KEBABS are one of the most maligned foods in Britain.

Forever associated with a night out, they've gained an unwanted reputation amongst many Brits.

Personally I don't understand why.

Alright, I admit it, I've had a fair few of my kebab experiences whilst under the influence.

But I'm still a big fan and you could say I know Colchester's kebab joints like the back of my hand.

Sadly, as I have grown older my kebab experiences have become less and less frequent.

Now, however, there is a new reason to return to Colchester's kebab scene.

The opening of German Doner Kebab, in High Street, has created a much excitement in the town, as well as 40 new jobs.

Priding itself on the freshness of its products, the chain is one of the fastest growing food businesses in the world.

I am a little uneasy about the word gourmet being used to describe a doner kebab, but that's how the firm describes its offering.

I headed down this week to try the new restaurant for the first time.

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Here is what I thought:

The food

Gazette:

There was only one choice I could ever make for what to order.

I chose the Original Doner Kebab, mixed meat of course.

To go with I picked the flaming fries, or chips, along with a diet Coke, which obviously there's no need to review.

It did come in a glass bottle, however, which is obviously the best way to enjoy one.

Alongside my meal I had GDK's three famous sauces - garlic, spicy and yoghurt - both inside the kebab and as dipping sauces for the chips.

The wait was a little longer than you'd expect in some competitors joints but my food still arrived soon enough to be classed as fast food.

The chips (we're not American so I won't call them fries) are where everyone tends to start and I'm no different.

These were well covered with the flaming seasoning, which you can ask for more of, and a good start to the meal.

I wouldn't describe them as flaming but they had a kick.

I'm a Madras man so I'm no stranger to spicy food so they may be a bit more "flaming" to those who are used to a Korma.

Overall I was impressed, a nice side to the main event.

On their own good, but with the dipping sauces, much better.

I was a fan of all three but the star of the show for me is the garlic.

Garlic sauces are everywhere now of days but this was much better than anything I can remember having at any other fast food restaurant.

The spicy sauce, a staple of kebab shops up and down the country, was also tasty if a little cooler than some of the ones you'll get elsewhere.

The yoghurt was my least favourite of the three, but still perfectly pleasant and went well with the chips.

Now we come to the famous German Doner Kebab.

Mine was absolutely packed with meat, no half measures here.

It also comes with a mix of the three famous sauces as well as fresh salad.

I have to say I was seriously impressed.

What sets it apart from your standard kebab shop fare is the bread.

It feels and tastes different and holds everything together very nicely.

The mix of sauce, meat and carbs was genuinely delicious - for a kebab fan like me it was far better than a beef burger.

All in all it felt a bit cleaner than your usual Saturday night fare.

I manage to eat it without getting any spillage on my shirt too.

Value

Gazette:

The classic German Doner Kebab was £5.99, the flaming fries £1.99 and the diet Coke £1.49.

This totals £9.47 - a good bit more than your standard fast food meal.

What I will say though is it was a substantial amount of food, more than enough for a lunch.

After eating the meal I didn't need any dinner.

There's plenty of different options available too for those who don't want to splash out including doner bugers, doner quesadillas, doner spring rolls and much more.

Verdict

Gazette:

In a way this was preaching to the converted, I'm a big advocate for the wellbeing benefits of a good kebab.

Even still I was very impressed.

I have already recommended it to my friends and I will be returning.

It may just be my new go-to fast food joint in Colchester.

It remains to be seen if German Doner Kebab can convert the non-believers.

But it'll certainly be very popular with Saturday night revellers and fans like myself.