Great Kebab

Daniel Kramer

Istanbul Grill's Iskender kebab

Location Info

More Kirby-West U Restaurants

Map

Istanbul Grill & Deli

5613 Morningside
Houston, TX 77005

Category: Restaurant > Middle Eastern

Region: Kirby-West U

Photos

Related Content

• Health Department Roundup
  January 19, 2012
• They Might Be Giants, But Terrance Zdunich Is The Bad Ass Russian
  October 7, 2011
• Ali Nazik at Istanbul Grill & Deli
  February 11, 2011
• Aluminum Show
  March 24, 2011
• Our Top 10 Music Videos of 2011
  December 13, 2011

More About

• Istanbul
• Alexander the Great
• Bursa
• Ethnic and Regional Cuisines
• Classical Antiquity

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Dining Newsletter: The week's top local food news and events, plus interviews with chefs and restaurant owners, dining tips, and a peek at our print review.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

The Iskender kebab ($10.49) at Istanbul Grill(5613 Morningside, 713-526-2800) is an excellent rendition of what has been dubbed the national dish of Turkey. Some claim the Iskender kebab was named for Alexander the Great, whom the Persians called Iskender, because it was his favorite food, while others maintain that it was named after the Iskender family, who lived in Bursa in the late 19th century. In any case, the dish is made from thin slices of doner ("rotating meat") kebab, a mixture of beef, lamb and chicken, served on a bed of tangy yogurt. A seasoned tomato sauce covers the meat, making an interesting color contrast to the stark white yogurt. Using pieces of pida (very similar to pita) bread to scoop it all up, you eat this dish by combining all the flavors at once.