Kabuli Palaw
Lamb, and rice built over it with shredded carrot, almonds and golden raisins. The national dish, and the one to order if you order one thing.
The Name
Bonjon Rumi
means tomato
An Afghan word for tomato — literally, Roman eggplant. The restaurant carries the name because of a sauce: a tomato recipe belonging to the family’s mother, who runs the kitchen here.
“Most of my childhood memories were made around the dinner table. It wouldn’t be an Afghan dinner without sitting elbow‑to‑elbow with friends and family, sharing each dish until every scrap has gone.” Founder, Bonjon Rumi
Glover Park, since 2024
Not a restaurant version of Afghan food
One family runs Bonjon Rumi — Nazifa Rahim in the kitchen, Hilal and Muska Rahim in the room. Washingtonian called the place matriarchal. The same family runs Kabobistan, across the river in Arlington.
The cooking is domestic in the literal sense. Lamb left in the pot five hours for chainaki. Rice built in layers for kabuli palaw. Mantu and ashak folded by hand. Chai poured the way it is poured at home.
“This restaurant is focused on the real Afghan food that we make at home.”
— Hilal Rahim, to Washingtonian
