The Agacan Lives On: Dundee's one-of-a-kind Turkish restaurant
Within the ceramic-lined walls of this family-run Turkish restaurant, Laurie Presswood finds a capsule of Dundee's past, present and future
Agacan is probably one of the longest-running institutions on its stretch of Perth Road, just narrowly beaten by the Post Office and nearby Victorian graveyard. It’s been open for over 40 years and in that time, as far as I can judge, not much has changed. The external and internal walls, tables and chairs remain decorated with and seemingly structurally supported by the ceramics and paintings of owner Zeki Agacan.
The menu has made little to no concession to the rising tide of plant-based living – the takeaway menu has no vegetarian main course and what exists for sit-in guests is just an assembly of five dishes already offered to you from the starters page. No halloumi flatbreads here, just various permutations of big tasty meat (but please trust my veggie credentials when I say that the staples of rice, pitta and kizartma are worth the trip alone).
The Agacan has been there so long that it now has its own ecosystem, starting with the staff inside and extending to the people waiting on the street outside for their takeaway. This crowd is filled with people from your past who, if you lived in any other city in the world, you would only see in two settings: weddings and funerals. But you live in the west of Dundee, so there’s a third occasion in that category: Friday night Aga. You’ve turned up at your allotted pick-up time but they’re busy and the foyer is exactly one metre squared so you join the line and stare at the floor to avoid making eye contact with someone you think you may once have kissed in a carpeted nightclub.
As time goes on and Dundee keeps changing, it’s reassuring to see that some truly great things can endure. Friendships fade, vape shops come and go; only Agacan lives on.
Agacan Turkish Restaurant, 113 Perth Rd, Dundee; Thu-Sun, 5-9.30pm
This article is from issue two of GNAW, our new Scottish food and drink magazine. Free copies are available in venues across Scotland, or read the full thing via Issuu. Follow GNAW on Instagram @gnawmag