Kabob Korner has limited but appetizing selection
January 24, 2008
By Meher Ahmad (mahmad@hilite.org)
The scent of freshly cooked lamb skewers lures in kabob-loving patrons daily to the quaint Kabob Korner.
The Afghani café’s feel is more relaxed, with metallic chairs and small round tables. The bright walls, shocking pink and purple, lighten up the small enclave. At a small counter in the back of the restaurant, patrons may order from a small choice of Afghani staples, ranging from soup to kabobs. Ordering at a counter as opposed to the table was more informal than one would expect, but don’t be fooled by the relaxed atmosphere: their kabobs rival some of the best available in the Indianapolis area.
Kabobs, defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, are “cubes of meat (as lamb or beef) marinated and cooked with vegetables usually on a skewer,” however some may prefer to describe these kabobs as tiny morsels of heaven.
The tender bits of meat, cooked with the perfect balance of spices and herbs, hit the taste buds with a full and round flavor. Often times, kabob connoisseurs may find that restaurants bombard kabobs with spices, which upset more than just the taste buds. Other times, kabobs are left so flavorless that chewing erasers would be more enjoyable. Kabob Korner found the perfect balance between the two, with ideal turmeric to cardamom ratio.
The rest of the food, however, was difficult to compare with the awe-inspiring kabobs. Kabob Korner also offers manto, a unique Afghani dish which resembles traditional Chinese dumplings. Manto are essentially dumplings, filled with seasoned ground beef. Fans of Chinese dumplings may enjoy these but the meat filling was comparable to Hamburger Helper. The tomato sauce drizzled on top was not much better, since it lacked the spice of the filling. That is not to say that the manto was awful, but they were average in taste.
All of the dishes were served with customary basmati rice, a staple side dish to most of the foods from the region. As a traditional staple crop, one would believe that basmati rice isn’t difficult to prepare. Kabob Korner did not reach that standard in rice, with slightly oily yellow kernels that were somewhat crunchy. Perhaps to some, this sort of rice is appealing but for a regular rice eater, it was far from that.
Along with basmati rice, pita bread accompanies most of the dishes served at Kabob Korner. Yet again, it was nothing special. Not bad, but not amazing either.
Besides the ridiculously tasty kabobs, the food here was typical of such establishments. But if sacrificing the rest of dishes for the goodness of the kabob is the only way, so be it. These kabobs were extraordinary.
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