Chopaan Kabob

I would say this restaurant is on expensive side, compared to other restaurants with similar food.
The server girl was nice, the food is decent, I would just expect paying $ 2 – 3 less per plate.

What I loved: pomegranate iced tea, was there even tea in it? It tasted like heavy portions of pure pomegranate juice, so good that my daughter Jessica asked to please get that instead of her diet coke, which they happily accommodated.
Bolani, wow-​e-​wow, 5 stars for sure. Hot and incredibly delicious potato and leek filled dough served with 2 tasty chutneys that added heat and a creamy yogurt that added some cool. What made this even more incredible?, a large filled plate of it for $ 9.99, I’d come back just for this!
Baklava, not a desert that I typically like but apparently Afghani baklava rules the roost! It’s wetter, the nuts are chopped more finely and some tasty rose water is sprinkled on.
There is some definite authentic Afghani food served up at Chopaan, like Aushak, a dumpling filled with scallion and topped with a meaty tomato-​type sauce. Per Wikipedia: A time-​consuming meal to prepare, it is usually served on holidays or at special gatherings.
Chicken & Beef Tikka Platter: mixed review as the chicken was really good, but the beef was a tad dry and overcooked (seems to be a common «problem» with this type of cuisine):
Live entertainment on Friday nights! This particular evening Enchantress April was singing tunes of the past, and there was even some dancing by some patrons! She had a beautiful voice and sang songs in English, French and even Spanish.
The owner Homa was cordial and truly interested in my opinion of the food.
Very worthy dining destination and I’d suggest a Friday evening visit so you can enjoy and take full advantage of the guest music that will be playing.

What can I say? I’ve never had tastier lentil soup in my life, lol. I know, I know. It sounds weird. Who gets excited over lentil soup? Well, don’t knock it til you try Chopaan’s mashawa soup! Seriously amazing. I’m too shy to ask the sweet lady who happens to always help us when we’re there what’s in her soup. but maybe I’ll work up some courage and beg for the recipe next time. Also, everything else we’ve tried has been really good — including the kabli palau, the bedenjan with bellpepper and tomato and their dumpings.

Because of a unusually busy Super Bowl weekend, «Bookmark Night» was moved to Friday. Chopaan Kabob wasn’t technically a bookmark, but it was a restaurant we had been meaning to try for a while.
When we entered the restaurant (
) we were greeted by April Walsh (
) belting out Classic Jazz /​Big Band tunes on a small stage. We were immediately shown to a table and drink orders were taken by our server. The standout was the Pomegranate-​Raspberry Iced Tea which didn’t really taste like iced tea at all. It was so good, that Jessica switched out her «odd» tasting Diet Coke for this drink.
I am not sure why this place is classified as a Mediterranean restaurant, there is nothing Mediterranean about it. The cuisine is Afghani and the menu consists of Starters, Entrees, Soups & Salads, Specialty Dishes, Naan, Accompaniments and Desserts. Chopann also offers three catering packages for parties /​events.
After the drinks were delivered, we had some questions about a few of menu items and our server answered them and gave some good information about portion sizes. We decided to start with the Borani (
) with Afghani Cilantro Chutney, Red Pepper Chutney and Yogurt. We also selected an order of Hummus (
) with Sangak Bread. Jessica ordered the Aushaak (
) garnished with Yogurt, Garlic and Fresh Mint. The server did warn Jessica the entrée serving was on the larger side and she ended up packing half of it up in a box. My lovely wife went with the Beef and Chicken Tikka Kabob Plate (
) with Afghani Cilantro Chutney, Red Pepper Chutney and a small Cucumber Salad. I chose the Lamb Chop Kabob (
) with the same garnish as the my better half’s plate.
The starters came out with the Hummus arriving first and the Borani just slightly behind. The Hummus was completely different from any other I have tried with their being no olive oil and a strong acidic taste from the lemon juice. The texture was more of a paste than I am used to with most hummus variations on the creamier side. I thought the Sangak went well with this hummus and overall it is a rather hearty starter. The Borani was an entrée size portion and we ate slice after slice and still ended up taking home three slices. The pastry was thin and grilled perfectly with all the components working great together and the yogurt and chutneys making this a completely awesome dish.
Our entrees came without too much of a delay, but in waves, starting with Jessica’s Aushaak. This was another huge portion and between that the complex flavors in the dish, it was way to much for Jessica. The only slight confusion is it called a pasta dish, but they were more like dumplings in my opinion.
Rohlinism: The only thing more annoying than being watched while you eat, is you watching someone else eat with you gnaw on your napkin!
The next dish out was the Lamb Chop Kabobs and these were cooked a perfect medium. The meat was tender enough to cut with a fork, it was seasoned well and there was generous portion of saffron rice with cinnamon on top underneath. The last dish out was the Combo plate and it was another delicious hit. The chicken breast was juicy and tender, but the steak was overcooked. She just wasn’t a fan of the beef, but would definitely get the chicken again.
For dessert we had to get the baklava (
) or actually two orders. Everyone really like the baklava and Laina especially the loved the rose water drops on the plate. The baklava was very moist and the walnuts and pistachios were nicely minced. Probably one of the better baklavas I have eaten and I have eaten a lot of baklava! You can see all the baklava has staked out their own area on my love handles.
Service was friendly and efficient, but a little slow at times. I am not sure if she was completely familiar with the menu, but she had a general knowledge and definitely knew her portion sizes. One pleasant surprise is upon received the check, we weren’t charges for any of the drinks.
Overall a very good meal and the menu had some other items I would be willing to try so I can see a return in the future!

