Ever since he was a child watching his parents cook, Adalat knew he was meant to express his experiences through food. Though he received no formal culinary education, he spent a great deal of time helping his family prepare dishes and, as he got older, became enamored with videos featuring people from a variety of cultures demonstrating how to prepare traditional dishes. Adalat soaked it in, but he always felt compelled to put his own twist on things, adding a little extra seasoning here or a bit more spice there, relishing the experimentation.
click to enlarge Mabel Suen Chef-owner Kauash Adalat got his start in food watching his parents cook at home. Food was a hobby for Adalat, but he didn't think of it as a career until well after arriving in the United States as an adult. After meeting his wife at a wedding in St. Louis, Adalat relocated here from Germany, got married and supported his family by taking on a variety of different jobs. One of them, a server position, gave him some insight into the area's restaurant industry and sparked the idea that he might open a place of his own one day. In 2016, those dreams became reality when he came across a small turnkey storefront in south St. Louis County. It felt manageable and was within his budget; sensing this was his chance, he signed the paperwork on the space and opened Kabul Express as a tiny takeout restaurant.
You understand the warm reception Adalat's food has received over the years the moment you taste the offerings at Kabul Express. The chicken tikka masala is no anomaly; every last dish at this wonderful restaurant is packed with flavor. The chicken shawarma wrap, for instance, has the familiar pulled texture as a traditional Middle Eastern shawarma, but it is amped up with a rub that tastes like yellow curry. The spice blend perfumes the succulent meat, which is wrapped in soft, grilled naan and accented with crispy lettuce and a house dressing that is like a combination of tzatziki and raita. It's a wonderful take on such a quintessential dish.
Kabobs are exactly what you want. The chicken is tender and marinated in warm spices, then grilled so that its edges crisp up with delicious char. The beef kabob is a showstopper; marinated, seasoned with tangy sumac and perfectly grilled, the meat is fork tender, its juices soaking into the wonderful Kabuli rice that serves as a base for the dish. Adalat serves both kabobs with a piquant green chutney made from pureed jalapeos, cilantro and vinegar that tastes like a verdant pepperoncini. Adalat jokes that people love the condiment so much that they ask for extras and basically do shooters of it. It's understandable.
An old school smell and powerful smoke are available quickly to the contemporary comsumer in Kabul Express. A dense indica from 1989 stabilized and given a time boost means old hash flavours and effects quicker than ever before. Ready in 48-55 days these monster buds will certainly satisfy.
A lot of hard work followed a lot of luck to grow and stabilize the Kabul Afghan strain. Only seven seeds were preserved from a time before the genome was diluted by cavalier breeding practices. Serendipitously these seeds that were over twenty years old sprouted and produced the parent stock. The most primo phenotype has been fully stabilized and crossed with the Kalashnikov Seeds super secret express genes. The Kabul Express is indisputably indica with a generous 22% THC. The crowded towers of calyxes look like they are made of rich felt that has been sprinkled with ground toffee. Even the most fussy indica fan will be stoked with the density that develops in the final weeks.
None of the land-race hardiness has been lost in the cross as Kabul Express is as tough as they come. Pest and weatherproof this strain grows relentlessly during the vegetative phase. Broad dark leaves are crisp and strong and in young plants are crowded tightly together in that classic indica top knot. After blooming for 48-55 days every available node space is packed with bulging flower clusters. There will be no need to trim this trichomasaurus. There is resin production on every surface during flowering. Bracts and calyxes, leaves and petioles are all inundated with oil rich glands full of powerful cannabinoids. Outdoor weights are over a kilo and indoor can be between 500-600g. At only 90-110cm tall when ready for harvest bud density is guaranteed.
Resurrecting an old gene pool like Kabul could easily reawaken the once rampant love of hash bearing plants. The smell is rich and well aged like hashes of old and the effect the same. Dense buds produce dense smoke that is flavoured of old pepper and incense and ghosts of the silk road. The cured buds deepen their colour as they dry and can look mauve in certain lights. Kabul Express is ideal for those who may have high tolerance and it is an ideal treatment for insomnia. This strain is primed to become a favourite of high quality extract producers everywhere.