London - 'Doner or shish?' will be the main course choice as President Abdullah Gul and his fetching wife dine with British royals at Buckingham Palace tonight.
Apparently the Queen's chefs felt unable to rise to the exacting challenge of Turkish cuisine and decided to order a takeaway from Ali's Delectable Doner Diner near Victoria Station, SW1.
Not everyone is pleased with the decision amid fears that 'traditional horrid garlic and chilli sauce' will end up befouling royal breath before pudding is served.
"It was bad enough when French escargots au beurre d'ail (slugs-in-garlic-butter) were served to visiting Mexican vegans the other year," Palace sous-chef Bobby Monkfish recalled at lunchtime today.
"We're hoping the Guls have a good sense of humor and leave their plates clean as of course they should."
The gesture is likely to be reciprocated tomorrow when the Turkish embassy serves up its own banquet for the royals where traditional British pie and chips will feature as the chef's signature dish.
