Article from Shopping Spree Magazine

Written by Brian Freedman Unexpected exoticism in Horsham

Yalda Grill is a testament to how far the Philadelphia region’s food scene has come. Not long ago, restaurants serving exotic, unfamiliar cuisines were pretty much all located Center City. In the suburbs, with just a few notable exceptions, you’d have had a hard time finding anything much less familiar than Chinese, Thai, Japanese, or Indian food.

But here’s Yalda Grill, a restaurant serving Afghan food (not exactly commonplace even in town) in the heart of Horsham (not exactly a bastion of international culinary flair). The surprise here is twofold: First, that it’s been generating the kind of buzz it has (which is to say not insignificant); and second, that it’s actually worth a trip from wherever you live for a meal.

Dishes like gabili palau ($8.95), for example, demonstrated just how unexpectedly elegant Afghan food can be. Big enough to feed a group of three or four, this heaping plate of basmati rice—it arrived brown instead of the customary white from the combination of sugar, tomato, cumin and Cajun-spice bouquet with which it was seasoned—was studded with sweet raisins and deliciously gamey pieces of lamb that were so tender they practically fell apart on the dish. This interplay of flavors also manifested itself in the tension between the sweet strips of thin-sliced carrots and the nutty, almost stir-fried character of the rice, and made for a fascinatingly complex dish.

Sweetness also played a role in the mantu ($5.95), a scallion- and beef-stuffed dumpling the shape of an oversize tortellini. In this case, it was the dumpling skin that possessed a hint of sweetness, which was in turn cut by the pleasantly sour tang of the yogurt and mint spread out on the plate.

Other preparations dabbled in different ends of the flavor spectrum. Baunjan bouranee ($5.95), for example, reminded me of nothing so much as an Afghan take on caponata, that southern Italian eggplant dish that found itself in such unfortunately brief demand several years ago.

Here, the eggplant was sautéed, giving it a slightly smoky flavor and velvety texture, and layered on the plate with sliced green bell peppers and fresh tomato that provided just the right amount of acid. It was seasoned simply with salt, pepper, and garlic and, while it may not sound like a terribly exotic dish (the ingredients are certainly familiar) the combination of flavors, which hovered somewhere just beyond the horizon of the expected, were addictive. The only shortcoming was the bread, which was a bit on the tough side and therefore difficult to use as a scoop.

Other dishes ended up being far more than the menu let on. Subzi chalau ($9.95), which was described as stir-fried spinach, was actually a tender chicken breast in a delicate cucumber-cream sauce that was topped with toothsome, still bright-green spinach. And the deluxe kabob plate ($12.95 for lunch, $14.95 for dinner) demonstrated just how tasty well-grilled meats can be, and just how few accouterments they need when cooked right. The only misstep in that dish was the beef, which was sorely overcooked and almost painfully tough.

But that was one of the very few mistakes over the course of the meal. There is, after all, more at stake here than at a less exotic restaurant. Most people around these parts—or in this country, for that matter—have never tasted the food of Afghanistan, and Yalda Grill faces the added pressure of playing the role of de facto culinary ambassador.

It’s a role it plays with aplomb. And though the space itself is nothing terribly beautiful, it doesn’t have to be. Sure, it’s a bit rundown on the outside. And the inside, despite a few touches that let you know you are, indeed, in an Afghan restaurant (a large poster of the haunted-eyed girl from the pages of National Geographic, a couple of traditional Afghan dresses), does not totally hide the fact that it housed a pizza parlor until the Rahpo family took over a few months ago.

But the focus here is on the food, not on some overly evocative and sentimentalized Afghan Shangri-la. The service, full of pride and humor, reflects this. So does the food, so balanced and unexpectedly elegant (even the rice pudding, or sheer biringe, was perfumed with rose water, cardamom, and cinnamon). Horsham may be the last place in the world you’d expect an Afghan restaurant, but Yalda Grill is full of surprises. And the neighborhood is a better place for it.

Yalda Grill and Kabobs is located at 222 Horsham Road and can be reached by phone at (215) 444-9502.

By Michael Klein Table Talk | Horsham's new Afghan restaurant is a family affair

Moe and Nehide Rahpo, who have lived in eastern Montgomery County for years and formerly owned Ariana in Lansdowne, didn't want a long commute to their next Afghan restaurant.

The Family

They took over a pizzeria off Easton Road in Horsham for their homey Yalda Grill (222 Horsham Rd., 215-444-9502), where it's a family affair that includes their sons Omid and Niez. The parents, who emigrated from Afghanistan in 1973, handle the cooking - a combo of Middle Eastern cuisine plus an assortment of Afghan dishes (the soup called aush, the dumplings known as mantu). All under $15.

