Afghanistan's Gem Hunters | Afghan Scene Magazine - Asia-Africa ...

sceneAfghan Scene December 2009 sceneHitAfghan Scene December 2009thetargetwithyourmessage!GOURM-AID: Hotelier and super chef Hiromi uses business to help the poorHave you considered advertising inAfghanistan's leading magazineaimed at the expat community andkey business decision makers?Everything is spotlessly clean and presentedwith a thoroughly Japanese attention todetail – Hiromi makes regular trips out ofAfghanistan just to stock up on seaweed andother vital sushi ingredients.And the prices are all amazingly reasonablegiven how expensive a mediocre lunch can bein so many of Kabul’s other restaurants. Mostdishes are either $10 or $15.The Bentoya Restaurant – to give it it’s fullname – is just one of five enterprises operatingout of a charming old house in Kulola-Pushtawhich many years ago was once owned by themayor of Kabul.Launched in mid-November as The Galleria,the five shops sell calligraphy, clothes, carpetsand handicrafts – as well as the fantastic sushi.But there is no risk of having too muchof a good thing at Bentoya – there arejust four tables in the small eating areawhich would struggle to accommodatemore than fourteen people.Hiromi, who as well as running a hotel,a handicraft business and doing her dayjob reporting for the Koyoto News, saysshe is in no hurry to expand.While some extra tables may be addedoutside in the summer, she intends tokeep numbers down for the time being.She says the only way to guarantee youwill be able to eat is to phone ahead tobook a precious place for lunch (or ordertakeaway for dinner).So, even though you don’t have to goto Bamiyan any more, gourmet sushi is setto remain a rare treat in Kabul. With over 8,000 copies distributedfree of charge, Afghan Scene keeps thoseworking in Afghanistan and new comersto the country informed on recentdevelopments with articlesand reviews fromleading writers.For full details emailsales@afghanscene.com66Afghan Scene December 2009www.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comwww.afghanscene.comAfghan Scene December 200925