Another delightful restaurant on Mill Road
A few months ago, I couldn’t help but notice the buzz of activity at one of the shops at the beginning of Mill Road. I was excited that the new addition to Mill Road would be ‘Noshe’, an Afghan Restaurant and Coffee House. For those unfamiliar with Mill Road, it is the most multicultural road in Cambridge, where locals like to hang out.
Although I have travelled extensively and indulged in many different cuisines, I have never had the opportunity to try Afghani cuisine. I wondered what it would taste like. Would it be more like North African or Indian cuisine?
It’s all about sharing the food
Last week, I finally had the chance to dine at Noshe. As this type of food is all about sharing, I invited some friends to join us to indulge in a broader selection of dishes. It was a wonderful evening; one dish took me back to my childhood ( my mother would give me buttery sweet rice when I was poorly), and the others were food I enjoyed on my travels and at a friend’s house. To quote the owners: Dining at Noshe is a unique dining experience waiting for you! And I completely can vouch for that.
What is Afghani Cuisine?
It is a cuisine full of flavours, not just locals, but as it was part of the well-known spice road, which connected Asia, India, the Mediterranean and eastern Africa, the flavours are complex. This not only influenced the interesting cuisine, but Afghanistan is made up of a culturally diverse group of beautiful people: Hazara, Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek, AImaq, Turkmen, Baloch, and Sadat. Each of these ethnic groups contributes to the cuisine of Afghanistan.
Afghan people love their rice.
The cornerstone of Afghan cuisine is rice. They love it! The types of rice are endless. Their national dish is Kbuli Pulao, a savoury rice dish with lamb, carrots, and raisins, but the comforting Chalau is lovely too.
They also love their sours.
Afghan people don’t use dressings. They like to add a fresh kick to their food with (fermented) yoghurt, chutney, fresh vegetables, lemon, or salt. Add a naan, and you have the perfect meal.
Our dining experience
We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Noseh. We loved the spicing, and the Bolani, the vegetarian herby flatbread, had a nice kick. I have had similar breads, but they were always very bland. The Challau was an eye-opener, and we loved the spicy sauce over the hummus! The chicken kebab was lovely and tender, and the aubergines were soft and delicious.
The Chaka Watanee was amazing! I know this salad as Kachumbar, which a Pakistani friend in Cape Town introduced to me. I loved the addition of the pomegranate seeds and the walnuts, which were so tasty.
New menu
Noshe launched a new menu on October 7th, adding many sides and other delicious courses.
I forgot to mention the Afghan Tea with complimentary spices and nuts. It is recommended to nibble on them, but I spotted local Afghan people popping them into the Tea. I loved it!
p.s. I forgot to mention the delicious Mantu, the dumplings. They now have a vegetarian, too! Make sure you book a table as Noshe is very popular, and they have limited space.
Enjoy!
Gerla
Gerla