HAVING lived for some years in two of the world's Muslim-held gastronomic Meccas, northwest China and northeast London, a good kebab is easy to distinguish and difficult to resist.
When I passed by Doner Kebab for the first time, its strategic location by the 590 bus stop had me missing my ride home and embarking instead on a culinary journey back to Newington Green, the kebab capital of London.
Although the word 'kebab' claims Urdu origin, the true kabab originated in the Middle East, where seasoned meat was speared and barbecued over charcoal.
In many parts of Muslim Asia, including China's remote Xinjiang province in the far Northwest, the snack, sold on the streets, was more spicy and oily than the present European classic.
The 'doner' kebab is slightly different. 'Doner' means turning. Instead of meat being coarsely chopped and laid over coals, the whole slab is mounted on a giant upright spit while it sizzles round and round against a vertical grill.
Co-owner Eric Lim imported this Turkish delight after sampling doner kebabs in Australia and the US and hired a Turkish chef to train the staff.