Chapli Kabob @ Sahara Market, Dublin
On word that Kazakhi owners were grilling up great kabobs here, my last errand on Monday was a stop at Sahara Market and Kabob House in Dublin. A sign indicates that the meats are cooked to order and asks for patience. However, it seems that this spot has changed hands this month. The two new partners I spoke with are from Afghanistan and are not Kazakhi.
Ah well, I’m always ready to try a good chapli kabob, and shifted culinary gears to a little further south to the food of Afghanistan. Near the cooking area there is a counter with a few stools and two four-top tables to eat-in. Perched here waiting for my order I got a chance to ask about halal lamb rib chops ($5.99 per pound, cut to order or sold as a whole rack), watch how the rice is prepared here (par-boiled, drained, seasoned with oil, salt and cumin, then baked), and observe several batches of fresh-baked barbari flat bread come out of the oven.
Cooked-to-order on the flat top, the crunchy, crusty chapli beef patties were moist and medium rare in the center. Studded with chopped scallions and topped with a dash of exotic spices and sumac, the chapli were wonderful with the dark green cilantro and fresh jalapeño chutney packed in the box, and even more with the yogurt-smoothed version of this condiment available each table. The side of salad had some fresh cilantro and chopped red sweet peppers and jalapeños in it. The fluffy yet firm to the bite basmati rice was delicious and fragrant with cumin.
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I also tried some of the jalebi from the bakery case. Fresh but starting to hit the chewy stage, these loop-de-loop fried treats were drenched in honey syrup with just a little rosewater. I appreciated the complimentary hot tea even more with this sweet dessert.
Certainly worth a stop if you’re in the Tri-Valley area.
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Sahara Market
6783 Dublin Blvd, Dublin, CA
By Melanie Wong
on Dec 25, 2008 05:02 PM
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> it seems that this spot has changed hands this month.
I thought that this is a new place, that it had only been open about a month.
We went there last week and liked it a lot. One chapli, one combo beef/chicken kabob, one lamb chops, one bolani. We liked them all.
This is mainly a take out place. Just two small tables plus three chairs against a short counter. We ate there and they did a ton of take out business while we were there, huge. This beats driving to Fremont.
They were handing out a flyer that says that they will be expanding. I noticed when we left that the adjacent storefront is empty. The flyer says that they will have: Middle Eastern (falafel, sharwma, gyros), Indo-Pak (tandoori, CTM, butter chicken), American (burgers, pizza).
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I've checked with my friend who recommended it for Kazahki and he says there's been a market there for several months, at a minimum. Thought I'd check Alameda County health site to see who the former occupant might be, but it doesn't show any current or past inspections for this address. Previously, it appears that this location was a Futon Shop.
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> I've checked with my friend who recommended it for Kazahki and he says there's been a market there for several months, at a minimum.
He must be confusing this place with somewhere else. We did take-out there this week. I asked them and they said that they opened 11/15, both market and restaurant, and that it was the Futon Shop before that. There is a Middle Eastern market (no restaurant) farther west on Dublin Blvd next door to Radio Shack.
There are five Indo/Pak markets in Dublin. None have restaurants inside, but a few occasionally have chaat. Just the two Middle Eastern places. I'm not aware of a Kazaki place around here.
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Thanks for getting to the truth! My friend might be imbibing too much cough syrup with codeine during this cold season. He did point me to Rahma, which may be the other market you're referring to. I didn't go there because he said it didn't have the restaurant option. He said it's Palestinian owned and has a better meat counter. How would you compare the two?
On Boxing Day I met a man from Lahore, Pakistan at a party and we got into an animated discussion about chapli kabob, which is a specialty of his hometown. Locally, he contents himself with Afghani versions, though I pointed him toward Darbar in SF for the Lahori style. He said that pomegranate powder is the "secret" ingredient.
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Rahma Mediterranean Market
7108 Dublin Blvd, Dublin, CA
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I just found this place a few weeks ago. Their kabobs are good and their afghan bread is pretty good, but not up to par with maiwand market in fremont. At least there is not an hour long line. They make the bread fresh during the morning and night there i think. They also have quinces if anyone was looking for them
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