Zarak By Afghan Kitchen

Very pretty dining room, love the ambiance and tone of the space, their service is good, and a well-priced brunch menu with a modern twist of Afghan flavours. They also have a handful of fun drinks on their menu, all very picturesque and cute! The dishes we tried were prettier than they tasted, nonetheless they were flavourful and unique, and I love the concept. I can see why they’re so busy, and I’m glad they’re doing well. Excited to revisit to try their dinner menu!

I came here for brunch on a Saturday. I had a Caesar flight, which was great - I would drink it in order from Classic - Afghan - Chinese - Korean flavour. My favourite take was the Korean-style. I also had their lamb Benedict which was fantastic. We also ordered Turkish coffee, which was beautifully plated with Turkish delight. I never to enjoyed Turkish delight until I had it here. The food and drinks were all delicious and I look forward to coming back to try other menu items. Their homemade ketchup is also amazing - I wish I could buy some for home. They don't have booster seats, so if you have a young one, you'll need to bring one with you.

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Zarak twice now, once for Happy Hour and once for Brunch, and I’ve gotta say this is one of my favourite spots in the city. The restaurant itself is gorgeous; there’s attention to detail in every aspect. You feel fancy as soon as you walk in! You’d expect that a restaurant this nice would cost you an arm and a leg, but it’s amazing how well priced and affordable their menu is. Their Happy Hour has to be among the best in the city; they only serve top shelf liquor and have amazing on-tap beer options like the Fuggles and Warlock Last Mango. All of the food at Zarak is flavour forward, not a single bland bite. My Indian palate was very entertained. I don’t think you can go wrong with anything you order!

If you’re looking for delicious food, great drinks and a unique culinary experience, Zarak’s the place for you. New to Afghan cuisine, the staff were patient in explaining the different dishes to us and gave some really good recommendations. Everything we ordered was delicious. From the unique dumplings, tender meats and of course, the best Brussels sprouts I have ever had. Head there a little earlier at 5pm to enjoy their happy hour.

The atmosphere was nice and cosy. The service was amazing. Our waiter was funny and great in giving us recommendations. The food was great! Bolani 5/5 A flatbread stuffed with potatoes was perfectly crispy on the outside, nice and soft on the inside. Marinated Beef 4.5/5 The beets were nice and tangy and eating all the different parts of this dish together was the perfect bite. The dill was a bit overpowering at times Leek Dumpling 3/5 I feel conflicted about this dish. The tastes were very interesting, like nothing I've tasted before. Eating the dumplings with the beans and lentils completed the dish. Shank Yak Dou Sey 5/5 This was a sharing platter with a choice of beef shank or beef shoulder, beef kebab and chicken kebab. It also came with Afghan rice and Naan. The Naan looked like it was going to be dense, but it was surprisingly light and airy. The beef shank came apart easily and the beef and chicken had amazing flavours. I heard a lot about the Afghan Rice and it tasted very different from anything I've had before. It tasted sweet at first, then fragrant. I wasn't sure how I felt about the rice at first, the more I ate it, the more the taste grew on me. No complaints at all Mum's Secret Cake 5/5 & Shir Yakh 5/5 This was the tastiest dessert ever. At the recommendation of a staff we got these to eat together and it was the best choice ever. If you come here order these two items together and then have a scoop of gelato and a bite of cake and eat it in one bite. The cake by itself was moist and the gelato was not overly sweet and was creamy. Firni Jar 4/5 The spices of this dessert was interesting. Again, this was one of those dishes where the more I ate, the more I enjoyed it. The texture was nice and velvety.

Really nice place for brunch. The portions were fairly large so I couldn't finish but everything tasted really good. We got the full afghan and skillet kebab. The interior is nicely designed and the waiters had matching uniforms which were a nice touch. Would definitely try coming back for dinner since they have a completely different menu! Only thing is they don't have an espresso machine.. so only hot black coffee

Great experience! Reservations were full, we called and they said to try and come before 7pm to see if we could get in. Hasib was very attentive and accommodating and got us a seat. For starters we ordered dumplings. They were flavourful, warm in spice and great taste. The server was great in helping us choose our food. She recommended the fried chicken appetizer which was also nice, peppery and had a crunch on the outside. Tender juicy chicken inside and delicious chutney to pair. We shared lamb kabobs and they melted in our mouth, meat was so tender. Overall the service was outstanding. Everyone we talked to was polite, knowledgeable, helpful and accommodating. Bar made incredible cocktails too! Will be back again.

The best brunch experience in Vancouver! Every detail from when you walk in is impeccable. The effort and passion that went into everything from the decor and furnishings to things as small as the drink cups and sauces served with the food is evident. The servers are so sweet and genuinely love their job, I asked our server how she likes working at Zarak and she said it's like a big family. The brunch food was delicious, middle eastern touches on traditional brunch fare adds so much new flavour. We got the chicken and waffles, lamb Benny and baklava. Presentation was gorgeous and taste was a delight, overall way beyond its price point. Will be back for more brunch and dinner too!

Phenomenal dinner experience. Prices are fair and portions are big! The cocktail menu is really impressive and delicious, I would highly recommend the Parwan. The dumplings were massive and loaded. The lamb shank melted in my mouth. My least favourite was the beef kebab but only because I felt like the meat was a little too well done. Will be coming back here for more.

Went for brunch, and everything tasted great! Atmosphere and ambiance is lovely as well, and there is quite a variety of food to choose from. I think I would have liked slightly larger portions for the price, but if you’re not too hungry, it shouldn’t be much of a problem. Definitely would come back if I was in the area, and I’d love to try again for dinner in the future.

Directions to Zarak By Afghan Kitchen with public transportation

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