Afghan Restaurant & Food Store in Idaho, USA

[Catya Sher]

I ran across something called "Kabul Market"
when driving through Boise, Idaho.
If anyone is traveling through that area, consider to stop there. There is a Kebab restaurant and a well-stocked
grocery right next to it.
It has all Afghan, Iranian and Middle Eastern spices, foods, even the feta cheese favored by most discerning
eaters, Valbreso French Feta,
and some of those typical brass plaques with
Quranic quotations displayed for sale.

The staff with whom I spoke seemed not very Afghan from his own description.
I inquired : "Where are you from ?"
He said flatly, with a bored look, "Here".
I pressed further: "What about your father, he must have been from Afghanistan ?".

The young man reluctantly allowed, "Oh, yeah. He came 34 years ago but I was born here." Apparently, he does not follow any of the news or perhaps is intimidated to say anything to strangers which might verge on politics ?

Thus a refugee from the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan started this and his son, this young man, took over when he retired.

Here is the address if anyone wants to find a nice selection if traveling around Oregon or en route to Sun Valley, or to visit the National Parks from the West Coast.

The location is easy to get to:

Kabul Market
Halal Meat and Asian Grocery

5751 West Overland Rd.
Boise ID 83705

Rahmat Walizada, co-owner

Open Monday through Saturday 9-9
Sunday 10-8

[Convenient hours]

[DaZahroJaam.]

perhaps he just wanted to sell cheese and had no interest in discussing the history of his family background with a random stranger who just walked in to his store. last i checked, that wasn't a crime.
instead of taking the hint and being ashamed of yourself for prying in to other people's personal business, you give them bad credit by going in to the details of their lack of interest in engaging in to a conversation with you... so, as it seems, it's not only i who feels revolted by the idea of your existence. thank you kindly for the confirmation.

[Catya Sher]

I didn't bother to read your reply as it could only be snapping and carping.

The point is that it's the FIRST UNFRIENDLY Afghan I ever met.

Always they are so warm.

Had his father been present, surely he would have been extremely happy
that someone had gone to Afghanistan and tried to help the fighters against
the Soviets and would like to chat.

This guy was so UNattached to his culture that presto ! This was the result.
Coldness, indifference, not even trying to be friendly in order to make a sale.
He just didn't care.

It was weird.

I hope the next generation of Afghans who grew up in the West
are not similarly afflicted with this malaise.

[DaZahroJaam.]

i am going to see if i can send him a fruit basket or something. some people have an eye for the devil. they can spot it from far away.

[Badlun]

This may be his inferiority complex not to disclose details of his origins. I also come across many Afghans, Pashtuns and Asians who are not very good in public dealing, marketing, clients handling and offering the usual courtesies to a customer.

Especially in case when some one shows interest in the origin of the products or the owner, this is natural that I being a Pashtun or some one who have been to Afghanistan or Pakistan will engage in a personal conversation if I find some one like the case in hand.

[DaZahroJaam.]

that is because in the west, when it comes to customer service, the providers become too desperate. it's uncomfortable to watch. it's understandable that you need to make the sale but you don't have to make it sound like your life depends on it. instead of making people buy your product out of pity, have some confidence in it. it's understandable and commendable that an afghan would not put himself in that position or would be offended if you started asking him which province the dried nuts came from. it's an afghan store, obviously his products come from afghanistan. and if not, do you think he is going to admit to it because you had the decency to interrogate him and question his honesty?? you expect him to be nice to you after that??
the farangi doesn't understand it because she is a farangi, what is your excuse, badlun?? why are you unable to recognize self respect and pride?? pffft, "badlun".. you couldn't be any more orthodox than you already are.

[asad71]

Once I visited an Afghan restaurant in the vicinity of the Arlington Cemetery. People there told me it was one of a chain of Afghan food restaurants owned by Karzai in USA.