Blog 15: Good bye and the
best of Adana Kebab
Dec 6th, 2012
We’ll it’s time to
say good bye to Adana for another year and as I do, I would like to thank all those that
have contacted me whilst blogging and also those that have made me welcome whilst
in Adana in 2012. I will be back, that’s one guarantee!!
I also wish to thank my fabulous parents-in-law, Salim and Mehtap for their wonderful hospitality. My wife’s mother, Mehtap
is an awesome cook of traditional Turkish foods and her father Salim grows all the vegetables so easy and perfect! So unfortunately I haven’t lost
any weight in our time here this year! LEZZETLI (delicious!!!)
If it’s ok with
all of you I will continue to blog about Adana (so keep checking in from time
to time for new blogs) In doing these blogs I have realised just how much there
is to blog about Adana!! What a wonderful place!
I have so many stories and experiences and further interesting
places to blog about so stay tuned to this "aussieinadana". I have literally a library of thousands of photos
to share and much more to say.
Alternatively drop in on "Adana Adventures" at (link at the top) for an authorative web site from a chap (Jake Olson) who lived here until recently. You really won't find a better site about Adana from a foreign perspective.
I will also
dedicate at least 1 blog to where I live when I arrive back home later this month, about
my life in Australia so my Turkish friends can gain an insight into cultural
differences.
I’m currently I’m
in Istanbul for the last week of my stay in Turkey. It’s cold and wet here in
Istanbul! :-/ But we are made to feel welcome by Aylin’s sister and
brother-in-law so it’s nice here.
Istanbul today 6th Dec - Cold, wet, but nice still.
But for this blog
I want to share my thoughts on “Mas Kebab”, my favourite Adana Kebab restaurant.
Future blogs won’t cover Kebabs so intensily so this is a final critic before I
return again.
Mas Kebab was the first restrurant I tasted "Adana Kebab" in 2008 and now is
always the last Kebab I eat before I leave the city each year. I know I rave
on about Adana Kebab’s but it’s my favourite food in Turkey, made best here in Adana so don't bother anywhere else if you see it's name. It's not a true Adana Kebab unless it's made here!! I
have become a bit of an critic of what makes a good Kebab now.
Mas Kebab.
Mas Kebab, 322 453 37 65, kurtulus Mah.Mücahitler Cad.Sunaoğlu Apt. No:17 Seyhan / Adana , Kebapçı - No: 17 Seyhan / Adana Kebab
This restaurant I
am told by my wife’s family started with a very humble beginning, as a small street kebab shop but with a great
taste. It has grown over the years with reputation and expanded very much from
its simple beginnings. (you can see lots of old photos in the shop like this one)
What was once a humble small restaurant is now a classy,
clean and over-all well-presented large restaurant offering both large outdoor
and indoor seating. The restaurant even is divided into special sections for
preparation like salads etc..
When you first
arrive at Mas Kebab you are attended to by very well dressed waiters that check
up on you often throughout the meal to see if there’s anything else they can
serve you.
The seating is
comfortable and the tables have a fine black marble sparkly finish that works
well with the overall appearance. The ceiling and walls all finished very well
to create a very stylish effect.
You will notice
straight away by the introduction of Salads to the table that Mass Kebab is a “step-up”
from your average Kebab restaurant. You paid for that step-up but, let me tell
you, it’s worth every cent as the Kebabs here are to die for!
Don’t get me wrong, Mas
Kebab is more expensive that others I have blogged about but it’s still not
expensive for what you get and not like a fine French Restaurant price or meal.
(French restaurant meal = expensive, perfectly presented by a master chef, but small and super
expensive, usually followed by McDonalds on the way home to fill you up! lol )
All that to say, we’ve
paid a lot more in Adana for a Adana Kebab that are much inferior to this Mas Kebab.
The salads are superior
and it pays off that they have a separate section dedicated to the preparation
of salads. Although served salad is not quite as perfectly presented as those
in the picture that’s above the counter in the entry area, they are
never-the-less, very presentable.
All the right
salads and all the right tastes. fresh, spiced, just right! :-)
They asked us if
we wanted our Kebab spiced hot or mild and I chose mild because we were in the
company of Aylin’s Father Salim, and “Baba”(father) is famous for his hot
chilli’s that he grows on the his apartment balcony. They are seriously hot “aci”
(ager). Just because he was with us my phycology told me this Kebab spice would
be “aci” as well so I declined.
I was wrong. The Hotter
lamb kebab strip was perfect, spiced so you could taste every little section
you break off to wrap in your bread with salad.
But the main spice difference between hot and mild that
I found was the bread. Let me tell you the mild is mild, tasty but mild. On the
other hand the hot spiced bread was not so hot but, omg, totally delicious!! I
found myself requesting an exchange of my mild bread for the hotter variety from
my wife and then for the bread left by her mother! lol It is much better than the mild bread.
The bread was
fresh, perfectly weighted in thickness. If you get a choice, take the hotter
Kebab because the spice is oh so much better!!
The whole deal,
salads and Kebab was very good. Higher standard for a slightly higher price.
Well worth it at Mass Kebab. The dinning was great and finished off with a very
refreshing glass of chi tea.
A very fine finish
to another memorable stay in Adana.
Dinner for four,
plus child and drinks, and chi 52 lira.
Service was great
but I still love the extra service and personal touch made by the Park Café staff
as the best service I’ve had in Adana.
Never the less,
until I eat a better Kebab, Mas Kebab scored a 10/10 for me.
So this is the
last Adana Blog whilst I’m actually in Turkey but there will be more from me
about Adana written from my “Summer” base in Australia. That’s right folks I’m
on my way back to an Aussie Summer so I’ll by-pass your wonderful cold winter! Lol
Next blog will be
in about 2 weeks.
Back in Adana 2013 /14
Cheers
Andrew
I'm back in Adana in 2016 on my 8th visit and it feels very familiar,
nostalgic even. The familiar sounds, a chorus of sounds really that penetrate the
day and night make me feel instantly I’m back to a place I know already so well. 
