Azeen's Afghani Restaurant

Some friend and I decided to meet for dinner last night at Azeen's. I've had Afghan food before and I liked it but I didn't remember the specifics and was eager to try it again. Afghan food is kind of like a mix between Middle Eastern (think yogurt, rice, maybe even Persian flavors), and then dumplings (like the delicious steamed potsticker kind). It has strong flavors and uses spice combinations that you don't necessarily think of together. This food is absolutely delicious! It is worth trying.

Azeen's is just off the beaten track in Pasadena. It is a small and quiet restaurant with white tablecloths and attentive and kind staff. We arrived around 7:30 on a Thursday night and a good number of the tables were already filled. I felt like everyone but us was speaking in hushed tones, but nobody complained that we were loud--so maybe it was just me.

The prices are a little bit steep but I lamb is expensive on its own and lots of the dishes contain lamb. However, for the amount of food you get (enough for maybe 2 dinners), it is worth the price.

We tried:
MANTU
Steamed dumplings filled with chopped beef, onions and herbs topped with yogurt and sautéed Mixed vegetables.
-This was delicious! The dumplings were really flavorful but the tangy sauce on top made them really special

Side Salad - This comes with all the entrees. The dressing is yogurt based with either parsly or mint dust. It is otherwise a basic salad but the dressing makes you want more.

AUSHAK
Leek and scallion filled dumplings topped with yogurt and meat sauce, sprinkled with mint.
-I got this for my main course. I liked it but it tasted almost Italian and I was a little bit disappointed that I didn't just order more Mantu, but I wanted to try more things

QUABILI PALLAW
Tender pieces of lamb under a mound of PALLAW (rice), topped with carrot strips and raisins.
-This sounds like something I would never order because I'm not usually a fan of raisins but this was the most delicious dish we had. The rice is cooked with lamb broth, cardamom, cumin and cinnamon. The flavors meld together with the competing textures of lamb, carrots and plump raisins. I just tasted this dish and then instantly wished I had ordered it myself. I can see myself going back there just for this. I craved it this morning for breakfast.

CHALLAW BADENJAN
Stew of eggplant cooked with onions and tomatoes, topped with yogurt.
-This dish was served with a plate mounded with rice. The lamb was particularly tender and flavorful. It was warm and filled with different textures and tang. All the entrees were served with Afghan bread that was helpful for soaking up the sauces and a nice extra filler. I don't know if it had much flavor on its own.

FIRNEE
A light pudding with almonds and pistachios served chilled.
-We all shared dessert although nobody was really hungry enough to eat it. This pudding tasted a lot like flowers...like that lotion that smells so good you want to eat it. It was a nice end to the meal..although I would've been content with more Quabili Pallow





Azeen's Afghani Restaurant
110 E Union St
Pasadena, CA 91103
Map