There are a few ways you can pinpoint the best food you’ve ever eaten. If you dream about it, drool just thinking about it, or plan a trip for the sole reason of tasting such food again (or any combination of the 3), you know you’ve found your one true love. Your life will never be the same. Everything else will be an unsatisfactory comparison. Your friends will tire of your proclamations of love and desire for yet another bite. My kryptonite? A doner from Mustafa’s Gemüse Kabap.
Located in the Kreuzberg neighborhood of Berlin, Mustafa’s Gemüse Kabap is a small food stand that serves doner kebap to whomever can manage to get into their queue before closing time. I first experienced doner while doing my study abroad in Germany. It’s safe to say that my life was changed and I was eager to explore other doner stands and holes in the wall. So after a class field trip to Potsdam, a few of us made a side journey on the way back to our hostel to check out a friend’s recommendation. My friends and I were completely exhausted from spending the day exploring the Sanssouci Palace in 90°F weather, and when we finally reached Mustafa’s and saw that the queue wrapped around the block, we almost turned around. Nothing but the incessant pleading and reassurance from a friend could keep us slowly inching our way towards the tacky yellow shack.
Let me tell ya – waiting 40 minutes for food has never been so painful. My feet were barking, I had kankles, I was sweating from standing in the sun for what felt like forever, and questioning the sanity of waiting so long for a doner as I wiped away the sweat from my brow yet again. Surely nothing could be worth this.
We finally approached the glass barrier and my fatigue vanished. The smells emanating from the spit were a welcome relief from the BO, smoke, and musk all around me. The drool started to flow in anticipation of the yummy goodness that was taking place just a few people in front of me.
As we got closer, our topic of conversation turned to the doner each of us was going to order, whether it be a pita or a wrap (and for some of the boys, one of each). Suddenly, I was famished. I no longer felt the heat of the day. I eagerly stole into the convenience store to purchase a few Cokes for my friends and I, ready for our feast. It was time. The wait was over. Even before I approach the glass, the guys inside were asking me if I want a wrap or pita, how many sauces, and if I wanted salad on it. Oh yeah, load it up!
I had no idea what was in those 3 sauces and I don’t care. Spread it on. Pack it full of veggies: cucumber, onion, tomato, lettuce. Ah, the Southern Californian was happy with the veggies. With no apparent place to sit, we were lucky enough to score a spot at the only hightop tables around for the first bites. Was it really worth the waiting, the description from our friend, or was this all going to be just a big let-down?
Oh yeah, so worth it! As soon as my teeth hit the bun, I knew it was going to be epic. I tore that doner apart, savoring every last morsel. See those veggies on the napkin? They all found their way to my mouth (except the onion that was touching the table…ew). By the time I finished, I was silently cursing myself for not ordering 2 like the guys did. A few stolen bites from their pitas were enough to justify not hopping back into the 40 minute line. Bellies full and spirits high, we sauntered off to the U-bahn station and let the food coma wash over us. Not much was said no the ride back to the hostel. There was an unspoken bond between us now, for we had tasted perfection and were better because of it.
Okay, so maybe I’m over-dramatizing this experience a little bit. But in all seriousness, how do you describe a food experience that rocked you to your core? I mean, is it even possible without the capacity to smell, taste, or touch? Probably not, but maybe this will help. My classmates and I returned to Kiel the day after we ate at Mustafa’s, but the discussion about the doner and wraps we tried never ceased. Even after our program ended and we all went our separate ways, that doner was still on my mind.
So what exactly is a doner? Doner is a kebab or wrap originating from the Ottoman Empire in the early 1800s and is generally made out of lamb, mutton, chicken, or beef cooked on a vertical rotisserie. As the rotisserie slowly rotates, the outermost layer of the meat is cooked, and is then shaved off and stuffed into a pita. Once the cooked meat is removed, the raw meat is then exposed to the heat and begins to cook. Doner is generally served with a variety of vegetables including onions, cucumber, tomato, and some form of green leaves, whether lettuce or cabbage. A variety of sauces are also spread on the pita or wrap, usually made with a yogurt base and using sumac. Mustafa’s also includes delicious crumbly cheese and fresh herbs. Over time, the influence of the Ottoman Empire spread to countries around the world, who then cultivated their own varieties of the doner: gyro, shawarma, and even al pastor.
You can find doner shops and stands all over Germany, each with their own variation. But none of them satisfied the way that Mustafa’s did. As I was planning my final week in Europe, I knew that I wanted to go back to Berlin to see a few more things that I didn’t have time for during our class trip. And since I was going to be back in Berlin…I guess a trip to Mustafa’s for another doner wouldn’t be that big of a stretch!
During my now 90 minute wait for a doner at Mustafa’s, I questioned my recollection. Was it really going to be as delicious as I remember? Or did I build up all this hype in my mind? Was the doner really worth it, or was I just so exhausted and hungry the first time around, that even dirt would have been a gourmet meal?
It was so worth it! Thankfully my memory was correct in remembering the flavor explosions, textures, everything. And you know what? I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
So what’s the point of this story?
Yes, I’m trying to convince you to plan a trip to Berlin to try this doner. It’s so worth it. Although I didn’t plan my return to Berlin simply for a doner, it certainly was a contributing factor. Sometimes we’ll go to great lengths for something that others might not understand. A picture. A sound. A taste. Travel for yourself and your own reasons. To quote Jane Austin’s character Elizabeth Bennet, “I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me.”
Have you ever traveled far to experience something you loved again? Eat somewhere particular? Obtain another epic picture?
PIN ME