I was walking to a different place to eat for lunch, but decided to turn in here at the last minute. The sign outside for AYCE was very tempting, and caught my attention. For lunch I had a little of everything. I tried a little of the soup, curry chicken, chicken kabob, and two other dishes that I don’t recall the names. The rice, curry chicken, and chicken kabob were very good. The soup was really lemon-​y and I didn’t care for it much. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a larger selection of entrée items to choose from. I think there was a total of six items. Sooo, even though there were two good items, I was left kinda wanting more of something…
Food = good
Seating area = clean
Service = ok
Restroom = clean

I have been here twice for dinner (one Saturday night & one Friday night) and both experiences have been great. The food is well spiced, freshly cooked, and the portion sizes are generous. The service has been friendly, timely, and welcoming both times.
Recommended dishes:
Appetizer:
Mashawa — a lentil, garbanzo, and meatball soup topped with yogurt and spices. This is a very hearty (heavy) soup with a gritty texture due to the beans and lentils but the flavor is excellent. If you are a fan of lentils, beans, and/​or thick soups, I would highly suggest this! It is also very filling.
Mains:
Aushaak — veggie dumplings topped w/​meat, yogurt, and spices. On our first visit, the server recommended is and lawand challow to get an authentic and uniquely Afghan experience. So yummy!!!
Lawand Challow — chicken in a creamy sauce served with basmati and saffron rice and homemade sauces on the side. I loved this dish so much, I ordered it again on the second visit!
Qabli Palow — the meat in this dish was very tender and tasty, though there were only 2 pieces with a lot of rice. It is topped with shredded carrots and raisins (I think).
Dessert:
Faloodah — ice cream, «splashed with rose water,» and in a homemade syrup. This was to DIE for! I don’t like desserts normally but the taste of roses was very subtle and a nice touch. We also noticed there was shredded coconut in the syrup too. Yummy!
On the Friday night we visited, there was live entertainment in the form of a Sinatra-​style singer.

I had the lunch buffet and I think it was pretty good. I don’t know why others claim it’s pricy it was only 10.99 for really good quality meat and veggies with good variety. I will come again. Keep up the good job.

Good for lunch!

This is a corner restaurant and hidden from view. As you get in you were greeted by a young woman and seated. The décor was modern and elegant. There was a large screen TV and the whole place was clean. I ordered the seekh kabob which came with rice and condiments and before that they served sesame seed bred and butter. The Kabobs were large and tasty specially with the hot condiments.
I loved the place and would come back and try their buffet. Parking was ample.

