Afghan Tasty Food, Melbourne CBD by Snooze

Big Fil's been watching the progress of Afghan Tasty Food and as it's now open, put together a group and went for lunch. We were luck enough, as well, to have an Afghani colleague accompany us as well.


It's not a bad location. The dining space is open, with plenty of natural light and with a good view down Elizabeth Street towards Flinders Street Station. It also has a nifty looking bar and loads of impressive enlarged photos on the walls including maybe the most recent famous Afghani woman peering out from behind the buffet.


It almost seemed a natural conclusion that everybody opted for the buffet, and at $13 per head it seemed the obvious choice.


As I was near the end of the queue, by the time I reached the buffet the meat balls were mostly gone. These weren't wasn't my favourite of the day ... they tasted a little salty.


I loved the look of this rice dish decorated with lentils and yoghurt, but for me the texture was like an overcooked risotto.


The eggplant was the favourite of the day for me although perhaps a little oily.


The spiced cauliflower was also a favourite although the curse of the bain marie struck and it was a little overcooked. A perennial problem with cauliflower.


The last dish I tried was a pilau topped with raising and carrot. Again, this looked pretty but was bland.


Overall
Afghani food seems to fall somewhere between Indian and Middle Eastern food, blending the two artlessly. But I have to add my "but" and it's a serious downside with most buffets is that the food was overcooked, and bland besides. For $13, however, it was great value and I'd recommend it to anybody in the city wanting a quick, cheap meal.

Verdict
Food - 7
Ambience - 6.5
Service - 7
Price - 8

Address
Level 1, 315-321 Elizabeth Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: 9670 7305