Doner Kabab

I had heard about ‘Doner kabab' from friends who had visited Istanbul and Tel Aviv. I was told I have to have to try it if I’m ever in one of these places. Well I haven’t made it to Turkey or Israel yet, but Dubai has been a good window for Mediterranean cuisine if there ever was one.

Happened to pass by Kosebasi Anatolian Turkish Grill in Mirdif City Centre the other day, and found Doner kabab on the menu. So of course I dragged my friend towards the pretty pictures of the menu; it didn’t take long for us to sit down.

Doner Kabab

We ordered the Doner kabab (ground beef and lamb grilled on the spit like those shawarma mounds), which came with an assortment of wheat and sesame bread. We also ordered Cacic (cucumber and garlic salad). They brought along our good old pickled veggies, which I have realized go well with almost anything!

The Cacic was essentially what we Indians would call raita, so cynics, I wouldn’t recommend it to you. I still think it was something different – it had those herbs that added extra flavour to it. It was served chilled, and both the veggies and yogurt were fresh. Considering the ten things that can go wrong with raita/salad/dip, I appreciated the preparation, and found it super refreshing!

Cacic

My friends were right about the doner kabab. The meat was succulent. It was consistent, not too thick, and just short of melting in your mouth. It’s mixed with Turkish spices, so the flavour was new to me – it was kinda mild, not spicy at all – it must have been a mix of many spices. I could definitely taste a hint of cumin (could there be cardamom as well?), possibly some garlic and onions, and at least two or three of the rosemary/thyme varieties. Oh, and this one felt like it was totally buttered up, however I’d like to believe I didn’t gorge on something drenched in butter. Let’s just assume it was cooked generously in olive oil.

Though I can’t be too sure about the exact composition, apparently the meat is supposed to be thicker, like thick chunks. Here, however, they cut off mere slivers of the roast meat for our plate. But I didn't enjoy it any less! And I'll be looking forward to trying out the thick version from a local joint.

I was told that the reason the kabab was so good was (a) because of the Turkish spices and (b) it was fresh off the spit, as opposed to some places that chop off the roasted meat from the spit and keep it aside ready to serve when people ordered it. In this case, they kept the spit cooking the  meat gently so the taste is preserved.

Now, Kosebasi is an award-winning restaurant, known for its high quality, authentic Turkish food. It was the first place I spotted that had Doner kabab, so I jumped on it. I will be going back to explore the menu of course, I had a great time. But wherever you see doner, just try it ok! And let me know how it was and where you tried it! I’ll be on the lookout ;)

Moroccan Tea and Turkish Coffee

Ah Moroccan tea. 

I had read that one of the must tries when you eat Arabic food, is to accompany it with mint tea (warm and fragrant). So I thought I would survey the beverage menu the next time I went to a cafe or sheesha bar.

The friendly neighbourhood sheesha joint, Kamanana Cafe, has a dimly lit but comfy setting. Their couches are generously endowed with giant embroidered cushions (may it be known - I LOVE CUSHIONS). 

We had just finished classes, it was early evening, so we were just looking to chill for an hour with a sheesha. We ordered double apple, not for lack of choice of flavours, as their sheeshas were available in mint, grape mint, apple mint, double apple, double mint, double grape, rose, strawberry, and what have you.

From the beverage menu, we honed in on Turkish coffee and Moroccan tea. The Turkish coffee arrived in two tiny cups of dark aromatic brews, whereas the tea was served in a quaint Aladdin lamp type teapot and two beautifully bejewelled green glasses.

The Turkish coffee was unlike any coffee I had tasted before. It was sweet, but not sugary. It was strong, but not heady. It was also thick, and well, yeah it turned out to be a little muddy at the end, because the coffee powder started depositing at the bottom of the cup. I’m guessing they’re not big on stirring and making frappucinos out of their caffeine fixes out here? Other than that, the flavour was very pleasant, but not for the faint!

F*F Tip: Speaking of coffee, check out Sarah’s discovery of the how, when, where, what and why of coffee: http://backtothegrindblog.wordpress.com/ 

The Moroccan tea was the clear winner. A light green concoction containing at least 5-6 herbs, it tasted sweet and refreshing. It did not hint an overbearing dimension of any one flavour, but I could definitely taste some mint and lemon in there. And could it be just a pinch of sugarcane added too? Crushed tea leaves completed the drink.

It may be noted that the actual brew can go terribly wrong, with flavours being almost absent, since I’ve sampled it at other outlets. Either way, it’s usually salvaged by the decorative silverware they put out for you, giving you a magic carpet ride sort of feel, even though you may just be sipping plain tea.

Overall, the combination of apple sheesha, Moroccan tea and Turkish coffee was super rejuvenating and exotic. A brilliant way to spend an evening after a long hard day. Definitely coming back for more!

                                     

Where have you sipped your best Moroccan tea?