Berkeley: Cyprus Restaurant - Doner kabob, gyros, torshi, dough

[rworange]

This restaurant has been open about a week and is located on Shattuck on the corner opposite Downtown Restaurant.

The menu says it is Mediterranean and Persian cuisine. It is mainly kebabs and wraps with the usual items like falafel, tabouli, hummus, baba ganoush, dolmas.

The menu says of the doner kabab "fresh beef marinated and roasted on a spit"

I got the wrap and it was quite tasty. A warm, soft pita that had char spots where the flames licked it on the grill wrapped the tender, tasty chopped beef. It was warmed on a grill, There was lettuce, tomatoes, onion and a nice tzatziki sauce. $7.99.

I know little about Middle Eastern food so you can take it with that in mind. I enjoyed it. I'd order it again. I did take-out and it was in a silver Kronos gyros bag.

Never tried torshi before and ordered a container to go. The torishi I tried was very chopped and green and difficult to identifiy what exactly is in it. There is a little crunch to it and it is very tart and tangy. I asked more about it on the general board.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/602514

The first bite was like ... whoa .. lots of acid and vinegar. Then it grew on me. I'm not exactly sure how this is supposed to be eaten but I just polished off the container as is.

I've had dough once before. It is a Persian yogurt drink with some herbs in iit. The first time I tried it elsewhere, it was extremely tart and a tangy and an acquired taste for me. This version, poured from a large glass pitcher, was very smooth and likeable.

The kabob plates looked good. They have a full American breakfast from 7 am - 11 am.

It is a nice restaurant with potted orchids, an upstairs loft area and sidewalk tables. There are some nice photos on Yelp. Order at the counter and they bring the food to the table. I'll put some of the brief menu in the first link.

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Cyprus Restaurant
81 Shattuck Sq, Berkeley, CA

[rworange]

Cyprus restaurant menu

LUNCH AND DINNER (served after 11 am)

Appetizers

Falafel, tabouli, hummus, baba ganoush, dolmas
Maast-o-musir creamy yogurt blended with white shallots
Mast-o-khiar creamy yogurt blended with cucumber and mint

Salads

Garden, Greek, Chicken kabob, Doner Kabob, Gyros, Caprese
Shirazi - finley chopped blend of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and mint swerved with olive oil and lemon juice

Pita/Lavash wraps
Served with lettuce, tomatoes, onion and tzatziki sauce
Doner kabob, gyros, falafel, chicken kabab (white or dark meat), koobideh wrap, beef shish kabob, veggie

Main Entrees
Served with grilled tomato, basmati rice topped with saffron and salad
Koubideh seasoned ground beef kabob
Gyros plate strips of seasoned gyros meat (beef and lamb) with tzatziki sauce and pita bread
Chicken kabob
Beef shish kabob
Doner kabob

Side orders
Feta cheese
Torshi
Bread (lavash or pita)
Basmati rice
Charbroiled tomatoes

Beverages
Soft drinks, bottled water, fresh lemonade, oranges jucie, coffee, tea, espresso drinks, hot chocolate

BREAKFAST

Egg platters
All served with choice of two sides:home fries, toast, muffin or oatmeal

Eggs with or without meat (smoked honey bacon, mild Italian sausage, pork sausage, smoked ham)
Florentine scramble: fresh spinach, three eggs, smoked honey bacon, onions, tomatoes topped with melted Swiss

Breakfast sandwiches

Omelets
All made with 3 eggs served with home fries toast or muffin
Cheese, mushroom, Mediterranean veggie, Greek, Denver, ham and cheese, BTC (bacon, tomatoes and cheddar)

Specials
Served with home fries, toast, or muffin
Vegetarian scramble
Mediterranean scramble
Spinach frittata
Sausage frittata

Buttermilk pancakes, Belgium waffles and French toast (two slices of Texas toast dipped in vanilla cream and cinnamon egg batter)

[ricebowl]

If in Walnut Creek and wanting Mediterranean quick bite, try Babalou's Mediterranean at 1645 Bonanza Street. Food is excellent and fresh. Choice of falafel, lamb or chicken shawerma or kebab, kefta kabab, hummus, baba ghannouj, etc. You can have it served as a pocket sandwich, lavash wrap or combo platter with side of basmati rice and choice of salad, dolma or pita bread. Check it out www.babalous.com.

[rworange]

Thanks. I'll put it on my to try list for when I'm in that area.

I was wondering if that beef doner kabob was as good as I suspected and did a taste comparison at Turkish Kitchen for lunch today. While they are totally different styles and breads, I actually prefer the wrap at Cyrprus. Turkish Kitchen is also a beef/lamb combo and the lamb is pretty tasty. However, the beef at Cyprus is just so much better and overall I liked it better.

Got curious about torshi and stopped by Safron Gourmet on Solano in Albany. They make two kinds. One is hot and chunkier. The type that was simillar to Cyprus is called lileh torshi. Saffron Gourmet slighlty wins on this. The eggplant in it gives it a nice smokieness and the vinegar isn't as assertive. However I liked the crunch factor better at Cyprus. The guy at Safron Gourmet said it is just eaten on the side with kabobs.

That area is really turning Middle Eastern. There another place on Shattuck about to open a few doors down from Turkish Kitchen called Chick Peas ... A falafel place. It is where there was a bakery long ago.

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Babalou's Mediterranean
1645 Bonanza St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

[nicedragonboy]

thanks for the report. looking to try it after one of my workouts in the next week or so.

[hhc]

We had dinner at Cyprus Restaurant on Sat 4/11/09. It was ok. It's close to Downtown Berkeley Bart station - so easy to get to. We had an early dinner at 6pm and it wasn't busy.

We were told No Doner Kabob $7.95 when I went! So sad, that was one reason that I picked this place to try.

we got:

baba ganoush $4.50 - small dish of roasted mashed eggplant w/ some warm pita. It was ok, I wish there were more garlic in it.

chicken kabob wrap $7.95 - grilled chicken pieces on a pita bread. I didn't get a choice of pita or lavash - i thought it was going to be in a lavash and was disappointed it wasn't. There were some tomato slices, lettuce, and yogurt sauce. Just ok.

Koobideh wrap $6.95 - this was on a lavash - choice of pita or lavash not given. I liked it better then the chicken kabob wrap, though I found the meat a bit salty, it had raw onions (not my fav), lettuce, yogurt sauce.

Other friend got the pomegranate chicken $7.95- a special of the day, though he say it on the reg. menu. He thought the chicken was dry, small salad on the side, and lots of rice.

They have sumac- have to ask for it.

Bathroom: Need a swipe card from the cashier/worker, then take the Elevator that's outside the restaurant and next door, take it to B (Basement), I used the women's which had 3 stalls - one was out of service. They have Toto toilets (American-style, self-flushing) & had Dyson air hand dryer (very quick & powerful). Back to elevator hit S (Street).

They have a 2nd floor dining room - take stairs up.

My pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/hiketoomu...#