Midtown Lunch

Sansom Kebob House has been on my list of places to dine for a while now. The sun was unforgiving and I needed somewhere to sit down and escape. Too hot for outdoor seating, there was no reason not to head down to Sansom Street’s subterranean Afghani restaurant. Maybe Afghani food is not the first thing that comes to mind to refresh you on a hot day, but my yogurt topped appetizer was just the right start.

An “Ashak” ($4.50) consists of about 4 large steamed scallion dumplings that are topped with minted yogurt and meat sauce. Reminiscent of the manti I like so much in Turkish cuisine, I  very much enjoyed the sauce on this and did not leave a drop left.

I enjoyed the cilantro chutney and mint yogurt sauce that came with my “Bulani”,  fried potato and scallion filled patties, but my first appetizer made much more of an impression.

Lunch entrees come with small salads, either plain cucumbers, Afghan Salad, or Greek Salad. The Greek salad, we were told, is like Afghan salad but with feta, so clearly that is the one to pick. Long, chewy Afghan bread is also served and I used it to dip up the sauces from my appetizers.

Kebobs run about $8 here and while the place may be called  Kebob house, I was too tempted by an over rice house special that barely cost more than the kebobs.    I am not one of those people who loves plain white rice, what I do love is a longer grain fragrant rice that tastes like something. The Qalbee Palow ($9) , a lamb and rice dish, sounded perfect and I wouldn’t have to navigate around a skewer. Thrown into the rice are cooked carrot strips that tasted practically candied, raisins, and almonds, but even given all that, it’s not an overly sweet dish- it’s controlled. And that lamb, it must have been cooked for hours. I did not have a single tough piece.

It took us about an hour to eat and pay our check, so make sure you have the time if you chose to eat in .

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• I am sick of the same old stuff
• Tender lamb and fragrant rice in the Qalbee Palow
• Lot of meat and veggie options
• Great appetizers
• Take out or sit down available

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• I am looking for something I can eat easily on the run

Sansom Kebob House, 1526 Sansom St (@ 15th St), 215-751-9110