In a neighborhood where appearances are everything, Helmand Palace is a reminder that beauty is more than skin deep. On a bus-choked stretch of Van Ness Avenue behind a non-descript façade, this local favorite serves Afghan recipes in an interior as rich as the food. Exotic red carpets and royal blue-cushioned armchairs make a cozy atmosphere for warming up with spicy fare. Newbies can trust that the murals depicting Afghani life are a promise of authenticity. Here meals begin with hearty oven-fresh bread served with a trio of dips, then go on to include traditional appetizers such as kaddo, baked pumpkin with spicy ground beef and yogurt-garlic sauce; or tasty seek kabab, a charbroiled leg of lamb with sautéed eggplant, tomato, and raisins.