MONDIAL KEBAB

Some of the best French food we have had in France is not French. There is a large community of Middle Eastern immigrants who have chosen to live in France. "Kebabs" are very, very popular here. We would call them "gyros" in America.

We found a wonderful little place, "Mondial Kebab," near our apartment that makes the best kebabs we have tasted. The couple who runs the store have become our friends. Every time we came in, they seemed to light up. It is interesting that, although they don't speak French well and don't speak English at all, we were able to communicate with them and genuinely enjoyed each other's company. Although we don't even know their names, we really felt like they were our friends, and they seemed to feel the same way.

As soon as we would come in the door, we would get a huge welcome and they would begin preparing our lunch - he would remember exactly how we liked our kebabs and always made sure that everything was exactly how we wanted it.

The meat was a combination of beef, lamb and spices. They cook it in a huge "mound" of meat skewered onto a rotating spindle which cooks from the outside. When they want to make a sandwich, they just use this electric shaver device to shave off the outer meat.

He then would make a sandwich either in a pita, a large flour tortilla, or a baguette. Most places will put French fries (frites) in the middle of the sandwich, along with other vegetables and your choice of sauce. We enjoyed the barbecue the best.

He then wraps it all up and reheats it in a special heated press. (behind him to the right).

We then enjoy!! He always brought us very fancy glasses for our drinks. We never saw him do that for anyone else, so we felt we were special.