Kaboul Kitchen is a Canal+ original Dramedy series that ran from 2012 to 2017. It is about Jacky (Gilbert Melki), a French restaurant holder who creates a decadent restaurant in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2005 during the Bush administration. With his friend and associate, Axel (Benjamin Bellecour) — a specialist in politics— they deal with corrupt military such as Colonel Amanullah (Simon Abkarian) who doubles as a drug lord and hypocritical religious fanatics and struggle to keep open their restaurant, the Kaboul Kitchen, the only place in Kabul where foreigners can find alcohol, bikini-clad women and French cuisine.
Jacky's life gets even more complicated when his estranged daughter suddenly reappears, all grown up and full of idealism; she came to Kabul to work for the foundation Combat pour la dignité Afghane and her idealistic views are confronted by the harsh reality and her father's cynicism.
This series includes examples of these tropes:
- Briefcase Full of Money : Amanullah has one. Averted when Jacky tries to buy off the Ali brothers.
- Crapsack World well it is post-war Afghanistan.
- Culture Clash between the Westerners and the locals, but particularly for Sophie who just arrived in Afghanistan.
- Disappeared Dad Jacky is this to Sophie.
- Fanservice
- Fan Disservice
- French Cuisine Is Haughty one of the reason their price are so high, being the only French restaurant in Kabul. But also subverted : the food is said to be only slightly less disgusting than in the other restaurants and the cook confuses the different French recipes. The clients are not there for the food anyway.
- Kissing Under the Influence : while completely wasted Sophie ends up kissing both Damien and Axel.
- Male Frontal Nudity in the first five minutes, no less.
- Manchild Axel
- Mood Dissonance
- Naïve Newcomer Sophie having just arrived in Afghanistan.
- Only in It for the Money Jacky and Axel only came to Kabul to make money, not to help with the country's reconstruction.
- Retired Monster General Amanullah wants to retire and reconvert in politics.
- She Is All Grown Up Sophie
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money! Jacky bribes his way around Afghan legislation.
- We Named the Monkey "Jack" Amanullah has two dogs named "George" and "Bush".
