Melbourne Kebab Station

451 Sydney Rd 
Coburg, VIC 3058

Chris is my other half, I am sure of it. If I had said to anyone else that I wanted something eat-y for lunch, they probably would’ve given me a funny look and be done with me. But Chris understands me; when I say I want something eat-y, he nods sagely and agrees, before letting me pick out a restaurant that is sufficiently eat-y for my liking. And what exactly does eat-y mean? I couldn’t tell you if I tried, but I know that Melbourne Kebab Station fits the bill perfectly.

From the outside, Melbourne Kebab Station looks like every other Middle Eastern restaurant along Sydney Road – pictures on the windows, dips behind the glass, and meat revolving slowly on giant spits. But when you realize it’s the only restaurant packed to the rafters on a Saturday morning, the seats as valuable of a commodity as 24 carat gold, its reputation as one of Melbourne’s most highly regarded kebab shops becomes clear. 

Large Doner Meal ($21)

Eggplant/Cacik Dip

Chris talked me into getting the Large Doner Meal ($21) instead of the small, and it was a glorious mistake. Our backsides had barely hit the seats that we had so painstakingly captured before a massive plate of meat, salad, and rice was slapped onto the table, along with a couple of dips and a basket of fresh Turkish bread.

This plate is perfect for those of you who love kebabs and DIY in equal measure. We were given segments of pillowy Turkish bread with shells that crackled as we split it in two to stuff with a mixture of smoky meat, salad, and dips. There was not a single thing we could fault; the mixture of chicken and lamb off the spit was succulent and fatty, the juices soaking into a bed of fluffy rice. We had a cacik (tzatziki essentially) and an eggplant dip on the side, which were subtly creamy and tangy. The tabouli was also something; instead of wilted greens in half a cup of lemon juice, this was a sprightly mixture of coarsely chopped parsley – dazzlingly green – tossed with diced tomato and cucumber, and just enough lemon to keep the flavours vividly fresh. Even the Coke we got seemed to taste better than usual. 

After stuffing our faces, we still had a good third of the plate left, though admittedly we did eat way more of the fantastic Turkish bread than we should have. Like most places on Sydney Road, it may not be haute cuisine, but it’s bloody delicious and great value for money. Three people could feast on grilled meat, have some dessert if there’s still room, and still have change from a tenner – what more could you want?

Rating: 15/20 – the eat-y-est.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.

Tiba's Lebanese Restaurant

504 Sydney Rd
Brunswick, VIC

tibasrestaurant.com.au

What’s your favourite comfort food? I personally love digging into a plate of Japanese curry, a deep bowl of golden wedges, and as ashamed I am to admit it, the very, very occasional cup of two minute noodles. But cravings like that don’t happen often; most of the time when I’m stressed out, what I really want is a fresh, hearty and balanced meal. A traditional middle-eastern platter has a soft spot inside my heart for those occasions; all that flatbread, cool dip, crisp salad, and spit-roasted meat is just what the doctor ordered. 

Tiba’s Lebanese Restaurant has been on my radar for a while now, but this is my first time visiting. Up Chris’ end of town, it promises cheap and authentic feeds to hungry punters, but I’ve always been a bit iffy about the pricing. A set menu of $19.5pp, though inexpensive, is hardly my idea of cheap. Unless they mean the entire platter of mixed meat off the grill, salad, dips, pickles and pita is only $19.5 all up? Surely not!

But apparently that’s exactly what they meant! The Mixed Grill ($19.5) – boasting a selection of lamb and chicken shawarma, shish kafta, Lebanese sausage, lamb cutlet, as well as the standard sides of salad, tabouli, tzatziki, hommous, pickles, and flatbread – was incredible value for money. Just look at all that pita bread that was plonked unceremoniously on the table before we had even ordered – it was enough to fill up on with just a side of dip.

Along with the massive basket of pita bread (soft and mild and entirely packaged), we were given a small dish of baked pita chips as an appetiser. Despite expecting these to be bland and boring, they were actually incredibly moreish. Baked to a crisp, this rustic snack was rubbed with a lemon and dukkah mix that gave it a simultaneously sour and nutty taste that whetted the appetite brilliantly.

Mixed Grill ($19.5)

Mixed Grill ($19.5)

We were advised to order a platter each but holy cow the mixed grill was big. It was piled high with tender, smoky chicken and lamb off the spit, an herbed shish kafta, a fatty, slightly sour sausage, and a perfectly pink and juicy lamb cutlet. The meat sat on top of a bed of fluffy rice, the full grains deliciously flavoured with the juices imparted by the meat. The sides were also impeccable, the mixture of fresh, cool salads and dips making for a perfect foil to the richness of the meat. 

There really isn’t very much not to like about Tiba’s. The food is plentiful, hearty and incredible value; the venue is cosy and unpretentious, good for anything from rowdy family dinners to a quiet, casual date. And for all you vegetarians out there, Tiba’s apparently does a bang-up version of a vegetarian platter for a mere $14. So now that everyone is covered, head on over!

Rating: 15/20 – so delicious.