Southern Asian cooking is almost always good, but occasionally we run across a balance of flavor, texture, and heat that leaves me with a delightfully warm feeling inside about a half hour after I've left, and a desire to return as soon as possible. The Helmand was one of those experiences.
Noodles, meat, rice, stuffed pasta, sauces, and freshly baked bread are all present, each with a familiarity that screams 'comfort food', but with a uniqueness that is unlike anything else I've had.
We were fortunate enough to be seated near the back, with a view of the oven, whose flames added to the atmosphere, as well as baking their bread. Lighting was subdued, making it even more of a fine dining experience.
The menu, along with the wait staff, provided enough information about the unfamiliar item names to make ordering simple and low risk.
Save room for the Jala ice cream, flavored with cardamom, topped with pomegranate syrup, Asian noodles (!), and almonds.
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The Helmand situated on historic Charles Street by Mt. Vernon monument in Baltimore is a rare gem in a city that has suffered through many failed incarnations and setbacks. Known for its Afghanistan dishes and confirmed of its authentic taste by my dinner mate who was the chief foreign correspondent stationed there, this local staple has been delivering one smashing dish after another. As an art student I visited The Helmand a handful of times, and after over a 20yr absence, what a surprise it was to be recognized by the maitre’d after so many years this time around. Good to know that they also treat their employees really well here as well. The decor of this place over the years has not veered away from its original design of Afghani cultural references adorning the walls including clothing, ceramics and a flag. Once you place your orders, your appetizers come deceptively fast. We had the mantwo and seared eggplant app. My only complaint is that I wish the mantwo came with 2 pieces. It was the most delicious delicacy topped with chickpeas stewed to perfection. For dinner we had a stewed chicken, divine, lamb special, a bit tough, and rice dish, that was similar to a birwani where the meat was inside the rice that was seasoned w saffron, raisins, herbs spices and finely julienned carrots strips. Our meal was excellent! Cannot wait to come back very soon.
Tasty and well crafted Afghani food with friendly and knowledgeable staff and nice cultural decor. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options, comprising about half the menu. Ordered the vegetarian soup, naan, vegetarian platter, vegetarian dolmas, and the cauliflower and chickpeas dish. The baklava for dessert was super yummy. All was super tasty with unique flavors.
Great service. Authentic Afghan dishes that were all well balanced. Great place if you love lamb. Also plenty of vegetarian options.
Celebrated a friend’s birthday here and this was my first time going to this restaurant. The staff were very friendly and welcoming! The food came to us so quick and was absolutely delicious. I even forgot my bag and our server ran outside to catch me to give it to me. I will definitely be taking friends and family here in the future!
The food was incredible. Unique and tasty. There was a large party. It did not impact the good service, but it was very loud in the restaurant.
This was top notch! I read the reviews and planned this trip for months - when the day finally came, we were the first ones in the restaurant (It quickly filled up). The suggestions give to us (order a couple of entrees for 3 ppl and sub with appetizers! PERFECT idea. The food was amazing. Every course was excellent. Highly recommend. After-dinner drinks were great and reasonable.
Loved this place! Amazing food and a great location.
The service was interesting - I had a reservation for 8 but I had it on the wrong date (my mistake) but they were still able to seat us super quickly even with it being a busy Saturday night - EXTREMELY nice of them. But then our actual server was suboptimal, we basically had to chase him down to get anything done. So while our experience with the service was good thanks to their graciousness but then the dining service wasn't great.
The food itself was really delicious and quick my favorite was the Bendi (okra), Banjan Lagathak, and the Lamb Lawand! The mushrooms in the lamb lawand were so tasty, a nice texture and just full of flavor.
For dessert the cheesecake was REALLY good, everything else was in my opinion not worth it.
Would definitely come back here again!
Absolutely MUST try!! I am a total foodie yet rarely leave reviews – but this was one the best meals I’ve ever had in my life.
Everything was so perfectly spiced/salted. We started with the pumpkin appetizer, which was delicious and similar to butternut squash. The flatbread was awesome (and made in-house, in a wood-fired oven!). I can’t remember the names of the entrees – one was a salad with the most tender, flavorful steak, and the other was a chicken dish special. The service was also excellent! We’ll definitely be back when in the area.
The food and service here are simply outstanding. Every dish is bursting with fresh flavors and spices! The lamb was so tender and delicious! The vegetarian dishes were also excellent. The cardamom green tea is to die for!
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