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Kapsalon

(Barbershop)

Kapsalon is a popular Dutch street food dish consisting of French fries topped with meat such as shawarma or kebab, various types of cheese (typically Gouda), salad greens, and various sauces (typically garlic sauce).

For vegetarians, there is a special version of the dish where falafel is used instead of meat. It is believed that kapsalon (Dutch for barbershop) was invented in Rotterdam around 2003, when a barber went to a nearby fast food joint and asked for a meal of French fries and shawarma.

The owner of the fast-food joint suggested to add some tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese on top of it all, and kapsalon was born, its popularity spreading quickly throughout the country shortly thereafter. Although it is flavorful and comforting, kapsalon is a highly caloric dish, so one should be careful if consuming too much of it.

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Recipe variations

3.2
Classic Kapsalon
READY IN 45min
This recipe describes a typical homemade kapsalon preparation. The fries are oven-baked instead of fried, while the shawarma meat is cooked in a skillet. It is preferable to use mature Gouda cheese with a 48+ marking, which indicates that the cheese contains 48% fat and will melt perfectly.
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Chicken Kapsalon
READY IN 45min
This healthy version of kapsalon replaces the shawarma meat with chicken thighs, while the fries can be made with either a regular or a sweet potato. Instead of Turkish garlic sauce, kapsalon is in this case drizzled with a dressing made with lactose-free yogurt and mayonnaise.
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Vegetarian Kapsalon With Falafel
READY IN 45min
For those who do not eat meat, there are plenty of vegetarian kapsalon options. This recipe replaces meat with falafel — small balls made with ground chickpeas or fava beans fried in a skillet.

Kapsalon Authentic recipe

PREP 15min

COOK 30min

READY IN 45min

This recipe describes a typical homemade kapsalon preparation. The fries are oven-baked instead of fried, while the shawarma meat is cooked in a skillet. It is preferable to use mature Gouda cheese with a 48+ marking, which indicates that the cheese contains 48% fat and will melt perfectly.

VIEW RECIPE

WHERE TO EAT The best Kapsalon in the world (according to food experts)

Teske de Schepper and 4 other food critics.

"The food arrived and this was my meal: a vegetarian kapsalon! It was delicious and according to Sanne tasted like the real kapsalon (which I never had)."

Booking and 4 other food critics.

"Take a trip to Rotterdam to sample this dish at its birthplace, the El Aviva shawarma shop."

Matthijs Haagsman and 2 other food critics.

"It was the first shop that won the 'Golden Kapsalon' for the best kapsalon in 2013. One of the options I recommend is a vegetarian one with falafel."