How to eat İskender
İskender is four things, and all four only work together while it is hot. The first thing lost to waiting is the pide underneath.
İskenderDöner
What is on the plate
Four parts, and nothing more:
- Pide pieces — at the base of the plate, to soak up the sauce.
- Yaprak döner — carved thin from the spit, on top.
- Tomato sauce and melted butter.
- Yoghurt — on the side, in its own bowl or at the edge of the plate.
Why the butter is poured at the table
The smell of butter opens with heat and disappears quickly. Poured in the kitchen, it cools on the way and soaks entirely into the pide. Poured at the moment of serving, the smell opens at the table, the top of the pide softens and the bottom stays crisp.
For the same reason İskender is never prepared in advance; it is assembled when you order it.
Why the yoghurt is separate
The yoghurt is cold and the plate is hot. Mixed in from the start, the yoghurt warms and the plate cools. That is why it comes separately: you take as much as you want with each mouthful.
In order
The order that works in practice:
- Take one mouthful plain first — that is how you taste the sauce and the meat.
- Then add the yoghurt a little at a time.
- Do not leave the pide sitting in the sauce; balance it with the drier pieces at the edge.
- Finish it hot. İskender does not like being reheated.
In Çanakkale
At Doyum 1980 the İskender is served as a 120 g portion, built with yaprak döner carved from the same spit. Address: Kemalpaşa Mahallesi, Cumhuriyet Bulvarı No: 7/A, Merkez / Çanakkale.
Today’s prices
- Döner11 varieties300 TL and up
Prices are read live from Doyum 1980’s digital menu; when they change there, they change here.
Frequently asked
- Why is the butter for İskender poured at the table?
- The smell of butter opens with heat and fades fast. Poured in the kitchen it cools on the way and soaks entirely into the pide. Poured at the moment of serving, the smell opens at the table and the bottom of the pide stays crisp.
- Why does the yoghurt come separately?
- The yoghurt is cold and the plate is hot. Mixed in from the start, the yoghurt warms and the plate cools. Served separately, you take as much as you want with each mouthful.
- How many grams is an İskender?
- The portion varies by restaurant; usually between 100 and 150 g of döner. At Doyum 1980 the İskender is served as a 120 g portion.