What’s on offer?
At Chiya, the new Berlin-style kebab restaurant and takeaway, layers of thinly sliced meat, which have been marinated for 24 hours, are stacked on vertical rotisserie spits, interspersed with slowly rendering layers of fat, which keep it from drying out while the outside chars. At the counter, sauces and shredded vegetables are on display, ready to be loaded into the kebabs.
Chiya, which opened on November 14th, is owned by Aylin Aydin, Isa Kaya, and Ali Aydin, the family behind Reyna, a well-regarded Turkish kebab shop farther down the road on Dame Street. With more than 20 years of combined experience, they bring their expertise to this new venture. Aylin, who oversees operations seven days a week while studying botanical cuisine at Technological University Dublin, sees the Berlin kebab as both a culinary staple and a nod to Turkish immigrants who popularised it in Germany. Their goal is to offer a modern take on this classic in Dublin.
A backlit menu on the wall offers plenty of choice: four types of Berlin-style döner – meat (chicken, beef or mixed), zucchini, halloumi and veggie – along with three bowl options and a build-your-own bowl choice.
The bread, essential to the Berlin kebab, is more substantial than standard pita. Sourced from their family bakery in Germany, it is toasted to create a crispy exterior and soft interior before being opened into a cone for filling. Several trials with their bakers ensured the recipe was just right.
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What did we order?
A beef pitta, halloumi pitta, borek and baklava.
How was the service?
You order from the counter and your meal is ready for collection when your name is called.
Was the food nice?
These are top-tier döner kebabs, and it is impossible to say which one I preferred. The beef was deliciously charred yet succulent and piled generously into the kebab with spicy sauces and crunchy shredded cabbage, tomatoes, onions and pickled chillies. The halloumi, golden on the outside and soft inside, was filled with a similar loading of vegetables. The borek was a huge portion, but fairly standard. The baklava, which is made at the family bakery in Germany, was crunchy and not overly sweet.
What about the packaging?
The kebabs are wrapped in foil, which is not recyclable, and the baklava and borek are packed in round cardboard containers with plastic lids – recyclable if clean, but the plastic lids are not ideal.
What did it cost?
€30.80 for lunch for two people: beef pitta, €9.90; halloumi pitta, €9.90; borek, €5.50; and baklava, €5.50.
Where does it deliver?
Takeaway and delivery via Deliveroo, 8km radius; open Sun-Thur, 12pm-12am; and Fri-Sat, 12pm-1am.
Would I order it again?
Definitely, these are amazing kebabs.
