Döner for Lunch

Mui and I had errands to run in Kemeraltı, the shopping area in İzmir’s Konak District. We decided to first have lunch before going about our business and invited Deniz to join us.

Döner literally refers to the fact that the meat it is grilled on a rotating spit. The thinly sliced meat is then served over pita bread. It is a traditional — and very popular — kebab dish in Türkiye that dates back to the Ottoman Period. The Greeks refer to it as gyro. Others call the dish shawarma.

Our favorite place for döner is a small restaurant on a side street in Kemeraltı — Özev İskender Döner Kebap … the İskender part of the name referring to the way it is served with yogurt and tomato sauce … liberally doused with brown butter at the table. Our order was preceded by a crisp salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and rocket served with a drizzle of olive oil and tart pomegranate syrup … and we washed it all down with ayran, a traditional drink made with watered down yogurt. Delicious 😋Læs mere