Sharing Plate
What is a Sharing Plate?
A sharing plate is a dish portioned and designed to be placed at the centre of the table and enjoyed collectively by two or more diners, rather than assigned to a single individual. In restaurant design, sharing plates are a deliberate choice - they encourage interaction, allow diners to experience a wider range of flavours in a single meal, and reflect the communal eating traditions of cultures where sharing food is a deeply embedded social practice. In Afghan food culture specifically, the very concept of individual plates is historically a Western restaurant adaptation of what is traditionally a communal eating experience: in Afghan homes, food is placed at the centre of the dastarkhan and everyone eats from shared dishes.
At Naan Kabob, sharing plates are a natural expression of the Afghan culinary tradition we come from. Our appetizer selections - mantu, bolanee, and other starters - work beautifully as shared dishes at the centre of the table, allowing a group to sample the full flavour range of Afghan cuisine before the individual kabob plates or entrees that follow.
Sharing Plates and the Afghan Dastarkhan
The dastarkhan - the large cloth spread on the floor or a low table in Afghan homes - is the original sharing plate, scaled to a meal. Dishes are placed across its entire surface for everyone to reach: rice in the centre, sauces and accompaniments around it, bread stacked to one side, and smaller dishes scattered in between. No one sits waiting for their plate; no one owns any particular dish. The meal is a collective act, and the quality of the table is measured by its abundance and the variety of what covers it. The restaurant sharing plate format is a compressed, table-friendly version of this deeply Afghan approach to hospitality and eating.
What Makes a Good Sharing Plate
A good sharing plate is portioned appropriately for the number of diners sharing it, offers flavour complexity that rewards multiple bites and interactions with other dishes on the table, and is easy to eat from a communal dish without awkwardness. Dips, dumplings, flatbread, and small bites tend to work better as sharing plates than tall, architectural preparations that become difficult to serve collectively. At Naan Kabob, our shared appetizers - portioned for two to four people - are designed with exactly this eating experience in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I order sharing plates or individual dishes at Naan Kabob?
Both, ideally. The best Naan Kabob experience for a group is to start with several shared appetizers - mantu, bolanee, and a selection of sauces and salads - and then follow with individual kabob plates or home-style entrees. This mirrors the way Afghan food is traditionally enjoyed and gives you the widest possible range of flavours across the meal. Solo diners and couples often find that two to three shared appetizers plus one main dish is a very satisfying combination.
How many sharing plates should I order for a group?
A general guide: for a group of four sharing appetizers before individual mains, two to three sharing plates is typically sufficient as a starter. If sharing plates are your entire meal (no individual mains), four to five dishes for four people allows a comfortable spread with variety. Naan Kabob staff are always happy to advise on quantities for your specific group - ordering guidance is something we are used to providing.
Are sharing plates at Naan Kabob halal?
Yes - all food served at Naan Kabob is halal. All sharing plates on our menu are prepared in this context, making them appropriate for Muslim diners and anyone who chooses halal food.
See also: Mezze ,Accompaniment , Afghan Wedding Food ,Aushak.
Order sharing plates for the whole table at Naan Kabob - start with our full appetizers menu →