Was a little trepidatious to try the food here but it was phenomenal. I had a beef and turnip dish served with saffron rice. The beef was extremely tender and the sauce was DELICIOUS. My boyfriend had a lamb dish served with seasoned saffron rice mixed with carrots and raisins. His lamb was a bit dry, but we figured that may have been the way it was supposed to be. However, overall it was still good. The Naan we had was not what we were expecting, as we are used to the Indian version, but since Naan is a general term for a flatbread it was understandable. Was still good all the same.
Service was good as well. Definitely a Lake Forest gem.

Having lived with a middle eastern family, I know food. My friends mom made Turkish coffee every morning with jumbo fried pancake balls (for lack of a proper name). For lunch and dinner was always pita and falafel, or pita and kefta with homemade sauces galore, meat wrapped in grape leaves (again my memory is no where to be found) I adored this woman and her food was always tasty.
But today. Today blew my mind. We walked up to a very unassuming spot on the side of the 5 freeway. Unappetizing brown stucco adorned the exterior and a small sign hung over the door «Lunch Buffet — 11:30AM — 2PM». Undeterred by the exterior, and having come on someone’s recommendation, we ventured inside.
The walls are a soothing burgundy with tasteful in-​lays and pictures hung throughout. The music was not too loud and not too soft. To the left of the front door was a traditional seating area with pillows and a low lying table.
Food was beyond anything I expected, and I am very familiar with Mediterranean flavors. aush soup, chapli kabob (my fave), kefta (although they had Afghani names), spicy potatoes, spicy kidney beans, etc. Every item had a unique and equally powerful flavor. Textures were on point!!!
Paying $ 10.99 for all you can eat felt like stealing! I will be back 100%

I’ve been to this place twice. The first time I came for dinner and I absolutely loved it. The bread was fresh, the chicken kabob was very flavorful and the salad dressing was amazing.
Two days ago I decided to come back for buffet lunch and was disappointed with the selections. There’s not a lot of food choices for $ 10.99. The round beef patty (not sure what they were called) were too dry and had little flavor and the chicken kabob deff needed some salt. The cauliflower and potatoes were good but not outstanding. There’s a couple more choices and it looked like chicken in cream sauce and beef in a sweet tomato sauce which are both okay as well.
I didn’t walk away from it thinking— wow that was an amazing lunch. I would think twice spending $ 10.99 for such lunch. I wanted to like this place but it was simply just ok for me. Nothing spectacular about it.

Based on a few Unilocal reviews tried it out. For folks not familiar (like me) with Afghani cuisine, think Persian and indian combined. Lots of kabobs curries and
well as a few vegetarian dishes.
But like Persian the rice can be sweet as well as savory.
Buffet was well stocked fresh salad and fruit was good as well. Would have been nice for dishes to have name and description. I don’t think a lot of folks from the OC would venture out to try this food. It wasn’t very busy and only middle eastern guys were eating. I agree the flat beef kabob was the bomb! Like a burger spiced like a spicy falafel. the chicken kabob was fork tender in 1″ cubes.
Loved the vermicelli rice!
I can say the food was good, service so so. The waitress was very cute but seemed bored to be there. Can’t comment on this vs another afghan restaurant, it was good enough to go back but I wouldn’t die if I never had it again

Just OK.
Lunch buffet. I was there about 45 minutes and the server interacted with me exactly once — to tell me «sit anywhere» when I arrived.
Other than decent chicken chunks (not tandoori), I have no idea what I ate. The tastiest was beef (…at least I think it was beef) in a reddish brown sauce. Nothing was labelled, no one told me anything about the food. And nothing about the food itself really bowled me over.
There were about 10 people eating lunch at 1230 on a Friday. Pretty empty.
., and here’s something weird… Lunch buffet was 10.99 — about 11.85 with tax. When the server brought me my change from a $ 20, there were no coins. He silently put the folio back on the table — no «thank you for coming», no «so sorry, we’re out of coins», no «hope you enjoyed it».
I left two singles for a tip — a radical overtip given the nonservice I got — and walked to the door. I even paused at the door to see if someone would say «thank you» as I walked out… But no one did.

