Chef Ulaman — Restaurant in Toronto

Ran into an ad on Instagram of a Turkish chef offering kokorec on Sunday in front of a Turkish supermarket. I'm a fan of this Turkish dish, so I thought I'd pay the place a visit. Despite the humble setting (outdoor wood fire BBQ with a few tables, chairs, and stools), it was an unforgettable experience on the first time, and we ended up coming again and again in the following Sundays.

The menu is small, and when they run out of meat, they run out (so don't come too late!). You've got to come inside Pristine supermarket to buy the food and come back out with the food tickets to give to the chef. Then you wait for the order to be prepared, while enjoying the sight and aroma of the lamb on the spit slowly rotating. Every dish is made to order, and you can customize the sandwich (bread vs wrap) as well as its toppings as you wish.

The cevapi came tender, flavourful, and in generous portion, making it the best value (we prefer having it as a wrap). The lamb kebab was amazing, the meat was seasoned to perfection, and made even my wife a fan (a high praise, considering that she's not usually fond of lamb). The kokorec sandwich (my original visit objective) was made primarily out of intestines, no other innards. The soft and chewy bread absorbed the wonderful flavour of the meat (if you can call it so). I would have it for lunch and pretend that I'm somewhere on the streets of Istanbul, enjoying this dish at its original habitat.

Chef Ulaman would be in front of Pristine supermarket every Sunday, weather permitting, even through winter. I'm always for supporting food businesses with true passion for their crafts, and I firmly believe that more people should come and enjoy one of the best good Turkish food...

Istanbul is one of my favourite food destinations due to its variety of options especially for street food. This place truly reminded me of my visits to Türkiye!

I love their chewy fluffy bread as well as their wrap! But what is most delicious is their grills of course! I found myself craving for their food and visited them three weeks in a row. They are only open on Sundays btw.

These hidden gem truly needs to get more exposure! They do also do catering and the owners are...