East Bay Baby

I, too, apologize for the long silence. We’ve had a hectic couple of months with international travel, ruptured ear drums, etc. But I’ve been thinking about you in the meantime – I promise! I’ve had a few posts stored away in my head, and I’m hoping to get them out in writing sooner rather than later.

A couple nights ago, we went to Salang Pass in Fremont for dinner. We’d been there a couple times before, and going once again reminded that I really need to create a post about the restaurant. It’s a fabulous family-friendly Afghani restaurant in the Centerville district of Fremont. (At first glance, one might think that Fremont-Union City-Newark has only chain restaurants, but we’ve done a little digging and found some great culinary gems in the area.)

Salang Pass has two seating areas from which to choose – one is an an area with dim lighting, low tables and pillows, where you can sit cross-legged and recline while enjoying your meal – overall a great ambiance. And the great thing is that it’s not reserved for romantic dinners for those child-less couples (or those lucky couples who managed to find a willing babysitter). In fact, every single time I’ve been there, there have been lots of families with kids of varying ages enjoying their meals. Salang Pass also has regular tables and chairs (and high chairs available) if you want to go the more “Western” route or just have aching joints. Lots of families occupy these tables as well.

I do want to stress how family-friendly this place is. There are always lots and lots of babies around, and the waitstaff is incredibly pleasant – they all seem to love (or at the very least, tolerate with a smile) babies.

And the food is absolutely amazing – and all halal. For the appetizer, we tried the borani, which they describe as an “Afghan calzone”. It’s pretty much carbs layered in carbs – thin sheets of dough filled with leeks and potatoes, then griddled so that it’s crispy. Absolutely delicious! And an order gets you a huge plate piled with borani pieces – definitely enough for an appetizer for 4+, if you’re not carb monsters like my husband and me.

For their main dishes, we’ve also had the Quabili Pallow, which I think is their most popular dish, and with good reason. It’s a tender lamb shank served with cumin-flavored rice with plump raisins and carrots. It’s fantastic. My husband, who doesn’t like lamb, thought that the lamb shank was amazing. I’ve also tried the Chapli Kabob (ground sirloin mixed with scallions, cilantro, coriander, other spices) which is really yummy. My husband had the Vegi Borani Kadoo – “sauteed pumpkin, seasoned with garlic, peppers, and topped with a special yoghurt sauce”. It’s a seemingly simple dish, but very hearty and filling, and absolutely delicious. Their kabobs are pretty good, though they tend to be on the dry side.

You can also purchase restaurant.com gift certificates (gift certificates at a reduced price) for this restaurant.

Their website, which has their menu, is