Who Has Good Donair?

[BBQ Brian]

I could of added a comment to the burger thread... nope won't work. Coulda added one in the burb thread... nope, won't work there either...

I had a wonderful donair at a place behind the 7-11 on Guilford and Landsowne in Coquitlam - called Sultans. Offers lamb, beef or chicken as well as a few additional "complements" for those on the non-carnivore diet. The family run shop dilligently opens the pita pocket, dresses with the toppings, adds your meat and slides it all into the pocket... sauces and all. Wonderful flavor, good value-for-money and a definate repeatable. I'll try to get a pic on the next trip, which I'm sure won't be too long.

What's in your donair and where is it?

Brian

www.houseofq.com

[choux]

The Greek place at Lonsdale Quay. George's, I think. Warm toasty pita with lamb or beef, lettuce, tomato, onion and the best tziziki anywhere. Spicy sauce in there too. Oh God I'm drooling. As an aftereffect, if you have a Pepsi with it, you get the absolute best tasting burps!!!

[kurtisk]

There's a new donair place on Broadway by Cru where Velvet used to be. Anyone been?

[Vancouver Lee]

I walked by the donair place beside Cru on the weekend, and had my usual reaction:

Yuck.

There's just something about deathly grey meat on a stick that makes my throat close up tighter than a......well, tightly.

Can someone help me understand why the meat has to be stuck vertically on a stick? And isn't good meat supposed to be pink or a nicely charred brown or black? What's with the awful grey colour?

I've had donair a few times on the Danforth in Toronto (in Greektown, at a place where it's supposed to be awesome) and it didn't do much for me. But I'm willing to give it another go at one of Vancouver's better places. Just someone please help me understand why donair places try to make it look as unattractive as possible...

[3WholeCardamoms]

  Just someone please help me understand why donair places try to make it look as unattractive as possible...

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you mean attractive like whole pigs with an apple or somethin in the mouth?

i kinda hear you,

but i kinda don't. all that slow cooking juice, gently cascading down down...

i'm no donair specialist but the one on robson (at granville) was pretty tasty the other day.

[3WholeCardamoms]

evidently i'm stupid.

i had a chickenshawarma the other day. sorry.

so, the question remains, where's the good donair at?

[BBQ Brian]

I love the burp comment - nothing like garlic, onion and a good soda pop belching. Nothing says "that was good" like that!

Anyone venture to Sammy's at the corner of Denman and Robson. I've eaten there once or twice however, never had the donairs yet...?

Brian

Houseofq.com

[drinkingchef]

i'm no donair specialist but the one on robson (at granville) was pretty tasty the other day

evidently i'm stupid.

i had a chickenshawarma the other day. sorry.

I love that place. They have the BEST shawarmas. Its called Pita Wrap Cafe. As for Donairs, I'd rather have a shawarma

[chocomoo]

Looks like this thread is heading the way of shawarmas. Another really good place is Gourmet Grill, in the cave they call a food court under the Scotia Tower. You can access it by going through the bottom floor of London Drugs or from Pacific Centre. Can't remember how much the shawarma wrap is now, but... I think $3.82? Or maybe it's $5 something. It comes with soup/salad/fries too! Moist roast chicken, tasty sauce (it's not tzatziki though).

[radbertus]

I'll second George's in Lonsdale Quay. He use to put on a big show of making them with all sorts of yelling and hollering, shocked the tourists, though some stayed and watched. I haven’t seen him there in a while though, he may have retired.

[choux]

I'm not sure if it is George or not, but the older guy definitely makes them better than the lady. Hers are still good, but he has some special touch. Maybe I can taste the love. I sense a trip to the city coming soon!!!

[Ling]

There's a donair place on S. Granville...I think it's in the same complex as Mr. Pickwick's (but I could be wrong). Has anyone tried that place?

[BCinBC]

Hey Ling - I have, in an emergency situation. It did make me less hungry, but I don't recall anything special. Nowadays I'd choose a sandwich from Koni over the other options.

[BBQ Brian]

On a spontaneous venture, we went to Sammy's yesterday (Robson and Denman) and ordered a chicken shawarma. It was a tasty lunch but didn't hit the craving I had like that for a Sultans donair.

Since I am not clear on the differences between a shawarma, gyro or donair... here's my attempt at clearing at least two of the three.

Sammy's, like others, serves shawarma on a flat bread that is "toasted" (grilled, steamed or at a minimum, heated) with the toppings (meat, lettuce, sauces) rolled holding all the stuff inside. The meat was cut off of a vertical skewer that rotates while being heated/cooked from a vertical heating element.

The donair I mentioned earlier, at Sultans, was a pita pocket torn open, stuffed with all the ingredients and then wrapped up and "sealed" so that all the stuff is inside the bread.

So along that line, is a gyro the same as a donair? And are other shawarma's like the one I described from Sammy's - a flat bread type of roll?

Brian

houseofq.com