Getting Our Culinary Passport Stamped at Doner G

Doner G Turkish and Mediterranean Grill

3800 Barranca Parkway Suite N

Irvine, CA 92606

When we were invited to a media tasting at Doner G, I asked almost everyone I ran into before it if they had ever had Turkish food. Out of the twenty or so people I had asked, none of them had said yes. This is not surprising since only 9 restaurants in OC appear Turkish on Urbanspoon, and Yelp yields about the same results. Most people could not point out Turkey on a map unless they jokingly pointed to Washington, DC, which is full of turkeys.

Anyways, one man is trying to introduce Turkish food to the people of OC. That man is the very personable Yalcin Aslan, owner of Doner G. Yalcin has recently opened up his second location of Doner G (his first is in Anaheim). Yalcin's family has been in the restaurant business for over 25 years, and he has opened up Doner G to showcase Turkey's unique culture and delicious food. Turkey is a unique country because it separates Europe from Asia. With its proximity to the Middle East, Turkish food has a different flavor profile from any other food.

At first glance at the menu, most Americans will see exotic-sounding items that do not register with anything they have eaten before. But look a little harder; you will see many similarities to the more popular Greek cuisine. They have gyros-like sandwiches, which they call doner kebab sandwiches. There's also the popular Middle Eastern staple, the falafel. The menu is separated into plates, sandwiches, salads, and sides.

Doner G's location is in the busy Crossroads Shopping Center in Irvine, anchored by Target, Stonefire Grill, and Creamistry. This is an order at the counter place, and then the food is brought out to you. During our visit, there was a steady stream of customers, so people have found out about this place since it opened in September. The customers demographic was interesting. There was a good cross-section of all people, proving that the doner kebab is everywhere, as is stated on their wall, which names cities with a strong doner kebab presence. We sat and talked for a while, but then the food started leaving the open kitchen. Let's see how we liked our first foray into Turkish food.

Starting things off were the Dolmas ($2.99 for four pieces). These are grape leaves stuffed with rice, parsley, onions, and herbs sprinkled with olive oil and lemon juice. I had a bad experience as a kid with stuffed grape leaves at a Greek restaurant once, and this was my first time having them again here. This version was much better. The rice was very tender, and the flavors created an earthy vibe. It's not overpowering, but just enough flavor to not overwhelm the taste buds. Glad I could overcome my grape leaves phobia here at Doner G.

A little more in the comfort zone of most Americans is Hummus ($3.49). You can find hummus on grocery store shelves and in many Mediterranean restaurants nationwide. The hummus here is served with fresh pita bread, and drizzled with olive oil. Very smooth but still with enough texture. The natural flavor of the mashed-up chickpeas really came through here. A little more exotic but just as delicious was the Baba Ghanoush ($3.49). This had more denseness to it than the humus. Made up of roasted eggplant mixed with garlic, lemon juice, and tahini sauce, this is sprinkled with sumac and olive oil. I liked this better than the hummus. It had a big pop of flavor, and I definitely got more of a garlic feel with this. If you're feeling more adventurous than hummus, I recommend this baba ghanoush.

Salads are not to be overlooked at Doner G. We got to try the Fettush Salad ($5.49), which consists of romaine lettuce, red onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes and is dressed in an unusual combination of lemon juice, vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. I am usually more of a creamy dressing kind of guy, but this had a nice lemony flavor, which really showcased the freshness of the produce that they use here. Katie ended up being very happy with this salad.

Now, I was waiting for this: to bring on the protein. The Doner G Grill ($16.99) covers all the meats on their menu. This fed four of us easily. The meats here are Chicken and Beef Kebab (tender meats seasoned with special herbs and spices cooked on a vertical broiler), Chicken and Beef Shish Kebab (boneless meats, marinated and then grilled), and lastly, Adana Kebab (ground lamb which is seasoned and grilled). All the meats were very tender and flavorful, but my favorite was the lamb. A great taste to it, without being too gamey like a lamb can sometimes be. It was more like a tender meatloaf with significant flavor. The meats went very well with the sauces at Doner G. I would liken their Doner G sauce to a Turkish Thousand Island. It's a combo of mayonnaise, ketchup, mystery herbs, and spices. It was less thick than expected but added a lot to the meats here. The Jajik sauce is a subtler sauce, made of cucumbers, yogurt, garlic and mint. It reminded me more of a Middle Eastern sauce. A little too mild for me, but this was Katie's favorite.

I usually shy away from vegetables, but these Falafel ($3.49 for four pieces) were fried, so since they were fried vegetables, I made an exception. They were made of a mix of green vegetables and chick peas, then served with the jajik sauce. They were not too greasy, but I liked mine with the Doner G sauce instead of the jajik.

I had no idea, but the Turkish have their own version of Baklava ($2.99 for two pieces). This version is much less sweet than the Greek version and is dusted generously with bits of pistachio. I liked that this was not as rich either because that allowed me to have two pieces.

After having our first Turkish food experience at Doner G, I think Yalcin will achieve his goal of bringing Turkish food to many of OC's people. Everything we had was good, with flavor profiles that were new to us, but it provided a great dining experience. The food differs slightly from Greek food, so if you are a fan of Greek food, you will like what Doner G offers. We for sure will be back often. Thanks to Yalcin for the invitation to try his restaurant. We enjoyed meeting you, enjoying your food, and seeing your passion for Turkey.

For more information about Doner G, go to their website here: http://www.donerg.com/