of best places follow this link:
A few to tease you with…
|
Rustic New American Fare
Saint Petersburg, Florida USA
|
Elegant Molecular Australian Dining
Melbourne, Australia
|
Modern Eclectic African Cuisine
Woodstock, South Africa
|
|
High Rise Fine Global Dining, Highest Restaurant In The World
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE
|
Haute French Cuisine
Paris, France
|
American-Global Molecular Menu
Chicago, Illinois, USA
|
|
Impeccably Acclaimed French Cuisine
Dublin, Ireland
|
Inspired Farm-to-Table Dining
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
Upscale Creole Fare
New Orlean’s, Louisiana, USA
|
|
French-American Fine Dining
Yountville, Napa, California, USA
|
Safari + Upscale African Cuisine
Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa
|
Hip Asian-Fusion
Dubai, UAE
|
|
Armani / Amal
Fine Indian & Pakistani Cuisine, at the Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE
|
Contemporary, African-Inspired Tasting Journey
Franschhoek, South Africa
|
Eclectic French-Asian Tasting Menu
Sydney, Australia
|
|
Ornate Top 10 American Chophouse
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
Posh French + Culinary Experimentalism
Festival City, Dubai, UAE
|
Classic French Gastronomique
Bordeaux, France
|
So many great wines in this world, here are a few boutiques, cult wines, and favorites:
|
A 1756 Estate Famed Rubicon Blend
Stellenbosch, South Africa
|
Big, Bold, Cult Cabernets
Oakville, California, USA
|
|
Boutique Producers of Pinot Noir
Willamette, Oregon
|
Agincourt, Waterloo, Salamanca
Yarra Valley, Australia
|
|
A Cru Bourgeois Supérieur
Cussac-Fort-Médoc, Bordeaux, France
|
Not Kehlsteinhaus, Exceptional Shiraz
Constantia, South Africa
|
|
Screaming Eagles Sister
Santa Barbara, California, USA
|
World Class Oregon Pinot Noir
Willamette, Oregon
|
|
20+ Blue Ridge Handcrafted Wines
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
|
Domaine Bertagna
13th Century Cistercian -1er Cru Les Cras
Vougeot, Burgundy, France
|
Reviewed by:
Sean Overpeck (CFE)
Executive Chef
Father, Husband, Wine Drinker
Restaurant nut, History and
Star Trek lover
Picture below was taken at FOB Shank 2010
wearing protective gear during an attack
wearing protective gear during an attack
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About Sean:
I am based out of Florida working in food service for over twenty years, and am currently with the American Embassy as the Executive Chef. Formally I have worked with groups contracting in Afghanistan, and Antarctica, also working in restaurants in and around Atlanta, Georgia prior to the wars. I have also owned a catering company and served proudly in the United States Army Food Service Program. The idea for Wine, Dine, and Play started in late 2012 after a trip to Jordan, when I was asked by friends to write down my experiences from a few restaurants, wines I tasted, and unique locations such as Petra. Since that time, I have written over 300 articles, including fifteen from the worlds top 100 lists of San Pellegrino and the Elite Travelers Guide restaurants. I have articles on exotic world locations such as Victoria Falls, and South African Safari’s; food recipes & a Grand Food Dictionary; ethnic country cuisines such as Afghan, and Peruvian; tasting tours of world cities like Charleston, Cape Town, and Dubai; and of course wine from vineyards in California, Oregon, the Carolina’s, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, with much more to see and write.
Who is John Galt?
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Other articles of interest on Wine, dine, and Play:
Shark Cage Diving in Gansbaai, South Africa
The Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai, UAE
Tipping in Restaurants etiquette, customs, cultures, and assumptions
(Articles coming soon)
Petra, Jordan
A Taste of Dubai
A Taste of South Africa (multiple volumes)
Wine, Dine, And Play’s “best of”
FOB Shank - Cooking with Incoming
TTFN
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