Restaurant Recommendations From Post Food Critic Tom Sietsema

KABOB N KARAHI (**) 15521 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring; 301-879-0044. Entrees $7.49-$11.49

Kabob n Karahi is a halal kitchen, which means it adheres to Muslim dietary laws forbidding the consumption of pork and alcohol and requiring special slaughtering methods and blessings. The combined efforts of the Pakistani and Nepalese cooks translate into some very appealing food. One of the best appetizers, chat samosa, could easily stand in as a whole meal. Broken pieces of crisp samosa are mixed with onions, tomatoes, yogurt, jalapeño pepper and chickpeas for a sort of salad-soup that has us reaching first for a plastic fork, then for a spoon (you won't want to miss a drop of the zesty swirl, a Mexican bean salad by way of Karachi). Mellow but rich, the chickpeas are worth ordering by themselves. Don't be put off by the earth tones of the food on display up front, behind glass on a steam table. What resembles dull yellow mush, for instance, might be a tongue-teasing haleem. Available only on weekends, it's a rich stew of shredded chicken, lentils and more than a touch of heat in the spicing. Launched in December, Kabob n Karahi falls somewhere between a tidy dive and a fast-food joint with ambitions. The paper napkins are so thin you can almost read through them, while the lighting would make Joan Collins flee the premises. The absence of background music has its rewards; "I've never been in a quieter restaurant," a friend whispers on an early weeknight. (Reviewed May 17)

LITTLE ETHIOPIA RESTAURANT (Unrated)

1924 Ninth St. NW; 202-319-1924. Entrees $9.95-$14.95

The co-owner of the Ethiopian Yellow Pages of the Washington area estimates there are more than 45 dining rooms serving doro wot and injera. So how does Yehune Belay, who just added the title of restaurateur to his résumé, hope to distinguish his place in Shaw from the pack? By re-creating the atmosphere of an Ethiopian home, he says. Little Ethiopia Restaurant is underground, beneath the office of those Yellow Pages where Belay works with his wife, Tutu. The low-ceilinged space is unlike its competitors. Here, patrons congregate on rustic wooden stools beneath what look like umbrellas made of twigs, each cluster of seats and tables separated by a see-through shade. A small gallery's worth of imported arts and crafts practically warrants a guide. Tutu Belay's sister, Nunu Tesfaye, presides over the kitchen, where she dishes out all the traditional Ethiopian fare, from the mild, beef-filled turnovers known as sambusas to cubed lamb zipped up with berbere, the fiery spice blend. The platter I'm most drawn to is the vegetarian sampler: dollops of grassy collard greens, jalapeño-ignited tomato salad, sauteed cabbage, spicy beets and faintly sweet lentil purees in three different shades. Like every main course, this one is served on (and with) injera, the slightly sour bread that doubles as a floppy utensil for the rest of the food. (Previewed May 20)

To read a complete review of Kabob n Karahi from The Washington Post Magazine, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/weekend.

Coming Sunday: Don't miss Tom's review of C.F. Folks in the District in The Washington Post Magazine.