Late Night Döner Kebabs See the Light of Day at Kebaba


By Sophie Steiner


The Place 

Bringing Europe's favorite late-night street eats to Shanghai, Kebaba opened on Jinxian Lu earlier this year with a streamlined menu of build-your-own chicken döner kebab and Berliner kebab offerings.

Ideal for a moreishly messy lunch, snack, or late night eats, hungry patrons can choose their bread, fillings, sauce, and toppings – all for dine-in or delivery. 

Image by Sophie Steiner/That's

Hopping on the trend that has hit everywhere from Berlin to Copenhagen, from Paris to Granada, Shanghai is also no stranger to kebabs. 

Image by Sophie Steiner/That's

We've already got the likes of Brother's Kebab, Kebabs on the Grille, Eli Falafel, Efes, Turkuaz Doner, and more, so how does Kebaba stand out?

The Food 

First, it's the meat.

Image by Sophie Steiner/That's 

The brainchild of Frenchman Léon – a self-declared 'kebab addict' – the kebab's meticulous preparation and construction reveal his engineering background.

Image by Sophie Steiner/That's

For instance, he uses a smaller spit, reassembled multiple times daily with overnight-marinated and never frozen 100% chicken thigh meat to ensure guests are always receiving the juiciest cuts that haven't been spinning (and thus drying out) for hours.

It is a quality difference that is noted within the first succulent bite.

The marinade and meat-stacking spit technique was influenced by a famed (but closely-guarded secret) French-Turkish chef and 25-year kebab shop owner, who spent weeks training the team on the most curated kebab recipe. 

Image by Sophie Steiner/That's

Next, the tight menu (consisting of just two döner kebab options) makes for ease of ordering. There's...

The Classic

RMB33/cutie, RMB43/big

Image by Sophie Steiner/That's

The straightforward French street corner kebab with shaved chicken thigh, salad, tomato, red onions, and your choice of sauce (read on for details).

The Berliner

RMB 43/cutie, RMB53/big