Kervan: Stanmore’s crowning jewel
Located on the very noisy Parramatta Rd in Stanmore, Kervan is one of the shortlisted ultimate Kebab spots of Sydney. The premises are split into two sections (similiar to Fatima’s), one side has the sit-down dining restaurant with tables and cushions, while the other side houses the take-away food. For our purposes, we’re going to be looking at the take-away section.
Kervan doesn’t exactly jump out at you when you step in to order a take-away Kebab: it looks just like every other Kebab spot you may have stumbled into. The few sets of tables and chairs in the take-away section aren’t very inviting, the decor is nothing special and you’re not exactly greeted with a bear hug by the chef behind the window.
But on closer inspection of the food and sauces on display, Kervan begins to set itself apart. The vast array of sauces and various spiced condiments is very promising, and the many ingredients are fresh and very neatly displayed.
My counterpart ordered a standard chicken kebab with the lot, whereas I opted for the Adana kebab roll, which had been recommended to me. Instead of shaving Doner Beef off a large slap, the Adana kebab contains a long, char-grilled skewer of minced lamb. We both added tabouli, humus, garlic yoghurt and a spiced-tomato mix (which would prove to be a great decision).
The chicken kebab was prepared to perfection: perfect portions of ingredients, neatly-placed on the circular piece of pita bread. While other kebab-makers like to heap everything into the middle, our chef was very thorough in the placement of ingredients, saucing and wrapping of the kebab.
Many take-away kebab restaurants in Sydney have removed the grilling process from their routine so they can cut down on their preparation times, but we were very pleased to note that the good folks at Kervan still used the sandwich press to further cook and shape the kebab. The role that the grilling stage plays in the kebab-making process should not be underestimated, and this particular kebab was grilled to perfection. Needless to say, the chicken kebab was extraordinary - the extra attention and care that had been taken had paid dividends for all parties involved.
The Adana roll was, however, unbelievable. For starters, the Adana is served with, not standard pita bread, but a semi-toasted square of Turkish bread (which I’m a huge fan of). The ingredients were similarly prepared, with great care; the spiced tomato mix was a great addition because it added an extra degree of moisture to the kebab.
The lamb was cooked fresh in front of me on top of a smoking charcoal grill, wasn’t too salty, and tasted delicious thanks to the spices and seasoning in the meat. Once cooked over the coals, the skewer is removed and you’re left with a piping hot serving of seasoned, minced lamb.
Suleyman Gultekin, the restaurant’s owner, opened Kervan in 2005, making one of the newer restaurants in the area, but the food has quickly become something of a local legend. Mr Gultekin was unavailable for an interview and the very friendly man who made our kebabs was an amazing chef but was a bit reluctant to do much more than serve us - although All You Can Eat will most certainly be back to speak with Mr Gultekin to find out more about Kervan and it’s recipe for success.
Restaurant name: Kervan Address: 164-166 Parramatta Rd, Stanmore. Menu recommendation: Adana Kebab roll (at $9, this is very hard to beat) All You Can Eat tip: If you’re close to home, I’d recommend taking your food and eating it at home rather than the dine-in area at Kervan. Also, make sure you get lots of the spiced tomato mix.
More kebabs to come - until then, enjoy..
