New Concord restaurant Mazza offering authentic taste of Afghanistan

When Mohib Sadat opened his new restaurant in Concord earlier this year, he decided to name it Mazza, which means “taste” in his native Afghanistan.

The taste of Afghanistan is exactly what he was missing when he moved to the Bay Area in 2019.

Having previously worked alongside the U.S. Military in Afghanistan, Sadat and his family were offered protection and eventually given special immigrant visas to settle in the United States. A civil engineer by trade, he found work at PG&E, where he worked for five years.

But he struggled to find authentic Afghanistan food that made him feel like he was on the streets of Kabul.

Craving the comforts of his homeland, Sadat and his chef, Sami Khwaja, decided to import spices directly from Afghanistan. With the native spices, the aromatic flavors came to life, and Sadat knew it was time to open his restaurant.

Now they’re serving up tikka kebab ($14.99), made with beef and lamb, marinated overnight, seasoned with authentic spices and cooked over charcoal instead of gas, which Sadat believes gives it the taste of his native street food.

Ashak ($8.99), a cherished Afghan dish, features delicate dumplings filled with chives or leeks, topped with a hearty meat sauce or beans, garlicky yogurt, and dried mint, “blending light textures with bold, comforting flavors,” Sadat said.

Whole chicken karahi ($19.99) is a bold and aromatic dish, where a whole chicken is simmered in a sizzling wok with tomatoes, green chilies, garlic, and a blend of spices, “creating a rich, rustic curry that bursts with flavor and tradition,” he said.