Mantoe

Mantoe caused quite a stir in late 2008 when it opened as the first Afghan restaurant in Amsterdam. Located on one of the many narrow streets in the Jordaan, the restaurant's interior is simple and modern – white walls, chrome light fittings and an L-shaped open kitchen – but the food served is apparently traditional.

There's no menu at Mantoe but rather a three-course surprise meal (priced at a rather steep €28.50), which changes every week. When we visited, this was not explained until I called the waitress over because we had been waiting for so long at an empty table.

After we had ordered (special dietary requirements can be taken into account), we received a bowl of good-quality olives as an appetiser, followed by a starter of toasted multigrain bread, topped with rucola, cherry tomatoes, finely sliced radish and anchovies and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. It was tasty but by no means extraordinary.

Image of Mantoe Afghan restaurant The main course was much more encouraging: a long, thin plate of mantoe (the restaurant's namesake), little parcels of pasta filled with minced veal, topped with chopped tomatoes, split red peas and a fresh yoghurt and mint sauce; fat wedges of spicy potatoes; boiled eggs rolled in minced meat and then quartered; grilled aubergines with chopped tomatoes; thin slices of lamb with grilled beetroot; and basmati rice garnished with slivers of preserved orange peel.

All the dishes were served on individual plates, from which we all helped ourselves, and the portions were ample. Each dish was good in its own right and several of the combinations, such as the lamb with the slightly sweet beetroot and the orange peel in the rice, worked really well. Dessert was a gorgeously rich chocolate mousse with an orange sauce just tart enough to offset the chocolate’s sweetness.

The care paid to the food at Mantoe makes the slow and inattentive service even more remarkable. It's also a shame, given the restaurant’s captive audience, that no explanation at all is given about Afghan food, traditional dishes or common ingredients.

Mantoe also seems to lack an identity. The appetiser, starter and dessert made me think immediately of Italy, while the manner in which the main course was served was reminiscent of Spanish tapas. I'd certainly go back here because the food was good, but not because I am any clearer on what Afghan cuisine is.