True-blue Turkish hawker single-handedly serves wonderful kebabs & butter rice in Serangoon

Serangoon Backyard Market & Meals Centre is full of yummy hawker stalls, however there was one particularly that has stood out to me for a very long time. Zuzu Kebab, with its vibrant blue signboard and snaking queues, is a Muslim-owned Turkish hawker stall that provides genuine Center-Jap meals similar to kebabs, burritos, butter rice and a lot extra.

There are a few the explanation why Zuzu Kebab impressed me from the get-go. 

All its orders are made recent on the spot, and your entire stall is single-handedly manned by a true-blue Turkish chef, who tirelessly juggles between taking orders, slicing freshly cooked meat from the vertical rotisserie in true shawarma-style, chopping greens, getting ready orders, and serving them as much as ready prospects. 

I imply, it’s already onerous sufficient to run a stall in a bustling hawker centre similar to Serangoon Backyard Market & Meals Centre, not to mention do it single-handedly. 

And for a one-man present, its menu is kind of in depth, providing pita bread, baked pasta and rice, moussaka, babaganoush, falafel, kunefe and even beyti, a conventional Turkish kebab made with floor meat wrapped in a pastry!

Due to the restricted manpower, Zuzu Kebab is well-known for its lengthy queues and ready instances. Throughout time for dinner or on weekends, ready instances are mentioned to common out to about an hour!

I made a decision to strive my luck on a weekday and dropped by for lunch. With solely 4 individuals in entrance of me, I counted myself lucky and patiently waited for my meals.

It’s price noting that your entire means of queuing, ordering and ready on your meals is a little bit of an organised mess. The hardworking Turkish chef takes two to 3 orders at one time, and after inserting your order, you’re requested to attend by the aspect. No buzzer or queue quantity is given, however the stall proprietor recognises every buyer and indicators that their meals is prepared with a hoop of a bell.

What I attempted at Zuzu Kebab

I obtained the Kebab Wrap with Rooster (S$8), and was immediately surprised by how hefty it was. 

This was one stuffed child, stuffed to the brim with freshly shaved grilled rooster, crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, crunchy onions, and a wide range of home made sauces. Topping it off was a toasted tortilla, and I couldn’t wait to dig in.

Okay, however how do I even start devouring Zuzu Kebab’s spectacular kebab? The exterior paper-like sheet caught to the tortilla pores and skin, making it troublesome to take away. After a lot manoeuvring, I ended up making a small tear and labored my method across the kebab, chew by chew.

If there’s one factor you should strive at Zuzu Kebab, that is it. 

Every chew was a literal burst of flavour, with mouthwatering juices coming from the grilled rooster, tomatoes, lettuce and accompanying sauces. The hero, in fact, had been the insanely beneficiant juicy chunks of rooster, full with addictive charred bits, that made the kebab so scrumptious that I couldn’t put it down. Every part got here collectively in a hearty and delicious method that rendered me wordless for a minute or two. 

Simply primarily based on the quantity of elements that the Turkish chef had packed into the kebab, it was a surprise that he even managed to efficiently wrap all of it within the first place. Zuzu Kebab has formally spoiled kebabs for me (no extra pasar malam or business kebabs!), and this was fully well worth the S$8 price ticket.

Out of the opposite dishes on Zuzu Kebab’s menu, the Asian in me determined to order one rice-based merchandise— Butter Rice with Beef (S$10).

The hefty beef slices shaped a small mountain and coated the butter rice, a lot in order that I might solely see peeks of the rice from beneath. It got here with freshly chopped greens and a mint yoghurt sauce.

The rice was gentle and fluffy, with an excellent quantity of different elements similar to corn, carrots and peas. I cherished it that the inclusion of butter made every spoonful of rice all of the extra moist and indulgent.

Given how thinly that they had been sliced, I used to be anxious that the meat slices could be too dry, however they had been surprisingly juicy and flavourful. Some items had been certainly drier than others, however I attributed it to their reduce, and paired it with the buttered rice for that indulgent end.

One factor I really appreciated about Zuzu Kebab’s salad was how refreshing it was. The recent bites of lettuce and juicy bits of tomato actually helped to steadiness out the savouriness from the meat slices. Plus, the addition of sliced olives added that umami and savoury observe to tie your entire meal collectively.

Along with the deliciously savoury and buttery rice, this made for a dish that I couldn’t put down. Actually. I discovered myself holding onto my plastic spoon, digging into my subsequent spoonful of butter rice and thinly sliced beef, reluctant to place the spoon down, even when it had been to return to the Rooster Kebab. Contemplate me formally bought. 

Closing ideas

The meals at Zuzu Kebab was well worth the wait. 

I completely cherished the hefty Rooster Kebab Wrap and would undoubtedly return for this, even when I wasn’t within the Serangoon space. As for the Beef Butter Rice, regardless of the slight dryness from the occasional beef slice, I completely loved the silky butteriness of the fluffy rice, and completely appreciated how well-rounded every chew was, particularly when coupled with the recent and crunchy salad.

This was exceptionally phenomenal when contemplating that the Turkish chef at Zuzu Kebab dealt with all of this by himself, and at peak hour too! 

No matter whether or not there’s a humongous queue or not, I stay up for returning to strive Zuzu Kebab’s different dishes (I had been eyeing the Hummus (S$9) however merely didn’t have the abdomen area for it), be it with a eating companion or two.

Anticipated injury: S$8 – S$15 per pax

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