As Afghan cuisine is unfamiliar to the area, the Rahpos have pragmatically maintained the former pizzeria's takeout side, where they dispense pizzas, hoagies and such.

The Rahpo family at their Yalda Grill - (from left) Niez (holding nephew Zemar), Laila, Omid (in apron), Moe, Nehide, and Nehide's sister Fareema. Pizza maker Basir Bazli is at rear.

Great at Yalda Kabob in Horsham

Just finished a terrific dinner from Yalda Kabob in Horsham -- where the old Tonelli's used to be. Absolutely fabulous! As I understood it, the owner is somehow related to the family that runs Kabul in Center City -- another wonderful restaurant. The owner and the other people working there were very friendly and proud of their restaurant, and rightly so. My husband and I were so pleased that we decided to try it! I had the lamb kabobs, accompained by grilled veggies and white rice topped with lentils and ground meat in a tangy red sauce, and they add a small salad on the side topped with a delicious herbed yogurt type dressing. The lamb was tender and flavorful, the grilled veggies (peppers, zucchini, onions, tomatoes) were just right, and the rice was a perfect compliment! My husband had lamb topped with rice mixed with carrots and raisins and loved it! We started off with the fried turnovers filled with scallions and potatoes, with a slightly spicy sauce for dipping that set off the flavors perfectly. Luckily (or not, depending how you look at it!) the kids were able to get pizza and burgers -- so while they missed out on our delicious food, they were able to get something they liked, too. Oh yes -- I shouldn't forget the bread -- warm, delicious, and addictive! On top of that, the portions were large but the prices weren't! I would highly recommend this place. It is casual and homey on the inside with Afghan items displayed throughout the restaurant, and those of you who used to go to Tonelli's while it was there will see the difference -- the new owners really cleaned it up and it looks so much better. This is a place we will definitely be visiting again!

Posted by Janiceliv on August 03, 2007 04:07PM

Off hand, I would say there aren't many veggie options -- However, the owner told me while I was there that they could make practically anything I wanted. They do offer lots of meals accompanied by various veggie sides and grilled veggies, and they do pastas there as well, so I would be pretty confident in saying that he could whip up some pretty yummy veggie dishes on the spot!

Posted by Janiceliv on August 06, 2007 12:02PM

you are absolutely right about that Janice he can make just about anything on the spot. For the vegetarians that are interested in trying Yalda ask about the eggplant/squash florentine it is absolutely delicious. Or a simple grilled veggie platter no mtter which you choose you will not be dissapointed.

Posted by Americangirl on September 16, 2007 1:50PM

I read this post and also the article on Philly.com and decided to try this restaurant last night based on the overall great reviews. As we drove up, I realized that the restaurant was in a dingy and dinky shoping center off of Route 611 (starting to get skeptical....). As we walked into the restaurant, I noticed that it was a converted pizza place and retained all of the pizza place charm (getting more skeptical.....). The menu was varied full of some traditional Afghan dishes but three were also alot of pizzas, sandwiches, and things covered in mozzarella cheese (skeptism growing....). We placed our order and waited nearly 25 minutes for our appetizer (skeptism turning into annoyance....). After a bit of time our waiter came over and apologized the kitchen did not see our order so there was a delay. And then, the food came out......

OH MY GOD! The food was absolutely incredible. Any skeptism I had was wiped away with my first bite. We had an appetizer of grilled eggplant with tomatos and a yogurt-y sauce. My husband had the lamb with raisins and carrots topped with a spicy beef and lentil sauce. I had chicken in a brandy sauce with meat filled dumplings and a side of grilled vegetables. We had a citrusy pudding topped with pistachios and spices for dessert. This was home cooking at its best. Also, there were about 5-6 other tables in the restaurant and we overheard them absolutely raving about how delicous the food was as well. We found out the restaurant is family owned and the mom makes all of the appetizers and desserts and the dad makes the entrees. The sons work the tables. Everyone was so friendly. The prices were downright cheap. My husband lived in center city for a bit and he said it reminded him of the delicous corner hole-in-the-wall ethnic places that you find in the city, but he misses now that he lives in the burbs. I would absolutely go there again. I LOVED THIS PLACE!!!!!

Posted by Ambergirl on August 10, 2007 7:57AM

My husband and I just ordered from there again last night! Loved it just as much this time! They recognized us from before and were even friendlier than the last time and the huge meal we ate cost us all of $26 bucks!

