Published February 18, 2010

After paying the bill a few weeks ago at Ariana Afghan Restaurant, the friendly waiter, Rafi Sarwary, assured me I would be coming back. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow night?” he said with a smile.

Not the next evening, but less than a week later, I returned to the snug Afghan restaurant on Ninth Avenue between 52nd and 53rd Streets to enjoy the simple yet satisfying Middle Eastern food, decorative atmosphere swarming with cultural and national pride and the back-and-forth banter with the waiter more than willing to offer his recommendation to patrons new to Afghan cuisine. The second time around, Sarwary greeted me, “My friend, you’re back so soon,” and told me to sit at the same table as before.

With seating for about 30, Ariana is a comfortable setting for a date or a night out with friends. While certain aspects of the décor seem more touristy than traditional, the photographs of Afghan landscapes and old world architecture intermingled with hanging rugs and framed Afghan currency against a brick backdrop highlight Afghan culture within an ethnically and gastronomically diverse neighborhood of New York.

Since visiting Ariana twice so far, I have sampled about a half dozen items from the menu. As the waiter reassured me after recommending a sauce to spread over my appetizer, Afghan food, while finely seasoned and flavorful, is milder than Indian or Thai food.

The kadoo bolanee, an appetizer priced at $3.75, consists of two fried turnovers filled with pumpkin, seasoned with herbs and spices and served with yogurt sauce. On your table at Ariana, rather than salt and pepper, sit two small containers filled with Afghan sauces. The red one resembling salsa is spicy, the green one resembling relish is sweet and combining them both with the light yogurt sauce added multiple flavors to the sugary pumpkin turnover. The dish was reminiscent of an American Thanksgiving side dish, like pumpkin or sweet potato pie.

My second time at Ariana, I ordered more turnovers, the bolanee kachalou ($3), which is filled with mashed potatoes rather than pumpkin. Another option, which I hope to try, is bolanee qandana ($3.75). This time the filling consists of leeks and meat rather than one vegetable.

For fans of the street cart vendor Chicken and Rice on W. 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue, I recommend trying something slightly more expensive ($11.50), but most likely healthier and assuredly more delicious. The beef kofta kebab at Ariana tastes like a delicious combination between Mom’s meatloaf and hot Italian sausage. No discernible difference exists between the beef kebab and its lamb equivalent, most likely because both are seasoned with fresh spices and broiled over wood charcoal. The entrees are served with brown Basmati rice and a small side salad. While the salad is comparable to rabbit food, the simple brown rice is seasoned well and only improves in taste with the addition of the red or green sauce found on your table.

For vegetarians, Ariana offers a number of options, priced at 12 dollars, including choice of spinach, zucchini, okra, pumpkin curry, eggplant curry or potato curry, also served with brown Basmati rice, salad and bread. The portions are filling, and combining the spinach with the zesty brown rice gives new flavor to the phrase, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Diners can also chose to order a combination of two vegetables for $13 or three for $16. The zucchini and pumpkin curry were good complements, as the former took on the sweetness of the latter and the yogurt sauce helped blend both with the rice.

For dessert, my first experience with firnee ($5), an Afghan pudding topped with chopped almonds and pistachio nuts, was a pleasant one, except for the fact that I should have ordered two. The single serving of thick, velvety pudding was a good ending to an enjoyable meal, but probably not meant to be shared.

Ariana is affordable, conveniently located from the Fordham College at Lincoln Center campus, and overall a filling and fun night out. The service, or the one-man wait staff, rather, is quick, friendly, and genuine. The first time I ate there, Sarwary offered to cut my appetizer and layered the different sauces over the pumpkin turnover, advising me on which sauces make the most appealing flavor combinations.

Let the neon sign in the window spelling out Ariana Afghan Kebab lure you in and the good food, relaxed atmosphere, and exceptional service keep you going back. This inviting restaurant is well worth your time and money. And if you return, Sarwary just may remember your face.