Owner Abdul Yawary ran a flourishing Roya Afghan Restaurant in downtown Walnut Creek for four years before relocating to the South Bay. Though he lives in Fremont, home to one of the largest Afghan-American communities in the United States, Yawary selected Sunnyvale for his business because of this city's multicultural environment. His customers, though they are from diverse ethnic backgrounds, are primarily Americans, followed next by Indians.

Yawary, in his early 30s, says he strives to maintain authentic fare, uninfluenced by American tastes. He has preserved many of the same recipes and dishes his parents served at the restaurant they ran in Kabul, Afghanistan, up until 1981, when they fled the country to escape Soviet oppression. Yawary, barely 11 years old at the time, spent a year in Pakistan, followed by a year in Connecticut. His family arrived in California in 1983.

Customers can view scenic photos of Afghanistan hanging on the walls, including a snapshot of the Khyber Pass where Yawary once traveled. In an effort to have the restaurant exude the ambience of an Afghan house, Yawary has decorated the place with handicrafts that traditionally adorn the tents of Afghan nomads along with their elaborate attire, and multicolored brocade curtains line the windows at the front.

Although the mild-mannered Yawary trained to be a technician, he spent some time as a chef at the Kabul restaurants in San Carlos and Sunnyvale before opening his own restaurant. He and his family have come together to help with the operation of the new business. Yawary is the main chef along with his father; his wife helps part time, and his cousins work as waiters. He begins most days with a quick trip to the Oakland farmers market to buy fresh vegetables, such as spinach and eggplants, and along with his father whips up such favorite delicacies as quabili pilau, an entrée of basmati rice topped with seasoned pieces of lamb and garnished with carrots and raisins, and various kebab specialties.

Richard Krueger, a Walnut Creek resident who works in Sunnyvale as a Realtor, frequently dines at the new Roya. He and his wife, Linda, have been loyal customers since the opening of the Walnut Creek restaurant. "I love the consistency of the food—it's superb. The dishes are eclectic and exotic; it's not just an ordinary kebab house," Krueger says. Krueger doesn't hesitate to drive all the way to Sunnyvale from Walnut Creek with his wife, either, to dine at Roya. At times he picks up a takeout meal after work.

Yawary dreams of one day visiting the homeland he left as a young boy, but meanwhile, he is doing his utmost to relive and convey those memories in his restaurant. Roya means "dream" and is also the name of his daughter.

Roya Afghan Cuisine is located at 1253 W. El Camino Real in Sunnyvale, 650.962.8007.