So the Deliberator (after much, well, deliberation) has ordered 2 chicken kebabs, 1 doner and 1 shish kebab (all with extra meat, egg and cheese), 3 large tubs of chips and a sausage pizza at the counter of Ankara. During the 15 minute wait for our artery-busting feast, Deliberator and Sponge head over the road to the petrol station to purchase soft drink accompaniments, whereupon Deliberator shoots down Sponge’s suggestion to purchase Fanta on the basis that it is "fat and unhealthy". Sponge didn’t know whether to cry or kiss him. (He ended up kissing him.)
Ankara came with a fairly hefty reputation. Billed by some as "the best kebab store on Beaufort Street", it had its work cut out for it against the likes of Medya (see review of 27 February) and Charcoal Chicken (see 11 Feb).
Unfortunately, and while it didn’t necessarily disappoint, we’d have to say that Ankara failed to reach the lofty heights of the aforementioned. Sure, it has a leather couch and a fantastically kitsch garden scene mural on one wall, however the kebabs were standard fare. While the shish meat was a cut above, in all they were relatively bland (even with a variety of different sauces). The pide, listed on the separate "deluxe" menu, was also fairly tasteless. In fact, the sausage on the pide only looked like sausage, it tasted like nothing.
It is not all bad however - the saving grace (and a big one at that) were the chips. Crispy, golden and encrusted with salt, the people have ruled that Ankara has overtaken Charco’s as the "Best Chip on Beaufort Street". No small feat.
Also, Ankara does excellent fresh Turkish bread on most days which beats the rot you buy at Coles.
In all, ideal after a few pints at the Inglewood, not recommended sober.
Service: Brutally efficient without pleasantry or bullshit. Ideal for a kebabery.
Food: Have had better.
Ambience: It’s a kebab shop. With a mural.
Highlight: The chips.
Lowlight: The inflated reputation that preceded it.
Rating: 2.8 double-meats-with-the-lot out of 5.
Will we be back? If drunk at the Inglewood, sure.
Details: Call them on (08) 9473 1083 Coming up: Still to mop up Inglewood Pizza and Da Bruno’s, before heading on to Bliss Noodle Bar.
10 comments:
Their dips are also worth mentioning as accompaniment to said fantastic bread!
Love ya work! Top Shelf!
Hi bedfords crackpot fraternity, thanks for your positive comments and the heads up about the dips. We will report back when we get round to trying them.
What a disappointment! I have had many sensational kebab experiences at Ankara but it looks like the tides have turned (or the pides have turned). Admittedly I have been visiting the Ankara shop on Walter Rd Bedford of late, where the kebab wraps are Turkish, tasty, toasty and crispy*. Perhaps the quality of the Walter Rd store is largely due to the fact that there is no neighbouring pub to take advantage of. However, drunk patrons are no way of guaranteeing cashflow from poor quality kebabs – take the closure of Food Kingz opposite the Rosemount Hotel as a prime case study!
* Crispy texture at the bottom of my steak kebab is often affected by the element of Garlic Sauce.
Hi grrlfrommars - the kebabs at the Beaufort Street store were certainly not toasty and crispy, which is hugely disappointing - we love a toasty kebab. They were in fact pretty soggy (although the sogginess may have been a result of the car trip home).
Good point re Food Kingz - that place was shithouse! We were watching what was going to move into that space with great anticipation. Turned out to be a tatto and piercing palour, which is extremely convenient for those who love to combine nose rings and ten pin bowling.
Touche` on the dips. I love the "spicey tahini" . Second to none....
Ankara's is heaven.
Every Wednesday after school we trek it to Ankaras for those lovefully kebabes, pides, turkish bread and baclava.
yes, the kebabs themselves are brilliant, but its become a tradition amongst my friends and I and we have spent about $3000 there.
Chicken and Cheese Pide is the best, if in doubt, always go the Chicken and Cheese Pide.
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