Afghan Restaurant opens in Lincolnia

A new Afghan restaurant has opened in Landmark Plaza in Lincolnia.

Its name, “Afghan Restaurant,” reflects the original Afghan Restaurant that operated in Crystal City from 1993 to 2010. That was the first Afghan restaurant in Northern Virginia and was founded by the father and uncle of Amanullah Abbasi, the owner of the new place.

Afghan Restaurant is located at 6244-H Little River Turnpike, in the spot formerly occupied by Krave Eatery.

The restaurant is hosting a grand opening this Sunday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., featuring free samples of an authentic Afghan ice cream called sheeryakh and a Ramadan buffet with an extensive array of items for $25.

According to Abbasi, Afghan Restaurant is the only place in Northern Virginia that makes its own sheeryakh, which is made from milk, sugar, and cardamom that’s cooked before it’s frozen and topped with a sauce containing pistachios and walnuts.

Some of the other items on the Afghan Restaurant menu include kabobs; chopan (lambchops); quabuli uzbeki (a traditional rice dish with bone marrow, lamb shank, carrots, and raisins); and chainaki (a stew with lamb, beef, onions, and tomatoes simmered in a clay pot).