As a background, I'm somewhat of a sandwich aficionado; specifically in the category of kebabs, I've eaten them in more than fifty countries and more than 100 shops in Paris. So when I read that there was a Chic Kebab Place I had to try!
There are two locations to choose from and the one on 41 rue de Londres is the closest. Upon entering you'll notice that it's different than a normal kebab shop in that it's nicely decorated, lighting is not set to a hospital level and it's very modern. Also, the people working behind the counter were very nice and helpful in making a selection.
For me I decided to go with the chicken sandwich called the Glamour Kebab, Sweet Potato Fries and a Beverage. I chose this because I was looking for the basic kebab, with a basic anything I believe you can see where the quality shines.
Interestingly, when I was ordering the employee behind the counter warned me that the chicken was pieces of chicken breast that would be reheated. I didn't have much concern because several Lebanese shops do the same thing.
After about 10 minutes of waiting (note there was no other orders being worked on so possible it could take a long time during lunch or dinner time). I received my sandwich. Immediately I tried the Sweet Potato Fries and while they tasted ok, the immediate problem was they seemed to be purely fried in oil, salted and bagged - this is not how you do sweet potato fries and as a result there was almost a vinegar aftertaste.
Onto the main course, the sandwich. From what I could make out, the tortilla I chose seemed to be homemade - but I'm not 100% sure. First bite though had me concerned. I had a piece of chicken and a mouthful of lettuce. Second, third and fourth bites I had a similar experience - a TON of lettuce, with a piece or two of chicken and that lettuce - that damn lettuce!
I made it about 60% through the sandwich and put it down. It's not that I couldn't have finished what I started but I honestly didn't have the desire. The chicken was bland, very bland. I read the website and they say they marinate the chicken and keep it under sous-vide and that there are flavors, I couldn't taste them (and I don't smoke). The lettuce was just pure filling and there was way too much of it. I would have preferred to have a choice of vegetables such as different lettuce types or tomatoes, onions, carrots, etc.... This is "Le Chic Kebab" after all!
Overall I'm giving this a 2-star rating and while I know they had a spit with meat on it that was lamb that could have tasted differently, you have to get them all done correctly.
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Finally, I had a bit of an epiphany while putting down my kebab and I thought what better place to share it than here. Note this is a general view on cuisine in Paris and is not related to the review (directly).
This restaurant as well as Miss Bahn Mi, Beast, Blend and a few other places are French people who have taken food done by other nationalities and Frenchified them. Meaning they've done them with a twist that they envision will appeal to the Paris public. In my opinion, which is just that, my opinion, they're failing.
In this case here, we have a kebab shop who's attempting to use only healthy ingredients which makes sense as I'm sure several people who frequent kebab shops know, quality varies greatly. The problem though is that in search of a kebab with fresh ingredients alone, they've sacrificed the soul of the product they're offering.
İskender Efendi created the kebab in northern Turkey in the 19th century. His interpretation varies from the majority of Turkish kebabs in Paris today and that's okay because when you got to any of the Turkish places, you typically get a sandwich that has heaps of flavor and provides the consumer choice on what they're getting (ingredients, sauces, etc..); such that this choice has become de rigeur.
Today, restaurants such these begin on the right path with noble ideas such a freshness and quality ingredients, bravo! But where they fall short, amazingly short, is that they forget that the market demands improvement on what they have today, not an owner's interpretation of what they feel we should have.
Again, this was just an opinion that I wanted to put out there and I hope the review above provides you some insight to the restaurant so you can make an informed decision. read more
