Restaurant Oke

People will tell you that all doner in Amsterdam is the same. Those people have not been to Restaurant Oke on the Dapperstraat, and those people have definitely not watched Keuringsdienst van Waarde.

Here is the story. A few years ago, the Dutch TV show Keuringsdienst van Waarde — which is basically a consumer investigation program that exposes food fraud — tested doner kebab shops across Amsterdam that claimed to sell lamb doner. They tested a bunch. Most were selling mystery meat labeled as lamb. Exactly one shop passed the test. One. Restaurant Oke. They were actually using 100 percent lamb like they said they were. My coworker Mehmet, who grew up in Amsterdam Oost and is extremely particular about his doner, just nodded when I told him. "I know," he said. "Why do you think I eat there three times a week?"

The doner itself is excellent. Freshly sliced off the spit, properly seasoned, served in a warm bread with the works — salad, garlic sauce, hot sauce if you want it. The meat has actual flavor and actual texture, not the processed mushy stuff you get at most late-night kebab places. Mehmet orders the doner plate with rice and salad, which is more food than any human needs for about 8 euros. He finishes it every time.

Restaurant Oke sits on the Dapperstraat, right in the heart of the Dappermarkt area in Amsterdam Oost. The Dappermarkt itself is one of the best street markets in Amsterdam and one of the least touristy. It runs Monday through Saturday and has everything from fresh produce to fabrics to cheap electronics. The whole street has this multicultural energy that feels more like the real Amsterdam than anything in Centrum.

The restaurant itself is no-frills. Fluorescent lights, plastic chairs, a counter where you order. This is not a date night spot. This is where you go when you want good food, fast, for almost no money. Mehmet says judging it by its decor is like judging a book by its cover, and then he says something in Turkish that I assume is an insult to people who care about interior design.

A few practical things: the menu goes beyond doner. They do lahmacun, pide, grilled chicken, mixed plates. The lahmacun is excellent — thin, crispy, rolled up with salad. If you are really hungry, get a doner and a lahmacun. You will spend less than 15 euros and you will not eat again until the next day.

The Dappermarkt area is easy to reach — tram 3 or 14 from Centraal Station, or a short walk from Oosterpark. If you are doing the DIY pub crawl through Oost that I wrote about, start with lunch at Oke before your first beer. Mehmet does this regularly and calls it "proper preparation."

One honest note: this is not going to be the most comfortable dining experience of your trip. The neighborhood is not the prettiest part of Amsterdam. The restaurant is basic. But if you care about actually good food at actually fair prices, and you appreciate a place that sells exactly what it says it is selling, Restaurant Oke is the real deal. Ask Mehmet. Three times a week, every week. The man knows his doner.