Kebaps reign supreme in Turkish cuisine with almost every part of Anatolia (east of Istanbul) having its own kebap specialty. Lamb is the basic meat of Turkish kitchen. Pieces of lamb threaded on a skewer and grilled over charcoal form the famous “Sis kebab”, now known in many countries of the world. “Doner kebab” is another famous Turkish dish, which consists of a large roll of lamb placed on a vertical skewer turning parallel to a hot grill. The word doner means “turning” in Turkish, which is what the meat does as it grills. There are many other lamb and minced meat dishes that make up the variety of Turkish meals.

But not matter how good the recipe is, how ancient the technique, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have quality meat. This is the secret to Harem Istanbul Cafe & Restaurant, with a former chef at the helm, he knows how important meat quality is, which is why he handpicks the lamb, beef and chicken each day from a local butcher, taking the extra care to ensure that your dish is going to be the best that Istanbul has to offer.

Here’s an inside view from the kitchen on a typical night at Harem.