Afghan Kitchen, One of the Best Restaurants in Surrey, BC

When co-owner Hassib Sarwari was a young child, he wandered the streets of Kabul. He saw how hard his family needed to work to make ends meet. The war caused his family to move to various neighboring countries until they finally ended up in Canada. He and his family started Afghan Kitchen using his Mum’s recipes to bring a taste of their home country to Surrey. Today, it is one of the best restaurants in Surrey, British Columbia.

As you enter the cheerful, modern restaurant, you’ll have a choice of seating. You can sit in a typical Afghan dining room, with low tables on floor cushions, or a traditional American style of standard tables and table-height chairs.

At the foundation of many dishes is Afghan rice with sweet bites of raisins and caramelized carrots, along with some slivered almonds. They also offer cumin rice, which is traditional white rice with cumin seeds. The chef serves each dish with its traditional pairing; however, they’ll honor requests for whichever style you prefer.

What to Order at Afghan Kitchen

• Dips: Start your meal with a trio of dips—orange hummus, avocado, or dill yogurt dip. All make a great accompaniment to the Afghan bread. They’ll have one ideally suited to your taste. I loved the hummus, but that said, I couldn’t stop eating the fresh focaccia-like Afghan bread, even without a dip.
• Kebabs: Using either chicken, beef, Shima—minced beef, or lamb, they cook the kebabs over coals, showcasing the best of the Herat province. The chef marinates the protein overnight and grills it over an open fire. The result is meat seared on the outside yet moist and flavorful on the inside.
• Bolani: Try the pan-fried naan stuffed with potatoes, herbs, and spices, served with red chutney and chutney yogurt.

Dominion Bar + Kitchen

Located on the ground floor of the Civic Hotel, the modern Dominion Bar + Kitchen offers a view of Civic Plaza, a lively outdoor community hub. Their menu reflects and celebrates the cultural differences that make Surrey vibrant. You’ll see a mix of influences from the many cultures that make up the city. They don’t call it ‘fusion’ or ‘international,’ but rather ‘remix,’ reflecting its menu’s diversity. Remix makes their ‘New Canadian’ Experience local by blending cultures. You’ll find dishes such as steamed Tibetan dumplings and Korean cauliflower.

The New Canadian Experience focuses on locally sourced ingredients made into everything from comforting braised lamb shanks to Thai coconut curry. The curry features a red coconut sauce, cherry tomatoes, baby corn, bell peppers, and mushrooms served over jasmine rice.

What to Order at Dominion Bar + Kitchen

• Chai Masala: While Chai Masala is a spice blend made of ingredients like cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and fennel, every restaurant in Surrey has its unique blend. So, while you can order Chai Masala in many restaurants, they will each taste different. One of my favorites was at Dominion Bar + Kitchen. It wasn’t too strong, yet flavorful. While staying at the Civic Hotel, I came to Dominion Bar + Kitchen and had the breakfast buffet. You should definitely stop by even for just a cup of Chai Masala.

Guacamole Mexican Grill

In 2023, Food and Wine included Guacamole Mexican Grill on their list of best restaurants in Surrey, British Columbia, when they named Surrey one of the world’s 12 best-emerging food cities. Run by Marvin and Rosa Magana, this restaurant is a bit of an anomaly. While the restaurant serves Mexican food, the family who runs it is from El Salvador. On the menu, you’ll also find some El Salvadoran dishes, like Pupusas. While the restaurant is a bit off the beaten track, it’s worth seeking out for the food and the fun. Look for the bright green building, which reminds me of guacamole.

The atmosphere is vibrant and happy. The colorful mural adds to the restaurant’s energetic vibe. Marvin is a salsa dancer and singer, so there’s a chance you’ll be serenaded during your meal. During our lunch, we had a great time singing along with Marvin’s guitar performance. If it’s your birthday, you’ll have even more fun as a shark and a song accompany your dessert.

What to Order at Guacamole Mexican Grill

• Tacos: You can’t go wrong with their tacos. While they’re known for their fried birria tacos, a slow-cooked seasoned beef stew, you can order tacos with your choice of protein—asada, beef, chorizo, chori-queso, pollo, al pastor, or carnitas. Add to the protein some cilantro, diced white onions, a dash of their legendary green salsa, and a bit of lime juice, and your taste buds will thank you.

• Pupusas: I recommend the Pupusas if you want to try some Salvadoran food. This grilled dish uses thicker tortillas and stuffs them with beans and cheese.

• Beverages: Try one of their non-alcoholic drinks, either the Horchata, a rice milk-based drink, or the Hibiscus, a punch-like drink with a hint of floral.

Mo: Mo: N Wings Nepalese Restaurant

Tucked away in a strip mall, Mo: Mo: N Wings Nepalese Restaurant serves authentic dishes from Nepal and India in an American sports bar atmosphere. The menu features delicious street-style food, momos, and wings. I’d never heard of momos before, but I have limited experience with Nepalese food. These award-winning handmade momos were the perfect introduction.

Momos are plump, hearty dumplings in round or half-moon shapes for those new to Nepalese food. The restaurant offers them steamed or fried. I enjoyed the golden brown and delicious fried version.

What to Order at Mo: Mo: N Wings Nepalese Restaurant

• Tandoori Vegetable Momos: At a restaurant with momos in its name, you must order the momos. I had the Tandoori Vegetable Momos with a spicy mayo dipping sauce.

• Nepalese Chow Mein: They feature several versions—including vegetable, paneer, chicken, and prawn. The Chow Mein is wok stir-fried over high heat.

Kesari Sweets

Kesari Sweets features traditional Indian cuisine and sweets. They offer a menu with even more vegetarian options than non-veg options, so this is a great place to dine if you have a vegetarian in your party.

I suggest the Chicken Vindaloo, a fiery red curry dish cooked in vindaloo sauce made with hot, red chili peppers for a non-vegetarian option. If you like spicey, a vindaloo is a good choice. They also offer a wide variety of curries, including goat and lamb.

For vegetarians, try one of their paneer choices.

What to Order at Kesari Sweets

• Gajar Halwa: While I had an assortment of beautiful Indian confections as a to-go box, if you’re dining in, try the Gajar Halwa, a warm pudding made with fresh carrots, milk, sugar, ghee, and nuts. It’s a comforting dish. Additionally, I suggest getting a box of confections to take with you for later. You won’t be sorry; they’re beautiful and make a great gift.

Piper’s Pro Planning

If you need more suggestions, explore the city’s best spots using this self-guided Spice Trail map.

If you’re planning to explore more of Canada’s food scene, check out this article on Nova Scotia’s South Shore Lobster Crawl.

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