Today, Debbie, Candee, and I went to a great restaurant called Laila’s Kitchen. It specializes in Afghan-Persian food and was very tasty.
Chicken and Vegetable Combination Dinner
Debbie and Candee each had the chicken and veggie kabob meal at the recommendation of one of the owners. It came with a small salad, tender chicken kabobs, vegetables, basmati rice and a piece of naan. In addition, they both were originally going to have a cup of green tea, but after reading a description of a drink called shir chai, they each changed their order to that instead. Shir Chai is green tea with 2% milk added to give it a creamy color, then topped with chopped pistachios and a dash of cardamom.
A delicious cup of Shir Chai tea made by Laila herself!
Sharif and Laila Basharyar are the owners of the restaurant which is located at 4 E. Franklin St. in Hagerstown, Maryland. They immigrated to the United States from Afghanistan in 1985 and worked at other jobs before opening the restaurant in 2007. In the restaurant they use the freshest, healthiest ingredients possible, and try to make their food as authentic as possible, with the ingredients that are available to them in the United States.
Much of the food is grilled or sauteed, and Laila prepares all of the marinades for their chicken, beef and vegetable kebabs, often served with a homemade salata — a blend of tomatoes, cucumbers, mint and onions in a rich sauce of spices. They also serve naan, which is a soft, chewy flatbread, soups, hummus, desserts, and more.
Sharif and Laila do all of the prepping, cooking, hosting, serving and cleaning up. They were delightful to talk to and really made an effort to insure a good dining experience.
Laila’s Kitchen is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.
Tags: Polly 3
January 29th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
The meal was sooooooo good!
January 30th, 2011 at 9:36 am
The food looks delicious! The Shir Chai sounds amazing
February 1st, 2011 at 8:52 pm
I do love a nice cup of spiced chai! That looks delicious!
February 11th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Hi Mrs. Schneider, I want to know more about your trips. love,Jade to miss Schneider
February 12th, 2011 at 7:34 am
Hi Jade,
I’m so happy that you visited my site! I had a lot of fun presenting to your class. Everyone asked really interesting questions. If you want to know more about my trips, keep checking the site and reading the Polly stories, or ask me anything you want to know the next time you see me at school. I love to travel. So far I’ve traveled to nineteen countries, and I have been to several of those countries more than once. Remember, the world is a big place, but it starts when you step outside your front door! Start exploring!
Love, Mrs. Schneider
February 22nd, 2011 at 11:13 am
Shir Chai tea sounds very good. I would love to try it someday
February 22nd, 2011 at 8:13 pm
Hanna,
The tea was very good and I can’t wait to have some again! Thanks for checking out my stories!
February 24th, 2011 at 1:28 am
Looks good! How were the prices?
March 1st, 2011 at 10:18 pm
It’s funny about food. Some people get upset when there’s a fly in their soup, but I kind of like it! This food looks very good!