Mumbai Food: New dish from Netherlands finds way to Andheri eatery

Kapsalon, a dish conceived in The Netherlands, finds its way into the menu of a new Turkish kebab joint in Lokhandwala. Curious? Read on before you eat

Kapsalon. Pic/Satej Shinde

"You need to mix it right from the bottom because there are many layers to the dish," instructs Zubair Ah over a phone call, confirming if we've received our order of Kapsalon. The lesser-known dish is one of the signatures at his year-old Bengaluru joint, Zu's Doner Kebaps, which launches in Mumbai today. Located in Lokhandwala, the takeaway and delivery joint (3km radius) offers döner kebaps — a Turkish kebab made using meat grilled on a vertical rotisserie — in sandwiches, pita pockets and salads, and Kapsalon.

When we dig in with our forks, French fries, onion crescents and bits of thinly-sliced döner chicken peep from below a layer of lettuce — all laced with melted cheese and a medley of sauces. That's Kapsalon (Rs 150), and believe it or not, it's Dutch.

Zubair Ah at the Lokhandwala outlet of the eatery. Pic/Satej Shinde

In fact, the name means 'hairdressing salon' in Dutch, alluding to Nathaniël Gomes, a Cape Verdian hairdresser in Rotterdam, who is one of the inventors of the dish. In the early 2000s, he collaborated with a neighbouring shawarma store to combine all his favourite ingredients in a single dish. "Though introduced recently, it has spread all over the world," shares Zubair, who discovered it during a trip to Amsterdam a few years ago, and later, in Hong Kong too. "I fell in love with it. The original recipe includes Indonesian sambal sauce but we avoid that. Instead, we make a signature mix using three sauces," he adds.

An explosion of flavours greets us as the starchy-but-moist fries combine with crunchy greens and sweet and tangy sauces with a hint of mayonnaise. But what elevates the dish is the addition of döner chicken, marinated well with spices and grilled to perfection, giving the dish the feel of an Arabic poutine. We also try Veg Kapsalon (Rs 130) that replaces the meat with potato nuggets and more veggies. The nuggets score for being grease-free and melt-in-your-mouth, but we prefer the meaty version. Also, just for today, the Turkish fast food joint offers a doner kebab for R1 per person. You have to check in on Facebook to avail the offer (2 pm onwards).

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