MELBOURNE | It must have been about this time last year that I first noticed Al Kababjii. I was driving along Sydney Road in Coburg one night, and saw a two food trucks set up next to a drive through coffee spot, with a few tables and chairs set up. The place was packed, and I was intrigued. I looked up the spot, and added Al Kababjii to my list. Every time I subsequently drove past, it was busy and calling my name.
There’s not much info out there about what Al Kababjii offers. Their Facebook page talks of ‘Shawarma, Kabab, and Brazilian BBQ’. The Instagram page, which hasn’t been updated in over seven years, solely mentions ‘Brazilian BBQ’. It was opened by Ahmed Haouchar, owner of nearby Lebanese bakery and grocery store, Al Alamy, who runs it with his family. On the online food ordering platforms, it’s listed as a ‘Lebanese Restaurant’.
When I visited, it was the coldest night in years in Melbourne, so the place didn’t look as busy as usual, although a steady stream of customers ordering takeaway and waiting in their cars were keeping things ticking along. The unmistakable smell of meat cooking over charcoal had me licking my lips as I walked to the front of the food truck.
On the menu, it’s lamb and chicken shawarma and skewers, halal snack packs, kofta wraps, and falafel.
I kept things simple. A mixed grill skewer pack (kofta, lamb, and chicken), served with Lebanese bread, salad, hummus, and toum; a kofta wrap; and a HSP with garlic and chilli sauce. Everything’s cooked to order, and if you want extra sauces, there’s a full array at the window.
Quality, tender meats, big charcoal flavour, and strong hits of lemon and garlic. The wrap, grilled on the outside, is spot on, and the HSP has just the right balance of ingredients as to not make you feel like you’ve committed too much of a sin by eating it. Wash it down with a bottle of salty, tangy, ayran, and you’re sorted.
Al Kababjii
598-608 Sydney Road
Coburg
Victoria 3058
Australia
Telephone: 0410 029 650
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Mon – Sun: 5:30pm to 2:30am