Good tasting food with varying levels of service.
Have now come to this restaurant multiple times since it opened.
We ordered Kabulai Palao (our favorite) and a Combo Chicken Tikka Beef Tikka.
The good — both dishes tasted great.
The service time was a bit longer today due to large weekend crowd, and limited number of servers — quite understandable.

For a Friday evening, the restaurant was half full. They had a jazz singer for the evening;I thought that was a classy touch. Right after we were seated, the singer was sang ‘Padam Padam’ by Edith Piaf; I thought it was cool.
Their décor gives a feel of fast food restaurant. I would suggest them to invest on better furniture.
The service was excellent. We wanted to go for dolma just to be safe, but our waiter suggested Banjaan Borani, eggplant with red chutney and yogurt with flat bread. The bread was amazing. The portions were adequate. The food was amazing; the meat was cooked right and was quite mild. I am sure gonna be back to this place. My husband was thrilled that he got to try some local beer.
The owner stopped by and was gracious. I would definitely come back to this place and would rate it as 4.9 on 5!

Their $ 10.99 lunch buffet special isn’t bad. The spread consists of three kinds of meat such as their famed chapli kabobs which is similar to a hamburger patty, chicken curry, and their beef and spinach stew. Out of the three, I liked the beef and spinach stew the most. They have salad, cauliflower stew, soup, afghan bread (not a fan), and two variations of rice. For dessert they have fruits and a rice pudding rich in cardamom. Not a big cardamom fan but my friends are so they really enjoyed this.
The restaurant was almost completely empty when we came so when I saw the buffet table, I thought they just opened for business that day. All chafing dishes were covered while the cold dishes had clear plastic wrap on them. Not sure why they didn’t open them or situate them in a way where the flow of getting food would be easier for the customers. I honestly didn’t get more of the other dishes because it was hard to and for fear of burning my hand again from the very hot serving spoons. Yes, everything was left and remained covered while we were there up until we left, no one bothered to open the buffet dishes. It was that kind of self-​service.
Service was, shall I say, absent? With an 18% gratuity where you get your own food and get no water refills, I’m not quite sure how to justify it. The food wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either.

So I found my new small place to go and have great flavor and food. Lamb kabob was amazing! Ice cream wasn’t that good and fresh.
Service is slow a little bit but it wasn’t too bad. The Eggplant appetizer was one of a kind burst of flavor in your mouth.
Cant wait to go there again.

Very good environment, beautiful photos on the wall. The lamb chop kabob is not bad.
There is also afghanis instruments, hope they can play them sometime.
Average service.

Third visit: LUNCH BUFFET
Absolute perfection. Management appears to incorporate feedback from customers. For example, the potato bolani was moved from under a pile of napkins to the steam table. Delicious homemade shir berenj was added as a dessert.
The lunch buffet menu changes daily, with selected items from the a-​la-​carte menu (and some not on the menu). There is a mix of meat and vegetarian dishes. All dishes are cooked fresh from the kitchen and refilled promptly within the half hour.
Today’s buffet menu included lawand challow (chicken in curry and yogurt and spices dish), daal challow (yellow lentil stew with spices), warm potato bolani (grilled pastry sheet wrapped with potatoes and spices), and chapli kabob (beef patty infused with onions and garlic and spices). All the dishes in the buffet require special seasoning and spices. Chopaan does an excellent job in highlighting them specifically to enhance the flavor of each dish, unlike some buffets that mute the flavors in order to address the mainstream crowd.
Chopaan is easily a 5 star restaurant because of their talented chef and friendly servers. They offer a more traditional and upscale Afghan lunch buffet than Chili Chutney for the same price ($ 10.99).
Make Chopaan your destination for delicious and authentic Afghan food!
Update 2÷19÷14: the lunch buffet is now $ 12.99 with 5 hot dishes, rice, Aush, Afghan naan… a bit pricey compared to $ 9.99 when the restaurant first opened.
Update 5÷21÷14: buffet back to $ 10.99, 8 hot dishes including qabli!