タム6000
Kebab Donburi Double with Iskender Sauce (850 yen) Teleworking in Akihabara. For lunch, I decided to quickly get takeout from either Samb or Kebab. While my fried chicken bento phase is coming to an end, I am now interested in comparing different kebabs, so today I went with kebabs! When it comes to kebabs in Akihabara, Star Kebab is the place to go. It seems they have been around for 20 years, and they have even opened multiple stores in Akihabara, becoming a staple of the town. However, they will be closing all stores by 2/20. An era is coming to an end. Now, overwhelmed by the variety of menu options, I decided to go with my benchmark kebab donburi. Chicken is 600 yen, beef is 700 yen. So, the double mix should be around 650 yen, right? That seems to be the standard pricing for kebab shops in town, but here the double mix is 850 yen! Not 0.5+0.5 but 1+1, so is it expensive? If so, then it should be even more expensive... It's a bit of a mystery. But I want to try both, so I went with the double. For the sauce, they offer mild, hot, mix, as well as yogurt + tomato-based Iskender sauce, and curry-based Baharat sauce. I chose the hot Iskender sauce, as yogurt-based sauces are always delicious. I quickly got my order, opened it, and took a bite. The beef seemed to be a lean cut, with a good chewy texture and a nice beefy flavor. It's not super tender, but when you chew it, you can taste the beef. The chicken seemed to be a small, slightly dry cut. Maybe I should have just gone with the beef-only option, which is 150 yen cheaper. The sauce had a nice tangy garlic yogurt flavor, which added a good accent. The spiciness was mild. For those who like it really hot, they also offer an ultra-hot option. The side included shredded cabbage and two thin slices of tomato. The combination of tomato, beef, and spicy sauce is always a winner. The rice was supposed to be "chickpea pilaf," but it turned out to be plain white rice. Not a big deal for me, as I'm not a fan of chickpeas. The portion was around 250g, and the rice was cooked perfectly. Overall, I quickly enjoyed my meal. Star Kebab is considered one of the best kebab shops in Tokyo, or even Japan, so I had high expectations. However, for the price, it didn't seem significantly better than other kebab shops. Maybe other places have improved their quality? Or perhaps, the taste of kebab meat heavily depends on the timing of cutting it from the block, and maybe this time was just not the best. In any case, a "Kebab Nori Roll" might be a good idea for tomorrow's Setsubun (Japanese bean-throwing ceremony) as a substitute for the traditional ehomaki sushi roll. In conclusion, I believe this shop has made its mark on Akihabara for a period of time. Thank you for all your hard work!