NO COOKING TODAY

Mr. Chops and I were in the mood for something bold but satisfying. So we went to Turkuaz, at 4 Cornmarket Row, Limerick city. Now I'm not a fan of doner kebabs, I'm not a fan of lamb but Mr. Chops says these are the best kebabs he has ever eaten. I spent 10 years or so listening to him going on about this place in Tralee being amazing; that was until a couple of months ago. A trip to Kerry Airport coincided with a trip to the Tralee kebabery place and poor auld Mr. Chops came home pretty much with his tail between his legs.

'Guess what?' He said to me, before even saying hello.
'Ya,' I said, 'what's up with you now?'
'Turkuaz is the best kebab I've ever had.' It seems the Tralee dream was finally over. He said it so sadly, it was like he'd found out about Santa.

But that was then and today we had Turkuaz. I had the Chicken Shish Kebab meal which comes with chargrilled chicken, usual salad, Turkish flat bread (not generic pitta), garlic sauce and hot chilli sauce; when I say hot I mean temperature hot as well as chilli hot. You also get chips which I have to say are probably some of the nicest chips in town. They are not too skinny but they are always freshly fried. The flat bread is cooked in house and if the blurb on the wall is anything to believe so are the meats and I believe they are. Mr. Chops says the doner meat is well...real meat!!!! I believe other kebab houses use those compressed lamb thingies that come off in long ribbons. What I can say is that the chicken is always juicy, has a lovely barbequed flavour and is completely delicious.

They serve the gamut of Turkish food. Kebabs, pides, lahmacuns (sp?), hummus, salads and pizzas. They even do various burgers. Personally, I'd stick to the kebabs. I had the Shepherd's salad one time and my God the feta in it was delicious. It was just a salad I know but there was loads of flat-leaf parsley in it and flat leaf is gorgeous with feta.

So yes, I can definitely recommend Turkuaz. Ignore the basic seating and the fact it does takeaway (which for some is a mark down), it is actually a little jewel in Limerick's culinary crown and the chicken shish kebab is actually really healthy so there!!!