Thanks to the ease of finding Indie Chicken, it had been a while since I darkened the doors of a proper kebab shop. Bored with endless variations on spicy wings and with an anniversary to observe, we loaded up on Litovel at the Swimmer before popping round the corner to the bright and inviting Crystal Kebabs on Holloway Road. Everything was present and correct: lamb and chicken elephant legs revolving hypnotically, air thick with the promise of meat wrapped in carbs and lots of blokes frantically slicing, grilling, saucing and wrapping behind the counter to feed a hungry post-pub crowd.
I ordered a large lamb doner which came wrapped in a flatbread rather than a pitta. This made for a nicer kebab but presented a new eating challenge: rather than the usual overstuffed pitta balancing act, this version felt slightly too unstable to eat on the move. Instead, we sat down in a civilised manner, unwrapped and attacked them with forks. The meat was excellent, being actual recognisable lamb rather than the mystery substance that constitutes the usual doner. The sauce complemented the filling without being too overpowering and the bread proved a worthy substitute for the pitta, although not quite adequate to soak up the alarming amount of grease.
Lovely stuff then and a welcome change from [insert American state] Fried Chicken. Sadly, consuming the thing in its entirety in the shop robbed me of the Half Eaten Kebab on the Kitchen Worktop in the Morning experience that’s part of the charm of post-pub suppers.