Shams Afghan Kebab House - Hamilton

The food here is excellent. I ordered a lamb kebab accompanied by salad and hummus, along with a bowl of chips on the side. The bowl for the chips was quite unique. The owner is also a really friendly person. He made sure everything was okay and even asked my parents if they wanted their chicken kebab split in half. He was very attentive when serving our food. This was my first experience with Afghan cuisine, and I can’t wait to return and try more dishes from the menu.

I'm not saying that other restaurants are bad, but this one really enriches Newcastle's somewhat limited food scene. The owner may not admit it, but they offer kebabs to cater to customers who might not know what else to order. However, if you try the Karahis (meat in curry served in a pan), or the lamb or Afghani Pulao (Pilaf), you’re in for a treat. After exploring over 20 countries and sampling various cuisines, I can confidently say that Afghan food is among the best. You might wonder why I'm writing such a lengthy review. The reason is simple: my wife is from Newcastle, and now it feels like my second home. I want to see the city embrace more diverse culinary experiences, and this restaurant contributes significantly to that diversity. I also feel compelled to mention that, on my visits (even during weekends), the restaurant has often been quite empty, which saddens me for the owner. It’s disheartening to see such quality, freshly cooked food offered at affordable prices attract so few customers. In summary, this restaurant is a MUST-VISIT for all food lovers in Newcastle!

I enjoyed the generous portion of bollani filled flatbreads and will try other Afghan specialities again. The owner, Shams, is a hardworking and very friendly guy, like most Afghans I know.

I ordered the beef kabab and Kabuli pulao. The portion sizes were average, but the food was delicious. I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

The food is excellent and the owner so welcoming and friendly! We had dinner last night here, and opted for chicken saffron skewers and a lamb pide. My partner could see both being made fresh, and you could taste the difference too! The chicken was deliciously chargrilled smoky and crisp on outside while being tender inside.the rice was great too, it was topped with grated cooked carrot and raisins. Yum! Really well seasoned and came with a zingy garlic dipping sauce. We also ordered a lamb pide to share. This was one of the best pides I have ever had there was so much delicious filling and the pide bread had a great texture. Chewy, crispy and fluffy. You could tell it was made fresh on order. We got one main each to share, and they were very generous. For less than $50 total including soft drinks we had a memorable meal. The restaurant itself was nice and quiet some places can get really stressful and busy on a saturday night. After the meal the owner joined us for a chat. He was lovely, and genuinely interested where we had travelled from (locals for around 5 years). Definitely going to become our new local!