I have a soft spot for "street food" - a small grille or a kiosk that serves up a fried speciality…read more The Johannes Grill and Kiosk helped me to indulge in my guiltiest of guilty street-food pleasures: Kebab. On a recent trip to Uppsala, I stayed at a hotel very near the kiosk. When I passed it on my walk to check into the hotel, I was skeptical of the place. However, hungry and tired, I decided to stop in and see what was on the menu. When I spied "Kebab," I decided to plunge in.
I can only speak for one of the dishes they serve under their Kebab offerings: Kebab Tallik. Thin slices of meat are then fried lightly on a large open metal grill. French fries are piled into my take-away container, along with crisp lettuce and a slice of tomato. A hot pepper garnishes on the side. The sliced meat, hot and juicy and tender, is piled on top of the fries. I have my choice of red sauce or white sauce; I am a sucker for the yogurt-based sauces, so I go white.
The large portion is daunting. But if you do your fork technique right and skewer a cross-section of meat, fries, and vegetables, you get this fried crisp juicy burst of flavor in your mouth, topped with a semi-sweet and creamy yogurt sauce. I was not disappointed by subsequent bites. Pair this with a Coke, and you're in street food heaven.
The cook and owner of the kiosk is friendly. He and I had no trouble communicating, despite my lack of knowledge of Swedish. He accommodated my English with a smile and patience, which I appreciated.
Is this a sit-down meal you can savor for hours over erudite conversation? No. If you want that, go elsewhere. But, if you want tasty Kebab in the best European street-food tradition, I recommend a stop at the Johannes Grill and Kiosk.
