The Survival Guide to Kabul©
Published
internationally in July 2003 as
First published in
What’s new
Bulletin Board
Services
Guesthouses
Articles
|
079 35 2538/070 254432 Located at the bottom of the lane between the Chinese Embassy and
the main UNDP Compound on Foreign Affairs Ministry road.
Elbow Room: cocktails, club steaks and security clearance at
“ A welcoming entrance is decorated in sea greens and leads into a
bright, spacious bar area of stools and high tables where the best cocktails
in Frosty-cold canned beer costs $3 and bottles are $4. A Guinness
fetches $5. There are also several types of wine listed as well as chilled
champagne (Moet) in the fridge for special occasions, along with the usual
line-up of spirits. The British owners of Elbow Room, Jamie Adamson and Gareth
Edwards, have spent a year renovating and decorating the premises. They
readily admit the project wouldn’t have been possible had they not found a
discreet, secure location. “This property backs on to [ To start the venture, the pair sold their homes back in the “We enjoy the challenge. It has been tough getting the supplies,”
admits Jamie. “Most of the furniture for the restaurant and kitchen appliances
had to be purchased in Pakistan and the bureaucracy involved in setting up
has been an eye-opener,” he says, adding, “However, our aim is to get people
out of their guest houses and give them somewhere to meet, eat and have a
social drink after work, to relax and have fun.” The crowded bar and restaurant are noisy proof of the success of
this vision. Lurking beyond the bar,
however, is the first false note in the place. An over-lit lounge area
complete with tacky, velvet plush, brown sofas caters stoutly to lovers of From the lounge, diners step up to a spacious restaurant area,
with 16 tables covered with clean, white linen table cloths and napkins. A
lower-level room runs alongside ceiling-to-floor windows, overlooking a small
lawn boasting sporadic clumps of flowers and fledgling bushes. While savouring a tangy Margarita or two, diners can chose from a
menu that offers simple international cuisine that includes a choice for
vegetarians (the Vegetarian Caribbean Chilli with baby corn, carrots and
mixed beans in coconut, pineapple and tomato sauce, $14, was delicious). The $8-salads include a classic Greek salad with feta cheese,
black olives, tomatoes, onions cucumbers, but unfortunately they lace it with
boring iceberg lettuce. A better choice is the Elbow Room Salad that includes
smoked turkey breast, roast beef and roast chicken as well as delicious
buffalo cheese topping the salad. The Elbow Room Club Steak at $19 is the most expensive item on
the menu, but any serious carnivore will tell you it’s worth it. The meat is
bought from international suppliers based in The presentation of all the dishes is stylish and fun with
geometric shapes decorated with squiggles of sauces and fruits and
vegetables. “These are tough conditions to work in, the kitchen is small and
I’m trying to train the Afghan staff and, at the same time, prepare the
meals,” Alfonzo says. “It’s a lot of
pressure, but I’m happy to be passing on my knowledge to the people helping
me. It’s also great to hear people compliment the food.” There are plans to expand the menu and provide a lunchtime
service. Decadent deserts are also heralded. For now, ice cream or crepes are
the only options available. The service is friendly but over-stretched at peak times. You
should book a table in advance to ensure you get seated. There is plenty of parking inside the Elbow Room compound for
embassy vehicles as well as secure attendant parking on the main road. A key element to any restaurant experience is the lavatory, which
at Elbow Room is marble-floored and spotless. Best of all, Elbow Room has
been given UN security clearance. The Elbow Room seats 80. |
||||||||
|
كابل،
افغانستان |
The Survival Guide to
|
