ランチ向上委員会
Located at the end of Kabukicho in Shinjuku, right in front of Seibu Shinjuku Station, is a kebab stand. The shop has a red-themed exterior like most kebab shops, with menus displayed on almost all of the walls. Iskender (pseudonym) is a Turkish man who works at my workplace. The pseudonym is a nickname I gave him, derived from the Turkish (Persian) reading of Alexander. He recommended this shop to me. Iskender's selling point is that the shop is in a prime location with many customers, so they are always slicing fresh meat and serving it hot, unlike other shops that freeze leftover meat resulting in dry and less tasty kebabs. When I visited, there was a small line at the storefront. There are many staff members, so the wait time is short. The menu includes a kebab sandwich for 350 yen, which is the cheapest I know of. You can choose from sweet, medium spicy, hot, very hot, garlic & yogurt, and teriyaki sauces. Iskender's recommendation is the very hot sauce. I tried the following:
- Kebab Sandwich with Garlic & Yogurt (350 yen): Despite being cheap, the amount of kebab and shredded cabbage is generous. The taste is not unusual as Turkey often uses yogurt in their dishes. The meat is plentiful with the main flavor being chicken. The yogurt is not very sour, with a subtle hint of spices like cumin. The pita itself is simple. I had it as a takeaway, so it wasn't freshly made, but it was still delicious. It definitely smelled good at the storefront, so eating it fresh would be even better.
- Kebab Sandwich with Medium Spicy Sauce (350 yen): The color is not very red. It's slightly spicy at first but gradually builds up in heat as you eat. If it was very hot, it would be quite spicy. For 350 yen, the quality is comparable to major fast-food chains. With 24-hour service, it's a convenient option for a quick bite in Shinjuku. Highly recommended.