A note on the words: a kebab here means doner — seasoned meat stacked on a vertical spit, roasted as it turns and shaved off in thin slices. A kebab sandwich puts those slices into a split round of pita bread; a kebab wrap rolls them in a thin flatbread instead. Acili ezme is a Turkish table relish of finely chopped tomato, pepper, onion and chili, dressed with oil and eaten with bread or alongside grilled meat — acili means it carries heat. Tachinomi is the Tokyo habit of drinking standing up at a counter, quickly and without ceremony.
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DENIZ TURKISH CAFE & BAR on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hey, this is Hangover Meshi. This time I went to a kebab stand in Akihabara, “DENIZ TURKISH CAFE & BAR.” I have a feeling I’ve bought a kebab here on its own before, to eat while wandering around the neighborhood, but this time I decided to settle in properly, have a drink inside and eat my kebab there. Using it as a lunch spot might be a first.
Turkish food really is good, isn’t it. Kebabs included. It’s earned its place as one of the world’s three great cuisines.
Kebab wrap, chicken 600 yen
Kebab wrap, beef 800 yen
Kebab wrap, MIX 750 yen
Kebab sandwich, chicken 500 yen
Kebab sandwich, beef 700 yen
Kebab sandwich, MIX 700 yen
Kebabs are the basis of the place!
A beer first.
And then, one kebab.
This sauce is exquisite, it really is. And although I didn’t go for the large, it somehow still feels pretty substantial. One bite, and the sauce with its chili kick goes brilliantly with a drink. Or rather, it’s far too perfect with beer. So good!
This time I tried ordering a mysterious thing called acili ezme.
A gently spicy tomato-based something. There seem to be all sorts of vegetables in it and the flavor is complex. Yes, that’s good.
You can eat it as it is, but it’s also good spooned onto the kebab or used as a dip. So there are dishes like this here as well. This has been a real blind spot for me until now, but from next time I might well order it.
This time I had a light drink in the little space at the back, and it turns out to be rather good. Best of all, the beer came out in a properly chilled glass! There was an interesting-looking dish in the acili ezme, too, so ordering mostly things other than the kebabs and standing there picking at them for thirty minutes or so — tachinomi (standing-bar) style — might be quite fun!
DENIZ TURKISH CAFE & BAR (Turkish / Suehirocho Station, Akihabara Station, Ochanomizu Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.4
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
