Khyber Pass Zarparan Restaurant

523 University Ave, San Diego
(619) 294-7579

Recent Reviews Order Online

Customers' Favorites

Vegetarian Combo Plate with a Side of Chicken Kabobs Added
Boneless Chicken and Ground Beef Combo
Vegetarian Platter No Meat Option
Persian Fesenjan Stew
Afghan Chicken Curry
Appetizer Platter
Saffron Ice Cream
Afghan Lamb Curry
Beef Shish Kadd
Shirazi Salad

Menu

Appetizers Vegetarian
Appetizer Platter
A platter of borta, dolmen, hummus and yogurt-cucumber,
Bolani
Fried flat pastry stuffed with leeks, potatoes, green, onion, and herbs.
Yogurt-Cucumber
Yogurt, cucumbers, and mint.
Aushak
Leek filled dumplings topped with garlic dill yogurt.
Dolmeh
Fresh herbs, rice, spices, wrapped with grape leaves, and baked.
Hummus
Crushed garbanzo beans mixed with garlic, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and tahini sesame sauce.
Borta
Mashed eggplant, tahini, lemon, garlic, and yogurt.

Appetizers Non-Vegetarian
Mantu
Steamed pasta shells stuffed with seasoned ground beef and lentils. Topped with garlic yogurt.
Sambosa
Fried puff pastries stuffed with lentils and ground beef.

Soups
Aush Soup
Noodles, kidney beans, dill, mint yogurt, and ground beef. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.
Mashawa Soup
Five beans vegetarian soup. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.

Salads
Shirazi Salad
Diced cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, parsley with house lemon, and extra virgin olive oil dressing.
Garden Salad
Romaine lettuce, tomato, Persian cucumber, and red onion with our special Zarparan dressing.
Greek Salad
Romain lettuce, tomato, cucumber,red onion, olives and feta cheese with Greek salad deressing

Beef
Beef Kofta Kabob plate
Two skewers of ground beef with green onions, lime, cilantro, and herbs. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.
Beef Shish Kabob plate
Charbroiled juicy chunks of marinated sirloin. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.

Lamb
Lamb Kabob
Pcs of boneless lamb in our special marinade. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.
Chopaan Kabob (Rack of Lamb)
One skewer (4 pcs) of a juicy baby rack of lamb. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.

Chicken
Boneless Chicken Kabob plate
Chunks of chicken tender marinated in our special sauce. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.
Chicken Cornish Tandoori
Cornish game hen on the bone in a spicy tandoori rub. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.
Chicken Barg
Thick strips of marinated grilled chicken breast. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.

Fish
Salmon Kabob
Wild-caught salmon in our special sauce. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.
Shrimp Kabob plate
Wild-caught jumbo shrimp in our special sauce. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.

Kabob Combination Plates
Boneless Chicken and Beef Koofta combo
Chunks of chicken tender and ground beef. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.
Beef Shish and Boneless Chicken combo
Chunks of chicken tender and chunks of beef sirloin. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.
Royal Kabob Combo
Beef shish (chengeh), boneless chicken tender, and seasoned beef koofta kabob. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.
Beef Shish and Beef Koofta combo
Charbroiled juicy chunks of marinated sirloin and seasoned ground beef. Served with basmati rice and grilled tomato.

Stews and Curry
Afghan Qabuli Palao
Lamb or chicken qormah. Served with saffron-coriander rice topped with carrots and raisins. Served with basmati rice.
Afghan Yaghoot Chalao
Sweet and sour lamb or chicken cherry qormah. Served with basmati rice.
Afghan Chicken Curry
Served with basmati rice.
Afghan Lamb Curry
Served with basmati rice.
Persian Gormeh Sabzi (Beef Vegetable Stew)
Sauteed beef with chopped parsley, cilantro, chives, and green onions with added taste from dried limes. Served with basmati rice.
Afghan Apricot Chalao
Sweet and sour lamb or chicken apricot qormah. Served with basmati rice.
Persian Gheimeh (Beef Stew)
Sauteed beef and yellow split peas in tomato paste spiced to perfection with added taste from dried limes. Served with basmati rice.
Persian Gheimeh Badenjan (Beef Eggplant Stew)
Sauteed eggplant, beef, and yellow split peas in tomato paste spiced to perfection with added taste from dried limes. Served with basmati rice.
Persian Fesenjan Stew
Crushed walnut, pomegranate molasses, and chunks of chicken. Served with basmati rice.
Afghan Salmon Curry
Served with basmati rice.
Afghan Shrimp Curry
Served with basmati rice.

Afghan Vegetarian Plates
Vegetarian Platter (no meat option)
Sampler platter of vegetarian qormahs and rice. Served with basmati rice.
Daal Vegetarian Plate
Lentils slow cooked with onion turmeric, ginger, and tomatoes. Served with basmati rice.
Badenjan Vegetarian Plate
Marinated eggplant baked with olive oil, topped with garlic, mint, and yogurt sauce. Served with basmati rice.
Okra Vegetarian Plate
Okra slow cooked with onions, tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro. Served with basmati rice.
Kachaloo Vegetarian Plate
Potatoes sauteed with turmeric, tomatoes, and onion. Served with basmati rice.
Mushroom Vegetarian Plate
Mushrooms, bell peppers, turmeric, coriander, and cilantro in a gormah sauce. Served with basmati rice.
Sabzi Vegetarian Plate
Spinach slow cooked with onions, cilantro, and lemon juice. Served with basmati rice.
Kadu (No Meat Option) Vegetarian Plate
Baked sweet and savory banana squash topped with garlic, mint, and yogurt. Served with basmati rice.
Matar Vegetarian Plate
Peas slow-cooked in turmeric, ginger, and tomatoes. Served with basmati rice.

A La Carte
ALC Beef Koofta
ALC Boneless Chicken Tender
ALC Salmon Kabob
ALC Lamb Kabob
ALC Chicken Barg
ALC Rack of Lamb (Chopan Kabob)

Rice
Afghan Qabuli rice (no meat)
Afghan Palao
Yaghoot Rice (Cherry Rice)
White Rice
Persian Zereshkpolo

Side Orders
Afghan Garlic Flatbread
Afghan Plain Flatbread
Daal (side)
Badenjan (side)
Okra (side)
Persian Fesenjan (side)
Sabzi (side)
Fries
Persian Gheimeh (beef stew) [side]
Persian Ghormeh Sabzi [side]
Torshi
Kachaloo (side)
Mushroom (side)
Matar (side)
Kadu (side)

Desserts
Baghlava 2 pcs
Firnee
Jalebi (Zoolbia)

Photos

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Photo credit: google
Photo credit: foursquare
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Photo credit: foursquare
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Recent Reviews

Such incredible food. The food tastes like home cooking. Wonderful cuts of meat, and the rice is unreal. You won't be disappointed with the lamb stewed with cherries. The Rose Lemonade was also so good. They make you feel like family.
October 2025
We came here after spending whole day at Seaworld and boy I am glad we did.

We had the Bulani and manto in Appetizer. We had the royal mix platter for the entree.

Everything was really tasty and the portins were good too.

Took 1 star off because of not clear communication from server.
October 2025
recently had the pleasure of dining here and I'm still thinking about the food.
The customer service and welcoming is overwhelming.
If you're looking for a meal that's truly worth every bite, this is the place.
The moment you walk in, the aroma of spices and grilled meats sets the stage for an incredible experience. lamb kebab, which was cooked to perfection. The lamb was so tender and juicy, with a subtle smoky flavor that was out of...
September 2025

More Reviews

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Khyber Pass Zarparan Restaurant

523 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 294-7579