806 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, 410-752-0311
While out on a night on the town, we typically choose between the usual types of cuisine: Italian, American, French, Mexican, Indian. For most restaurant-goers, Afghani food is not the first fare that comes to mind, however for those who have not tried Afghani cooking and are willing to be adventurous, The Helmand is a must-try spot in Baltimore. Fans of unique food at affordable prices know that there is a reason that The Helmand celebrated its 20th anniversary this year; it’s a staple in the cultural food scene here in charm city.
In order to celebrate 20 years in business, the restaurant is offering a $20 prix fixe menu, which turns out to be an excellent way to sample a variety of offerings from the menu. Several interesting appetizer choices were included on the special menu. We were pleased to see that the pumpkin appetizer, Kaddo Borawni that we had heard so much about (from co-workers and Elizabeth Large alike) was on the list; ordering one to share was a no-brainer. The pumpkin was very sweet, almost dessert-like, but it was balanced out nicely with a yogurt garlic sauce – an interesting combination that definitely worked! For a second appetizer, we tried the Bowlawni. It’s a fried puff pastry filled with either potato or leeks. The potato was a bit bland and the leek… well it just had too many leeks and nothing else.
Entrée choices on the special menu allow diners of virtually any taste to find something they like. For meat lovers there is a kebob platter. For those who enjoy fish, there is an option with poached salmon, grilled tuna and stewed sea bass. Vegetarians will be extremely satisfied with the platter which included vegetable stuffed eggplant, a stuffed pepper and a puff pastry filled with a pleasant filling. All were served with savory rice and came with a cilantro sauce that was very flavorful but delicious (warning: if you are not a cilantro lover, steer clear of the sauce!).
Dessert offered a nice variety of choices as well: signature Afghani options as well as chocolate cake, ice cream, mixed nuts and dried fruits. We opted to stick with the traditional options; after all, we were in search of the customary Afghani meal! Feereney, an Afghan style pudding is similar to flan. It was not overly flavorful on its own but the assortment of fruit on top made it worth ordering. The Afghan ice cream was a better option. It was lightly flavored with cardamom and had dried dates and what was supposed to be fresh mango… however the fruit was dry and lacking in taste, but by working around the dried pieces, the dessert was still very good.
In addition to the prix fixe menu, The Helmand also offers $20 bottles of wine for this special anniversary year. The list included several decent bottles that would be worth ordering and would compliment your food nicely. There is also a full bar and quite a few wines offered by the glass.
Overall, whether you are looking for a nice but casual weekend dinner before a show or just a quick bite on a weeknight, The Helmand offers a change from the ordinary. Good service, good food, affordable prices and a convenient location make this a restaurant to put on your list of places to go. And you better move quickly if you want the $20 specials!
For more information, check out: www.Helmand.com