K&W vs Hisar - my verdict

[Louisa]

Well for what it's worth, here is a genuine review from me. As you know I've gone in K&W for years now for my kebab fix and it's always been my take away of choice locally. I had seen some notable regulars point me towards Hisar for better quality and tastier food, so I finally gave in and tried it last week.

The service was very good, staff seemed to be training up someone new when I was being served in the take away, and they were very helpful. Didn't have to wait too long. I sat down and kept my eye peeled on where they kept the salad, and that wasn't impressive. Chopped up salad, no tomato, onion, pickled cabbage, cucumber - just a strange diced up mix kept in a large container inside the counter fridge. Wasn't given the option of how I wanted my kebab, as they wrapped the meat and bread separately from all the sauces and salad, which isn't my style. Creates more work?, but I get how some people may like this. Also ordered chips, which were tasty and fresh but no offer of salt and vinegar.

Got it all home, unpacked it and sort of made my own kebab pretty much. The lamb kebab (sort of similar to a lamb doner) was good quality nicely cooked meat but it didn't seem to have much flavour in terms of spice or seasoning. Something was lacking for me. The salad was, as expected quite bland and didn't contribute anything to the kebab. The chips were delicious, once I had added my own salt and vinegar. The yogurt wasn't my sort of thing so left that, and the chilli sauce was actually very tasty indeed.

Overall verdict. 5/10. Good customer service, nice chips, good quality kebab meat (under seasoned though) poor quality salad. Also, not a fan of the way the food is packaged. Takes away the fun of eating a kebab. Price wise, about average but I felt for the quality of the experience probably a little overpriced for me personally. But the ingredients were clearly good quality.

Will I be ditching K&W? Definitely not. Prefer the style of the kebab and also the quality of the salad, and the presentation. This first visit has not won me over at all, but I may try it again sometime, maybe. But it's all horses for courses, whichever kebab floats your boat, enjoy!

Louisa.

[DulwichFox]

K&W has definitely taken a nose dive.. Factory made Doner. Watery Chilli sauce. Salad Good fresh.

Hisar Mangal Meat quality Very Good. Salad is Dreadful.. Always poor. I have sat in (the t/a place)

Same poor salad with a nasty dressing that I cannot work out what it is. ? Strong Lemon taste.

I always get ask for Every thin separate. I don't want hot salad. Chilli sauce in a tiny pot.

They always give one pot of Chilli sauce and another pot of Yogurt ??

They want swop the Yogurt for a second Chilli pot.

Haven't been to main Hisar for a long time. Prices have more than doubled over the last few years.

Foxy

[mrwb]

I use hisar or Sams on bellenden regularly for Lunch.K&W always closed mid week?

Both very good. Large Shish in sams is ?8, Similar to hisar which is 9.95 shish and chips takeaway.

The meat is better in Hisar and I personally prefer them letting me make it myself at home. Salad options in sams slightly better. The guys is Sams are very friendly though and they remember all the regs orders.

Both an 8 or 9 /10 for me.

[holloway]

Mixed kebab from Hisar every time for me. i think it's ace, perfectly seasoned and I prefer the three sauces in the little pots. Really nice restaurant and friendly staff.

[Robert Poste's Child]

How about the one up near the library, can't remember the name, sorry.

[Loz]

A kebab, Lou?

Isn't that a posh meat and salad sandwich?? :))

[jacks09]

Beyti in Hisar is just incredible.

[BrandNewGuy]

Actually I think the first part of this thread's title should be K&V. The first bit of the W on their sign has fallen off. Either that or they think Kebab and Vine sounds so much more hipster. Which it does.

[KidKruger]

Agreed. 'Vine' is sooo now, right now.

[ruffers]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

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> How about the one up near the library, can't

> remember the name, sorry.

Hanush.

[Seabag]

Hisar is pony, not all of it but the gunk they serve as Taramasalata is shocking.

And by trying to fob you off with something that's knowingly horrible is telling, added to that thier hummus is just as bad. It's the cheap stuff that comes in 10 litre buckets. I'm not opposed to buckets it's the cheap nasty stuff inside.

I wonder why you'd do that as a business, it's plain nasty and put me off of the good bit, which is the grilled lamb & chicken on a skewer.

But as Lou said, the chilli sauce is good.

[edcam]

Worth making the trip to Camberwell for FM Mangal, which is fantastic.

[DulwichFox]

I tried FM Mangal last year..

Waited ages to get Menu. Was given some Fried Onion dish which was VERY salty and cold.

Pita bread was Cold greasy and again Salty.

Opted for Lamb Iskender. Meat was gristly / bony.

I lost a filling eating my food.

I was sat up stairs, no other customers in the restaurant.

3 -4 Turkish guys arguing loudly Shouting over Business issue.

Bad experience. never been back and never will go back.

