Some have asked if I'm a Persian mix because of my obsession with Mediterranean food, and so when a friend suggested to catch up at this restaurant my eyes instantly lit up.
This place is an upscale Turkish restaurant with a giant outdoor terrace that allows pet owners like us to enjoy our meals with our furry friends. When we arrived, the server immediately brought a bowl of water for our dog.
Not only do they have great customer service and a good atmosphere but the food was also spectacular!
Appetizer:
MEZE PLATTER
💵 Price: $29 USD
🤤Taste: 4.4 / 5
Descriptions: Comes with different dips including hummus, muhammara, and babaganush, with Pita bread. Also includes su borek + Spanakopita, and peynir & karpuz.
Humus: Mashed chickpeas with olive oil, tahini, and saffron
Muhammara: roasted red bell pepper and walnut dip
Baba Ganoush - similar to hummus but with mashed grilled eggplant
Spanakopita - also known as spinach pie. Consists of feta, spinach, and crispy shredded phyllo pastry sheets
Peynir & Karpuz - Watermelon with Turkish Feta Cheese and grapes and olive.
Thoughts: Everything was delicious. It's on the lighter side compared to the Mediterranean food I've had in Canada - the tahini and hummus I'm used to are much stronger in taste.
Main:
DONER PITA WRAP (Shawarma/Gyro)
💵 Price: $18 USD
🤤Taste: 4.85 / 5
Description: shaved grass-fed delectable lamb in Pita wrap
Thoughts: So so delicious!
The wrap is thick and soft with a slight chew. The inside has some fresh lettuce, sliced onion, tomato, and lots of lamb gyros. The doner is seasoned adequately, but not overpowering, with salt and pepper, saffron, and other spices. The pita bread reminded me of naan bread. On the side, it's served with dill yogurt sauce.
It's a bit pricy but it's the biggest doner I've ever had. I split it with my aunt and it was the perfect amount for us. If this wasn't the best Doner I've had, it's probably the 2nd best? You pay for what you get but I would say it has a lower price-performance ratio due to the steeper pricing.
LAMB TENDERLOIN
💵 Price: 2 SHISH $23 USD || 3 SHISH $31 USD
🤤Taste: 4.7 /5
Description: grass-fed lamb tenderloin
Thoughts: Traditionally, Shish Kebabs are grilled. I can't tell if they were grilled or seared from the stovetop, but it was cooked to perfection. It had the perfect pink inside and it was so soft and tender! It was seasoned with some salt, pepper and thyme, and other herbs. It also came with saffron rice in a miniature crockpot. The rice reminded me a little bit of Hainanese Chicken Rice.
Dessert:
HATAY KUNEFE
💵 Price: 2 SHISH $12 USD
🤤Taste: 4.7 /5
Description: Fresh cheese, shredded fillo with honey and syrup Turkish pistachio, and kaymak
Thoughts: Not sure what to expect as I'm not a big fan of cheese and was slightly blown away by (a.) the size and (b.) the concept. We all thought it would be as big as a 10-inch pizza but it was as small as my palm (about 3 inches in diameter?). In the end, we were glad about it because it's really filling. The texture of the shredded phyllo is like crispy fried noodles, and sandwiched in between was a thick layer of cheese. The top is loaded with grounded pistachio and clotted cream, and the bottom is soaked with honey and syrup. This dessert is served warm.
The texture has a few folds with the soft and stringy cheese combined with some crispiness from the shredded phyllo dough. My taste buds were confused as I was expecting it to be sweet and salty from the cheese and syrup, but it wasn't salty at all. Neither was it overly sweet. Not sure if the flavor is on the milder side or if this is what an authentic Hatay Kunefe should taste like, as I recall how sweet Baklavas could be. Overall, it's a very good dessert but I still prefer Baklava. Again, I'm not a fan of cheese.
Bonus: You can get an Instagram worthy photo or video out of the cheese pull.
TURKISH COFFEE WITH TURKISH DELIGHT
💵 Price: $5
🤤Taste: 5 /5
Description: with medium caffeine
Thoughts: Other than Vietnamese dripped coffee and UCC milk coffee, I resent coffee because the bitterness always outshines the coffee flavor. When coffee is added with condensed milk or milk, it drowns the bitterness and makes it more pleasurable to drink (for me anyway).
But boy, their Turkish coffee is SOOOO good! This is a great introductory for coffee beginners! The coffee was not bitter and I was able to fully enjoy the coffee flavor. It's balanced and mild without the strong bitter taste. Though mellow, the roasted coffee bean was aromatic but did not have the (unpleasant) punch.
Last but not least, the Turkish delight was amazing! I've had Turkish delights in Turkey before and it always gave me shivers from the sweetness. Their Turkish delights have the perfect sweetness with a strong floral note from the Rosewater. Hmmm, what a delight!
📍 Location: Here
Menu: Here
💵 Price: $30 USD pp
🤤Taste: 4.7 / 5
🕯Atmosphere: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🪑Seating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📈 Price Performance ratio: 4 / 5
Retention Rate:100%
Summary:
ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕤
* Upscale Turkish Restaurant
* Pet friendly
* Great customer service
* A good selection from the menu
* Best coffee I've ever had
* Lamb Tenderloin Shish Kebabs were super tender
* Seasoning was on point
* Best Turkish Delight I've had - not too sweet
* Adequate portion
ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕤:
* Flavors on the milder side for what I'm used to but it's still flavorful!
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
* Would definitely return