Helmand Palace - I'm in Love

[whiner]

Ok, so I never knew of this place in its old location, but I passed it on Van Ness last month and decided to give it a try. Now, when not getting take out from Blue Barn Gourmet ( http://www.chowhound.com/topics/470487 ) I have become a regular here. So far, everything I've had has been terrific, with particular kudos to the mantwo and the qabelee, the latter of which one $12.95 main course of could feed a small army.

A thread on the switching of locations:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/443405

P.S. The old location may re-open in ten months. I had a little conversation about it with the owner last night...

[dml]

Good to know! I love the Helmand (both locations--SF and Cambridge) and was thinking of going soon, but I would have gone to the Bway location without even thinking. Glad to hear it's still around.

[Melanie Wong]

Hey, another true believer! Keep us posted on the Broadway plans.

Wanted to mention that the first time I tried Helmand at the original location some years ago, I was surprised to find Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Petite Sirah tucked into an otherwise generic wine list (e.g., KJ, Beringer). I asked the server about it and she stated that it was the best wine they had and excellent with the lamb kabobs. We were stunned at how delicious PS's spicy, extracted fruit was with the grilled lamb and how the tannins turned into velvet. Since then I've made a habit of BYO Petite Sirah with Turkish, Uzbek, N Indian tandoori, and other exotically spiced grilled lamb dishes at many other places and love the pairing. If the list still features a Petite, do try it.

http://www.cask23.com/index.htm

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Helmand Restaurant
430 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133

Helmand Palace
2424 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109