Worst Turkish ?? food ever.

Possible worst restaurant ever.

Have been travelling to Turkey for 25 - 30 years. Speak more than a little Turkish.

Certainly more than the staff do there.

Avoid at all cost.

DulwichFox

[edcam]

Dulwich Fox - if you think that's a bad restaurant you really are a worry. It's the best Turkish restaurant in South London and none of what you describe above relates in any way to the food in FM Mangal. Edited to add - I've also been to Turkey many times, which is somewhat irrelevant in this discussion.

[JohnL]

What about the one on Rye Lane - Flamin Mangal (must be linked)

[edcam]

I don't think so. Mangal is a middle eastern word for barbecue, so pretty common among the names of similar businesses.

JohnL Wrote:

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> What about the one on Rye Lane - Flamin Mangal

> (must be linked)

[binkylilyput]

FM Mangal certainly the best I have tried in SE London (obviously there are other areas of London better known for Turkish restaurants- Green Lanes)- has widespread great reviews too.

The "pita" bread and fried onion dish mentioned is, I assume, the complementary Turkish spiced pide bread which has been toasted on the mangal and served with the charred onion dipping sauce.....I could happily fill myself on this it is so tasty. I love the little cup of hot tea they give while you wait for take-away too.

Not loving the sound of K&W or Hisar on Lordship from the descriptions on here......they sound a bit more British Kebab than FM Mangal where I get great meat and fish dishes and fresh salads

[edcam]

Yes, the side bread and onion dish are like crack. I haven't been to K&W for years, so can't give an opinion of recent offerings but they were always bog standard British kebab when I went there regularly in my younger days. Hisar were way ahead of them when they opened but once we discovered FM Mangal I'm afraid we never went back to Hisar (although they were the best in ED at the time and probably still are.)

binkylilyput Wrote:

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> FM Mangal certainly the best I have tried in SE

> London (obviously there are other areas of London

> better known for Turkish restaurants- Green

> Lanes)- has widespread great reviews too.

>

> The "pita" bread and fried onion dish mentioned

> is, I assume, the complementary Turkish spiced

> pide bread which has been toasted on the mangal

> and served with the charred onion dipping

> sauce.....I could happily fill myself on this it

> is so tasty. I love the little cup of hot tea they

> give while you wait for take-away too.

>

> Not loving the sound of K&W or Hisar on Lordship

> from the descriptions on here......they sound a

> bit more British Kebab than FM Mangal where I get

> great meat and fish dishes and fresh salads

[Sue]

Seabag Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hisar is pony, not all of it but the gunk they

> serve as Taramasalata is shocking.

>

> And by trying to fob you off with something that's

> knowingly horrible is telling, added to that thier

> hummus is just as bad. It's the cheap stuff that

> comes in 10 litre buckets. I'm not opposed to

> buckets it's the cheap nasty stuff inside.

> I wonder why you'd do that as a business, it's

> plain nasty and put me off of the good bit, which

> is the grilled lamb & chicken on a skewer.

>

> But as Lou said, the chilli sauce is good.

I agree.

Something changed a few years back, I don't know whether there was a change of management or something, and they started serving up truly cheap and horrible taramasalata etc..

Their lamb shish was OK last time I had it - better than Kebab and Stab, anyway - but I'd think twice before ordering anything else there now.

And last time I had a shish from K and S they seemed to have drastically reduced the amount of meat in it.

[DulwichFox]

Good Turkish food in South London Bromley ?? is Havet.

Open Kitchen with lots of Flames.

DulwichFox

[Seabag]

FM Mangal is way way too salty, stopped me going there anymore. It's shame.

Lavante in Lewisham is fun.

[Louisa]

Heard lots of positive things about Flamin Mangal on Rye Lane. My highest expectation is always for the quality of the salad, it means a lot to me. More so than the meat. The chilli sauce is also important.

Louisa.

[Sue]

I eat my words about Kebab and "Vine".

Had a fantastic lamb shish there on Saturday night.

Loads of tasty tender meat, especially considering it was a "small" one, and good fresh salad.

My only gripe was the weird chilli sauce, which was sort of lumpy.

[fishbiscuits]

Flamin Mangal is acceptable. Shish is a similar standard to Hizar I suppose. Only ever got takeaway though, the gaudy d?cor would put me off my food (I don't usually care about that kind of thing, but this place is something else).

Don't really understand the criticism of FM Mangal. It's not quite the gourmet experience some make it out to be, but the food is good. But I guess these places can be inconsistent and have bad days..

[Seabag]

fishbiscuits Wrote:

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> Don't really understand the criticism of FM

> Mangal. It's not quite the gourmet experience some

> make it out to be, but the food is good. But I

> guess these places can be inconsistent and have

> bad days..

Nope, it's been consistently salty every time I've been there.