Kebab in the industrial back platform in Campbellfield is the best in Melbourne.

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"They're just sandwiches" is a pretty understated statement. These Turkish kebabs are great, and here's where to find them.

Where are we then?

We've driven past steel mills, a jet ski repair shop, some kind of building material manufacturer, and it doesn't look like a foodie paradise. Campbellfield's industrial neighborhoods are quiet in the evening, and the factories are huge and gloomy. But once you get to Mixa, you'll see lights strung in festive waves, a golden glow shimmering in puffs of smoke. You'll smell the odor of roasting coals. The signs bode well.

Mixa Food Truck

Mixa Food Truck is the latest project of Ismail Tosun, a renowned Turkish chef. He made a splash in Perth in the mid-2000s, opened Gigi Baba in Collingwood, which has shone brightly and briefly since 2008, and co-founded Babajan Café Bakery.

In an attempt to simplify his offering and his life, Tosun now runs a food truck in the northern suburbs, first in Somerton and now here in Campbellfield.

Tosun is modest when I call to chat about kebabs - "they're just sandwiches" - but it's impossible to underestimate the heritage and quality he puts into his simple and satisfying food. Tosun draws inspiration from his Turkish father, his Cypriot mother and her parents, who largely raised him. These are the streets of Istanbul and Adana, the vibrant kitchens of Nicosia and the casual appetite of Campbellfield, brought to life five days a week.

Menu

The menu is short: six kebabs ($18-$23) and four soft drinks. Your order will probably be taken by Tosun's daughter, Tali.

Adana kebab in a crispy white bun.

Adana kebab is a benchmark in Turkish street food: specially prepared minced lamb, fat and red pepper are mixed into a sticky paste that is formed on skewers and cooked over charcoal. Tradition is important here, but there are local variations as well.

Ready lamb liver

Ready lamb liver exquisitely grilled, again spacing the spine with fat. It's firm and bright, an easy way to try something new for meat doubters.

Eating fish in bread on the street

Eating fish in bread on the street is as much a part of the Istanbul experience as a visit to the Hagia Sophia Mosque. Mixa's version is red sea mullet in a bun, topped with homemade tahini sauce. I'm glad it's getting warmer and I can wear short sleeves because I'm happily savoring this raw sauce on my arm.

Mixa is a no-frills place. Everything is served in cardboard boxes to take with you, eat al fresco or in a small gazebo. Would you like a drink? The yogurt drink Ayran goes well with kebabs, as does salgam, a salty fermented drink made from purple carrots and turnips.

Tosun is right: his kebabs are just sandwiches. But a crusty bun filled with delicious things, even in a suburban backyard, can come close to the sublime.