Hulu show "Taste the Nation" visits Afghan restaurants in D.C.

An episode in the new season of “Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi” takes viewers to two Afghan restaurants in D.C.

What’s happening: Lakshmi, an award-winning author and host of “Top Chef,” first visits Bistro Aracosia, a casual restaurant in the Palisades, where she eats mantu, a beef and onion-filled dumpling, and aushak, a leek-filled dumpling.

• She later walks through Adams Morgan to meet with Shamim Popal, the chef and owner of Lapis, and tries qabuli palow, a popular rice dish Lakshmi calls a “warm welcome.”
• She also cooks and eats with chef Homayon Karimy, who previously ran Arlington’s Kite Runner Cafe.

💭 Chelsea's thought bubble: In addition to the joy of watching delicious Afghan meals be made, the episode takes a look at the experiences of Afghan Americans in our region, particularly after the 2021 Taliban takeover, and how locals have stepped up to support refugees.

• “My roots are from Afghanistan. That’s my homeland. I’m trying to work for my country from here,” journalist Taban Ibraz, who fled Afghanistan and came to the D.C. area, tells Lakshmi.

You can watch Season 2, Episode 2 of “Taste the Nation” now on Hulu.