SPRINGFIELD — If nothing else, Springfield is a city of immigrants, and that is certainly reflected in its restaurant offerings.
In the last decade or so, we have seen the addition of Middle Eastern cuisine with establishments such as Nadim’s, Saray 2 and Cedar’s Food Mart and Grill, all places I have enjoyed visiting.
Now there is a new restaurant with a different Middle Eastern take: AFC Grill. Formerly the restaurant, which features dishes from Afghanistan, was located in Agawam, but it has moved to 982 Main St., in the location that many locals remember housing Boston Seafood.
The South End location bolsters a part of Springfield well known for its restaurants, ethnic markets and bakeries.
The restaurant is designed primarily for take-out although there are tables for dining-in. The menu is not huge, but from my experience what they offer, they do well.
The menu includes rice chicken over, rice, lamb over rice, chicken kabab, whole roasted chicken, kofta seekh kabab (skewered meat sausage) as well as a number of American standards such as beef and chicken burgers, chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.
The two entrees I ordered were made fresh for me, taking only about 15 minutes.
I chose the Kabuli palaw and the chicken kebab. The Kabuli palaw is a lamb dish, which was new to me. On a bed of slightly seasoned rice with plump raisins and slivers of carrots, there is a generous helping of roast lamb.
I will readily admit I had my doubts about raisins in rice, but this was a remarkable meal. The rice/raisin/carrot combination works extremely well and compliments the roasted chunks of lamb.
I would gladly eat this again.
The chicken kabob alters the way the dish is usually served. Instead of pieces of grilled chicken on a bed of rice, this meal is a sort of do-it-yourself. The chicken is accompanied by lettuce and onion and two small pita wraps, so you can make yourself a sandwich. There are french fries as well. The dish comes with a spicy sauce offered on the side as well as a yogurt-based sauce.
The chicken was gently spiced and moist. It was a solid dining experience.
The end result is that the region has another good choice when it comes to dining options. For more information, check out its Facebook at tinyurl.com/4mdysj75.
