• Sambosas $5.85 (shared)
• Chicken Karaee $14.95
• Appel Sambosa $3.95

Da Afgan is a very popular restaurant for its location. It is tucked back into a very weird area of Bloomington, that we had a hard time finding. I have very mixed feelings about the restaurant. The Sambosas would have been really good if they were not literally frozen in the middle. My dish was recommended by the waiter and I asked for medium hot and it was mild at best, so that was disappointing as well. Althought the dish on a whole was quite good. The Apple Sambosas were really good.

I don't think I would go back, it just didn't make me want to.

• Pasta Combo Mantou and Aushok $13.95
• Baklava $2.95

Sometimes when we go to a restaurant, one of us orders the weaker item (usually that’s me). Sometimes when we go to a restaurant, one of us bites into a nearly frozen appetizer (usually that’s me). This time it was Renee who drew the short straw.

I loved the Naan Afghani flat bread served complimentary before the meal. It was hot, fresh, and delicious. The Sambosa was not as hot, though my two pieces were fine, albeit lukewarm. Renee said hers were cold, and that one was partially frozen in the center.

The Mashawa Soup was a hearty soup, thick and meaty. But it was otherwise plain. The meat was the dominant flavor, no extraordinary spices to speak of. My combo pasta was quite good, and I would recommend either the Mantou or Aushok to someone going to Da Afghan. The Aushok came highly rated from two separate publications, which piqued my interest.

The baklava was good, and an excellent value. It was a standard baklava, but well executed. To top it off, it was less than half the price of Dish’s mediocre baklava with pomegranates.

If you live near Da Afghan, try it out. It comes highly rated and our one experience may have been an off night for them. As for us, we will stick to our local Middle Eastern hangouts.