Kebabs this good are an art form. Don't disturb me.
We all know that fabulous Turkish food is one of Hackney’s most delectable and credit-crunch busting (watch that journalese fly…I’ll be talking about ‘staycations’ next) cuisines.
But having frequented the magnificent Anatolia on Mare Street since I first arrived in the neighbourhood, I thought it was time to pay homage to the consistency of my favourite kebab shop.
Succulent chicken shish, juicy lamb ribs hot from the aromatic ocakbasi. Delicious garlicky, meaty, herby, hot and crusty-but-soft lahmacun , or Turkish pizza for the uninitiated, straight form the oven and that amazing aubergine/yoghurt/bready delight that I forget the name of. IT IS ALWAYS GOOD. They never have an off night. Even the frog, a man of refined taste, is a huge fan of ‘the Ottoman restaurant’.
(Also – it’s healthy, isn’t it? Chicken shish is basically grilled chicken with rice and salad. Clearly the people on this idiotic forum don’t know the first thing about nutrition..)
Service can be a bit changeable. The chaps doing the cooking have that look of ‘I’m not here to chat, but to create many delicious and juicy kebabs, alright?’, but the restaurant staff are friendly.
You could argue, and others have, that there are superior Turkish restaurants in Hackney. Pidd and I are big fans of the deservedly celebrated Mangal on Arcola Street . The relatively classy Cirrik, next to Hackney Central is a bit posher if you want more-restaurant- less-kebab-shop vibe. Testi serve up a mean stew, in addition to lamb’s testicles and Gilbert and George are big fans of Mangal II, though I’ve never been.
Still Anatolia is my fave, it’s delicious, very close, and practically free. Yum. I might get one tonight, actually.
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