A Turkish restaurant owner’s Hong Kong picks for Mediterranean food (plus the best doner kebab in Istanbul)

Ahmet Karabas sticks mainly to food from his home region and doesn’t eat much Asian food because of a food sensitivity. He does like Xinjiang food though – but hasn’t found anywhere good in Hong Kong to eat it yet

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Kibbeh from Sumac on Glenealy in Central. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 6:01pm, 20 Aug 2018Updated: 5:27pm, 24 Mar 2021

Ahmet Karabas, who hails from Turkey, is the owner of Sultan’s Table as well as its kebab takeaway sister shop, Sultan’s Corner, both in Central.

I am a very sensitive eater so there are many things I don’t eat. I would say my diet consists primarily of Mediterranean cuisine. My parents were very good cooks but like most Turkish people, they just eat Turkish foods. Even the friends who come to visit, all they want is Turkish.

Ahmet Karabas, owner of Sultan’s Table and Sultan’s Corner. Photo: Courtesy of Ahmet Karabas

I came to China about 10 years ago for my business and made Discovery Bay my base. I really couldn’t find any very authentic Turkish food so that’s one reason I started my own restaurant. But I like to go and try other places too.

I like Sumac (8 Glenealy, Central, tel: 2147 9191) and Olive (32 Elgin Street, SoHo, tel: 2521 1608). Even though we may serve the same dishes, when I taste them at Sumac, I can tell they’re different from the Turkish versions. The spices are different. But I do like their atmosphere and the food.

Falafel from Olive on Elgin Street in Central. Photo: K.Y. Cheng