Half a Pound of Kebobs

The grill sizzled angrily as it cooked through the tender lamb and beef skewers - shouting as each drop of glistening fat fell, to feed the burning coals below. We walked past the front of the shop, where dead cows hung from hooks and into the back where skinned chickens lay piled in a large metal bowl. We walked past an aged (and probably broken) freezer, where a horde of mosquitos marked their territory, and up the stairs into an apartment above the restaurant.

We received a small room in the back because we had women with us. Two mats and what looked like two pillows (upon closer inspection they were stuffed laundry bags) covered the floor. A ripped purple tarp filled the empty space in the middle. The walls were a beautiful turqoise, but the paint was chipped and faded. It was the colour of my room last year, but somehow it was brighter here. There were two giant white windows that, when forced apart, revealed a glorious hint of sunshine that warmed the room immediately, despite the protests of the rattling fan suspended from a corner.

While we waited, I stretched my feet onto the tarp, not realizing that it would soon become my dinner table. A man appeared, and served us perfectly round and fresh naan with a side of salad and yogurt. They brought us half a pound of kebobs and lamb karahi. We ate from the same bowl in the middle, precariously balanced on a ripped Coca-Cola box. The naan was our plate and our utensil. What a deliciously multitalented creation.

Restaurants for expats are very different. They are nondescript buildings behind metal doors and barbed wire - where your passport is inspected and the doors double locked. It feels more like entering a military installment rather than a dining establishment - till you get inside of course. The interiors are always lavishly decorated, the hosts gracious and the food at expat prices. It's interesting how often you associate 'home' with familiar tastes or even brands - all the military bases are well stocked with important staples like lucky charms. I've tried lebanese food (fantastic) and chinese food (not as good as lucky's in scarborough!) and RV serves a regular variety of Indian and Western cuisine - for the days when you want a little taste of home.