Tasty Chicken, Fish & Chips, Thrift Park, Mentone

Let this be a warning to those who choose to order kebabs from non-kebab shops.  Especially from Fish and Chip shops, particularly those run by Asians.  Although you don't normally see such good deals from Greeks.

Not A Kebab - Es Teler 77, Carlton.

Not a kebab.  Has anyone else noticed the correlation between snobby suburbs and a decrease in the availability of the kebab (and also an increase in the availability of Thai food despite an absence of actual Thai people).

Anyway, this is Indonesian in the CBD - how I miss you bakmie goreng!

Afgan Charcoal Kebab and Bakery, Dandenong

Address: 256 Thomas St, Dandenong, Australia

Feeling guilt about the prospect of leaving Dandenong without doing my bit to boost the local economy, and also a little hungry, I stopped at this Afgan Bakery.  Let's face it, how could you say no to a place with a name like "Afgan Charcoal Kebab and Bakery", even if it did have this misfortune of being located in Dandenong.  One presumes the location increases the likelihood of the store being operated by actual Afgans.  One selling point is the fact that you can park directly out the front, thus minimising the chance that teenage hoons will jack your car whilst in the restaurant.

The Afgan bakery seems to be three little shops, segmented but under common ownership.  The segment I popped into was the take-away section, a fish-and-chip-shop layout but with kebabs and kebab-meat-based fare, including some sort of yellow chicken with rice.  The menu suggested a return-visit would be worthwhile, as a number of dips and mince-beef dishes were also available in the restaurant section.

Unfortunately for me, being 4:30 in the afternoon, almost all that was left was pre-packaged leftovers from whatever had been in the bain-marie, and also pre-prepaired kebabs.  Buying anything that has been under a heat-lamp for an undisclosed amount of time is almost certainly a recipe for salmonella, but I was faced with the tough decision of chancing the kebab or angering an Afgan kebab-shop owner in Dandenong.  I choose the kebab.

And glad I am for that decision.  Pealing back the white paper revealed the tender, succulent chicken inside, soaked in a curry-style sauce, and encased in thick, crusty Turkish bread.  Despite having been sitting there presumably since lunch time, the bread was fresh and un-soggy, although he same can't be said for the salads, which were a bit on the mushy side.  The flavors were unlike a usual kebab, having a somewhat more spicy, curry-like aroma and a vague aniseed aftertaste.   Having parted with only $6.50, and with my car unmolested, I left Dandenong in high spirits and with a fully belly.

Size:  8
Meat: 7
Fillings: 6
Garlic Sauce: N/A
Value for Money: 8.5

Overall rating: 7.5 / 10

Verdict: Worth eating even whilst sober, which is lucky because who'd want to be in Dandenong after dark?