Four Turkish guys have opened a Shanghai branch of d’gene, a casual restaurant chain which has around 550 outlets in Turkey. Cem James Battaloglu, a British-born Turk, and his friends wanted a space where they could relax and sip Turkish tea. They connected with d’gene and won franchise rights to launch this Tianzifang shop, a cosy space with three floors including a glass-enclosed porch. d’gene are also opening a second Shanghai branch in Putuo on Caoyang Lu, although that one will be operated directly by the company.
These shops are not d’gene’s first China foray; the first branch was opened in Ningxia. All their meat is brought from that original Ningxia operation, where the animals are butchered according to Halal practices. While there’s now a small group of Turkish kebab spots in town (including similarly small kebab specialists Brothers Kebab on Changle Lu, near Fumin Lu), d’gene stands out for its affordability. The short menu includes a beef doner wrap (35RMB), chicken wrap (25RMB) and French fries for just 9RMB. Their lunch set of a wrap, a soda and fries goes for 50RMB. A small glass of Turkish tea, brewed fresh in their imported tea machine is 10RMB, while the thick Turkish coffee is 20RMB.
One of our favourite offerings is the thick yoghurt. It comes with cucumber sticks for 10RMB, or thinned down as a lightly salted yoghurt drink called aryan for 9RMB. The yoghurt is richer and creamier than some pricier imported Greek-style yoghurts sold in supermarkets in the city.
d’gene’s beef kebab meat is roasted on a gas-fired spit which Battaloglu says gives a superior char. He also says that the first 10-15 cuts of meat off of the roasted beef are the most delicious, so be sure to get there early.
For a real feast, there’s the Iskender, a big platter of roasted beef with a butter sauce poured on while still sizzling, served with yoghurt and bread (108-158RMB). Perhaps the best deal though is the roast chicken (50RMB/half, 100RMB/whole), which is slow-baked for four hours. They’re hoping to start delivery as well, which will surely heat up the roast chicken competition around town too.
By Crystyl Mo
