I had the pleasure of attending a media-tasting event at Naan and Kabob, held at their newest Leaside location. I wasn’t sure what to expect. From the pictures I had seen online the food looked similar to Iranian food I had tried but there were also some flavours on the menu that seemed to more closely relate to Indian and Lebanese food. Would it be too spicy for me to handle? I was excited to try everything and get a sense of whether or not I liked authentic Afghani cuisine.
A mix of 3 toppings: Salata, Zaatar and Spinach with Cheese
Anyone who has dined with me knows I love variety. I thought the “Mixed Naan” was genius, why have to pick just one when you can try all three delicious toppings? As you can see the toppings were generous and the naan itself was nice and soft. I also tried and loved the Bolanee: lightly grilled naan stuffed with potatoes, green onions and herbs, served with a side of homemade yogurt. Imagine naan stuffed with just the right amount of flavourful mashed potatoes.
Hand-formed dumplings, filled with sauteed onions and ground beef, drizzled with season yogurt, split peas and filling
I had never tried Mantu before but will now be ordering it whenever I see it on a menu. Usually I don’t like dumplings unless they’re deep-fried, but the filling was so delicious I wanted to devour this entire appetizer plate.
Mango Smoothie Blended mango and milk 
Paneer Kabob Grilled cottage cheese marinated in a special N&K house blend 
Tandori Boneless-skinless chicken breast skewer, marinated with rich ingredients for a juicy, tender and spicy taste 
Tandori Half Chicken Tender marinated in original fresh tandori spices 
N&K Mix 2 Tandoori Kabob, 2 Chicken Kabob, 2 Chicken Kofta, 2 Chaplee Kabob
The assorted grilled meats were well-seasoned and not too spicy. You can request a house made hot sauce for those of you who enjoy the extra kick! The boneless skinless tandoori chicken was nice and juicy but surprisingly not as flavourful as the tandoori paneer. The assorted platters are recommended for groups of 4-5 but the portion sizes are very generous, don’t worry about anyone leaving hungry. You might even leave with leftovers that would make a great work lunch the next day. My favourite was the Chaplee pictured below. It was a thick burger patty bursting with flavour. I imagined ordering it to-go and using the Chaplee to make epic burgers at home.
Two Patties of spicy seasoned ground beef, finished with natural herbs
I was even more impressed with all of the food offerings considering how affordable the menu prices are! It’s fast-food prices for hearty homestyle wraps. The kabob plates are slightly more expensive ranging in price from 10-15 dollars but still quite affordable considering the quality of ingredients and tasty sides; all of the kabob plates are served with homestyle scented rice, house salad, freshly baked naan & white sauce.
Overall I was happy to discover a new delicious and affordable spot in my area that my family is sure to love. Have you been to Naan and Kabob? I would love to hear about your experience in the comments.
Review By: Sofia Martimianakis
torontofitchicks.wordpress.com 
Nice that you have an Afghan restaurant. A lot of these dishes are authentic. Some belong to other countries. The Mantu , Bolanee, and Chaplee are definitely Afghani. Other main dishes in Afghanistan are Kabuli Palaw (the national dish), Korma (a stew), Ashak (leek-filled vegetarian version of Mantu) and delicate Baklava made with pistachio and rose water–less sweet than the Greek version. They also have Kabuli Naan which is very long and flat, but it does not ave any toppings on it–just plain or with butter.
Oh, I know this because I was born in Kabul and lived there till I was 12.
As long as the food taste great, its all good.
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