Azzam

In the city that claims to have invented the Döner Kebab, Turkish cuisine reigns supreme, their community by far making up the largest minority, especially around the areas of Kreuzberg and Wedding. There is however, a visible Arab enclave situated mostly along the tree-lined boulevard of Sonnenallee in Neukölln. People flock from all over the city for Azzam’s renowned hummus, made all day fresh with soda-soaked chickpeas, tahini and seasonings. This simple Lebanese fast food joint looks virtually identical to many other kebab shops along the street, but its dishes are outstanding – their grilled minced lamb perfectly seasoned and their falafel a crunchy sesame-speckled delight. Other special dishes include fatteh, the Arabic equivalent of nachos, deep-fried pita slices smothered in yoghurt, chickpeas, lemon and cashew nuts or musabaha, a variation on hummus made of whole chickpeas. You get a lot for your money too, each dish coming with an assortment of raw veg, bitter olives, garlicky mayo or tahini sauce and an essential basket of stacked pita bread which doubles as cutlery.