LEWISTON — Determined to make Lewiston their home after the Taliban takeover in 2021 forced them to leave their loved ones behind, sisters Nelofar and Shaqaeq Ahmadi are offering a taste of traditional Afghan dishes at their restaurant Royal Chicken & Kabab.

“People really like our food,” Nelofar Ahmadi said Monday at the eatery they opened in June at 259 Lisbon St. “They come back after they’ve had a taste. They often tell us, ‘we didn’t know Afghan food tasted so good.'”

Their traditional flat bread, the Afghan naan, is a hit. “We make the dough fresh from scratch every day,” Ahmadi said. “We’ll bake it and hand it warm to customers after they ask for naan.”

Before the Taliban takeover, Ahmadi was a kindergarten teacher in a school that looked after American children and those under the care of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior Affairs, also supported by the U.S. government.

“Many at the ministry were American soldiers or working with them,” Ahmadi recalled. “It was very difficult to go back and forth between work and home. We were questioned and searched every day. I was threatened. We were no longer safe,” Ahmadi recalled. “We couldn’t stand it anymore.”

Handmade Afghan decorations hang in the window Monday at Royal Chicken & Kabab at 259 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Ahmadi’s sister, Shaqaeq, had to drop out of school when the Taliban took over, having completed three out of four years for her political science and law degree. She hopes to finish her degree eventually.

Several members of the Ahmadi family set out to leave with help from U.S. soldiers, leaving behind their mother and a younger, disabled brother. “Our father was sick. They were at the hospital and wanted to stay with him on his final days,” Ahmadi said.

The decision took the family to Qatar, a refugee camp in Germany, and later, Wisconsin. Eventually, it was decided that Maine would become their new home.

After months of waiting for their immigration paperwork to be completed and a string of temporary jobs in Portland,  Ahmadi now splits the day’s work at the small restaurant with her younger sister, Shaqaeq. Ahmadi starts work early in the morning until 4 p.m., then Shaqaeq comes in until 10 p.m. The restaurant is open seven days a week.

Lewiston school bus driver Tina Wyrick decided to try Afghan dishes for lunch Monday. Ahmadi’s nieces are on Wyrick’s bus. They had been insisting that Wyrick should try their food. For Wyrick, the cold Monday was the perfect time for some hearty food.

Nelofar Ahmadi, left, cooks Monday with her sister, Shaqaeq Ahmadi, far right, and her aunt Bibi Zahera Sadat at Royal Chicken & Kabab at 259 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Wyrick decided to go for bolani, a flatbread stuffed with potatoes and vegetables, and biryani, an herby, spicy mix of fluffy rice, meat and raisins. “The food was so good I couldn’t stop eating. I was almost late to work,” Wyrick said later in an email.

All dishes come with a side of homemade yogurt and chakni. “We make our own,” Ahmadi said. Chakni is a sour and spicy sauce made with cilantro, green tomatoes, garlic and walnuts.

The restaurant does not take online orders. Ahmadi said they haven’t figured out the fees and communication aspect of online food delivery services. For the time being, they take orders in person or over phone.

The sisters’ aunt, Bibi Zahera Sedat, helps out at the restaurant on busy days.

“We want to make a home of Lewiston,” Ahmadi said. “I hope God gives us the strength to work harder and serve our customers great food. We want to be able to support our mother. It’s all for a better life,” she added.