Posted by Janiceliv on August 11, 2007 4:28AM

My husband and I went to Yalda Kabob & Grill on Friday evening. We,like AmblerGirl, waited about 30 minutes for our appetizer, which only arrived after we mentioned something when our entrees arrived. So appetizer followed entrees by about 10 minutes. They were both delicious! The salad is just bagged lettuce turning slightly brown, but the dressing was home made and good. My husband had a dumpling dish of ground meat and mint in a yougurt/meat sauce. It was very delicate and tasty. I had a chicken in"special sauce" which was tomato based with spices and lentil. It also was delicious and the grilled veggies rounded the meal out nicely. Our server was very friendly and apologetic about the "forgotten" appetizer. Hopefully after they are open awhile this will all work out.He explained they are going to expand into the vacated pet store next door. So maybe they will hire more servers because the 2 men there were constantly busy.

Posted by Hopefulone on August 12, 2007 2:41PM

Hey everyone..thanks for trying our food at Yalda's Grill Kabob. This lady came in to our restaurant and she told us about this website and I came home and i made sure to check it out and i am pleased...thanks for your support..we wanted to find a good location where people don't have to travel all the way downtown for a nice dinner...we have been open for about four months now and business is picking up well. Im the oldest son and my father and i talked about expanding the store before winter hits. my father has forty nine years of experience, with cooking fine meals. and my mother has been cooking Afghani food all her life. so we decided to combine both there skills in a restaurant. "Worked out well".......When we first started out, business was slow and after people started to talk about us we started picking up slowly. Then David Mitchell and his wife had gave us a surprise visit. They tried our food and loved it David told us that he writes reviews in the Trend newspaper, and told us he would do so for our restaurant.my father told him please write the truth. and he did. BINGO. as soon as the review went out. we got busy like crazy. so if there were long waits for the food we apologize. We were not expecting that at all. we just hired two people for Fridays Saturdays and Sundays. Their will be three to four servers and me and my brother will be helping dad out in the kitchen. If any questions please ask i will stay in touch and on this site.. :) p.s THANKS TO EVERYONE.

Posted by Yalda Grill Kabob on August 13, 2007 6:18PM

The kabobs are great - even the chopped meat, which I normally shun. I had a bunch prepared 1/2 cooked for take-out so I could finish them on the barbeque at home - deelish. The owner and sons were very cooperative. $50 easily bought enough food to feed 6. Transferred to serving bowls, it looked like we had been coooking and marinating for days. When my guests were stuffed and happy, I confessed that our feast was store-bought. Vegetarians can get by with the grilled vegees, and delicous eggplant and yoghurt dishes.

Posted by Alanalan on August 23, 2007 12:40PM

Wow! We finally made it to Yalda and loved it. When you drive up to the parking lot you may think twice about going in....but don't! We ordered amazing appetizers; dumplings with ground beef scallions and mint and topped with yogurt, an amazing grilled eggplant and tomato dish served warm with delicious bread, and fried little moons of pastry with potatoes served with a delicious spicy cilantro sauce. For entrees we had wonderful kabobs served with grilled veggies and rice with yellow lentils. The funny thing is that they also serve, pizza and wings. It kind of makes it this quirky little jewel right in the middle of the burbs. I can sort of compare it to a cross between Turkish and Persian food. Worth the drive!

Posted by Daisy M. on September 29, 2007 5:32PM

My family & I were looking for a middle eastern restaurant and we found Yaldas. Our server was great. Very friendly and made us laugh the entire time. I believe she said she was the niece of the owner. She recommanded a few entrees & after she gave her favorite items, we started out with the fried eggplant appetizer and that was very good. Then I had the murgh jaan. ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING DISHES I have ever had. Sautee boneless chicken with mushrooms, spinach and I believe with mozzarella cheese . My husband had the deluxe kabob (chicken, lamb, & beef kabobs with brown rice) and our kids had the spagetti & meatballs. Now my kids are very picky but they loved their spagetti/meatball. I tried my husband's kabobs and we both agreed the kabobs were juicy & tasty.

Its a lot of food for the price, and we had to take some of it home. Our overall experience was great, and we will be back soon but we want that same girl as a waitress. Yaldas has great food and we want to wish them the best of luck. Keep up the great work Yaldas & we will see you soon.

From the Thompson Family

Posted by Angelfire on October 10, 2007 1:57PM

Hours of Operation:
Monday - Thursday 11:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m.• Friday & Saturday 11:00 a.m.- 11:00 p.m.• Sunday, 12:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.