Iskender: Bursa’s Meat Treat

by Can B | Feb 20, 2023 | Eat, Shop, and Stay, Osmangazi, Travel Tips and Visiting Info

Iskender Kebab is a name that is closely tied to Bursa. It can even be called Bursa’s signature dish.

Iskender Kebap is a meat dish consisting of slices of döner kebap covering sliced pide bread and topped with a little tomato sauce and melted butter. A dollop of yogurt and a couple roasted peppers garnish the plate. Döner kebap is meat roasted on a vertical rotisserie that is shaved into thin slices of meat and served as a sandwich, a wrap, on rice or on pide bread. In Turkey, döner kebap can consist of lamb, beef or chicken.

The city has prepared this 33 second video about Bursa Kebap:

At the end of the nineteenth century, the convention was to turn a whole lamb on a spit parallel to the ground and slice off pieces of meat. A man from Bursa, Iskender Efendi, wanted to be able to serve the particular flavors of different parts of the lamb equally to his customers.[1] He went to Istanbul and talked to meat masters where he learned to separate the meat from the bones and nerves, placed it on a skewer, roasted it vertically and cut thin slices. This had never been seen before in Bursa and became known as “döner kebap” (turning kebab). Today’s Arab shawarma and Greek gyros are derived from this very döner kebap[2] idea that started here in Bursa.

Iskender’s restaurant was located in the Kayhan district until the end of the 1960s. In the 1930s, Iskender’s oldest and youngest son, Nurettin and Cevat opened a new location on Ataturk Boulevard near the Grand Mosque which is known today as the “Corner Blue Store.” The original location’s building at Kayhan became unsafe in the 1960s and Iskender’s middle son, Suleyman relocated the original restaurant to the corner of Ünlü Avenue and Kayhan Street which is today’s “Historic Timber Store.” With time the brothers’ businesses separated but the product remained the same.

The name Iskender Kebap has been patented and trade marked so that only the restaurants connected to the original Iskender family are supposed to use it. Over the years, competitors have made their own recipe and call it Bursa Kebab. However, outside of Bursa, the dish seems to be known simply as Iskender or Iskender Kebab.

Generally, most tourists will be satisfied with the Iskender/Bursa kebap that you order from a random restaurant. However, the 4 restaurants I recommend below are reputed to serve the best Iskender/Bursa kebap. Two of them originate from and are run by descendants of Iskender Efendi himself. All four of the restaurants below charge a higher price (about $8) than the average restaurant’s prices (about $5) but its worth the premium. Turkish friends will argue among themselves over which of these 4 restaurants has the best Iskender/Bursa Kebap.

The cut, type and quality of meats are a big factor in the different tastes between restaurants. Spices used in the tomato sauce, wood or gas cooking methods, quality of pide bread, yogurt and butter also have their roles. Then of course there is your own personal preference. The Iskender Kebap branded restaurants are the only ones that I found that use a 100% lamb and mutton meat mix. All the other “premium” restaurants that I have asked use a beef and lamb mix. The least expensive or mass producing places seem to use all beef.

When you order your kebap dish they often ask if you want one, one-and-a-half, or double portion of meat. The four places below all serve roughly 100 grams of meat in a single portion. When the meat dish comes to your table, it is usually followed up with a waiter carrying a skillet of boiling butter. He then pours a good dose on top of the meat in front of you. I often ask them to put half of the normal (az olsun) on my dish.

Iskender Tarih Ahsap Dukkan “Historic Timber Store” (http://www.iskender.com/) – https://g.page/tarihiahsapdukkan – This store was started by Suleyman, the middle son of the original Iskender Efendi in the late 1960s after the original location was torn down. It continues to be run by Suleyman’s three sons and their children. It is a large restaurant with lots of seating. Occasionally I will see a waiting line outside but that isn’t too common. They use a lamb and mutton combination in their döner kebap.

Kebapci Iskender Köşe Mavi Dükkan “Corner Blue Store” (http://www.iskender.com.tr/) – https://goo.gl/maps/dfTYmnq15BWHEf1U8 – This store is the one started by two of Iskender Efendi’s sons in the 1930s and continues to be managed by the descendants of one of them, Cevat. They also use a lamb-mutton meat mix in their döner kebap. (pic: mavi 2) This location is small and you often do not have private tables. There is usually a long waiting line. If there is an open seat someone will likely get placed in it. So it isn’t the best environment to loiter and have a private conversation with friends.

Kebapci Huseyin (http://www.kebapcihuseyin.com/) – https://g.page/kebapcihuseyinusta – This is their only location and is run by Huseyin and his wife. Huseyin has been working in the industry since 1976. (pic: kebapci huseyin) He prepares the döner kebap with a mix of lamb and beef. According to his brochure, the döner will contain layers of ground meat (45%) and slabs of meat (55%). The butter they use is produced from their own mix of goat and cow milk. Some of the unique experiences at Huseyin’s restaurant are all complimentary extras they keep sending to the table. They often give sliced tomatoes, extra pide bread, a piece of fruit, juice or ayran and a small dessert. In addition, as you are trying to finish the meat on your plate often a waiter will come to give another dollop of yogurt and a bit more meat. After paying the bill, they also give you a 50ml bottle of water for the road.

Uludag Kebapcisi (http://www.uludagkebapcisi.com/) – https://goo.gl/maps/bAQkxH8vZWJFnxS28 – This restaurant has been in the same location since 1964 at what used to be the city’s main bus terminal but is now a large shopping mall. The founders have passed away but it continues to be run by their children and nephews. They call their product Uludag Kebab. Their website takes care to describe the sourcing of their food and describes their butter as a mix of 60% goat milk and 40% cow milk. [3] They use a mix of lamb and beef in their kebap and serve 110 grams of meat as a single portion. This restaurant was the only one of the four that poured the butter on the dish in the kitchen. The others make a point to add the boiling butter at the table in front of the customer.

These are all great restaurants and the taste of the Iskender and Bursa Kebap is terrific at all of them. My personal preference is Kebapci Huseyin because they make me feel like they are glad I came and are extending Turkish hospitality by sending extras to the table so that I can’t leave. If you know of an Iskender/Bursa Kebap place that is better than any of these four, please share the information in the comment section below. I will look forward to trying it out myself.

Sources:

[1] https://www.iskender.com/kebapci-iskender-tarihi/

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawarma#History

[3] http://www.uludagkebapcisi.com/sss

Iskender: Bursa’s Meat Treat

0 Comments

City of Artisans: Iznik Ceramics

Bursa’s Beginnings

Pond Hopping in Nilufer

Iskender: Bursa’s Meat Treat

Share this...

0 Comments

City of Artisans: Iznik Ceramics

Bursa’s Beginnings

Pond Hopping in Nilufer