The best kebab in Canberra? The majority of people I speak to all mention ‘that’ Turkish place in Yarralumla. That Turkish place is the Turkish Halal Pide House at the Yarralumla shops.
I had tried it once at least 6 years ago and thought it was about time I made another trip. J and I got there at about 2.30pm one Saturday afternoon, a late lunch for us, and we thought it wouldn’t be that busy. We were wrong. There was a queue backed up all the way to the door.
Items on the menu include various pides, kebabs and a few starters such as kabak and dips. We, as well as the majority of people in the queue, were there for the kebabs. The process for ordering a kebab is to grab a new kebab bag, write your name on it, tick the appropriate boxes of what you want – type of meat, salad and sauce, before joining the queue to pay for it at the counter. Then stand back and wait until your name is called. It’s a very quick and efficient process, and I was impressed with how fast the boys were churning through all the orders. We only waited about 10 minutes, and considering the amount of people in front of us, that was no time at all.
I chose the lamb kebab with the lot and garlic sauce ($10.50). I’m sure no one can complain about the portion size. This was huge and had some weight to it with the amount of fillings it was stuffed with. The lamb was seasoned well and there was a generous portion of it. The wrap itself was noticeably freshly made and soft. This was just pure indulgent fast food that you can’t stop eating. Each mouthful was happiness – well seasoned lamb and garlic happiness.
J chose the mixed meat kebab (there were only chicken and lamb options when we went) with the lot and chilli sauce ($10.50). He would have preferred a spicier chilli sauce but was very happy with his meal.
It was a cold day and we were lucky to sit at one of the two communal tables inside. It was still a little chilly sitting inside as the door was always swinging open with the constant flow of people going in and out. As with all kebabs, it got a little messy but there were plenty of serviettes available. Overall, these were kebabs done well – plenty of fillings, lots of flavour, fresh wrap and fast service. Can’t get much better than that. I need to try the kabak kebab (I’m hoping it means a kebab stuffed with zucchini balls!) and I should probably try a pide too.
The Turkish Halal Pide House is situated on Novar Street at the Yarralumla shops. Open seven days a week from 9am to 8.30pm.
Foodgasm 9/10
Value for money 10/10
Service 9/10
FPJ score 28/30
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