I used to think that a square of white butcher’s paper atop a restaurant table cloth was a sign of sheer tackiness, but after dining at Bamiyan Afghan restaurant i understand it can also be a necessity.
Our white square of paper was dribbled with so much curry and splatters of rice that it looked like a work of modernist art — a three-year-old’s, that is. But those food smatters were testament to the extent to which we relished our first foray into Afghan cuisine. Continue reading

