I have a colleague from Turkey who, when asked to name her favorite Turkish restaurant, jumped from her seat and began speaking in tongues. "Can you write that down for me?", I asked. As you can see from the title, thank goodness she did. She also gave me a specific list of dishes to try. A few days later, me and my monthly metrocard were on our way to Midwood. I was excited, this was an insider's recommendation - it simply couldn't go wrong. I got off the Q at King's Highway and didn't recognize one language I heard during the three block walk. The place was pretty low-key from the outside, which only made me more confident.
First up, sour cherry juice. It hoped it wouldn't be too sour and it wasn't. Tart and sweet and satisfying. So far, so good.
Next, a basket of warm bread which I ripped apart as soon as it was placed in front of me. It tasted like it was straight out of the oven. Two for two.
I was less excited about the next dish - sauteed green beans. Not quite what I expected. I thought they would be warm and al dente for some reason. They were cold and soft. Ok, no problem, they were tasty, nonetheless.
Some time passed as I waited for the entree to arrive. I went with my colleague's recommendation: Iskender Kebab and was having doubts. I saw many other items I preferred - Iskender included a tomato sauce, which is not my favorite. When it was placed before me, I gasped out loud. First, it was big enough for three people. Second, it was smothered in tomato sauce. I waded in. The thinly sliced beef was good, though a bit oily for my tastes. Underneath the beef I found chunks of pita bread and yogurt, which thankfully diluted the strength of the tomato sauce.
Overall, not a dish I would eat again. However, on the strength of the rest of the meal, I would come back to try the place again. Better yet, after I left and was walking down Coney Island Ave, I saw a really nice Turkish bakery that specialized in Baklavah. I noted that for next time.
1955 Coney Island Ave
Brooklyn
Map it!
Update: I finally made my way back to the Turkish cafe specializing in Baklavah. Check it out:
http://pufflist.blogspot.com/2009/03/gulluoglu-brooklyn.html
Speak in tongues?!?! Haha.. You silly one.. probably more like you are hard of hearing...
ReplyDeleteThe sour cherry juice reminds me of what we had at the Russian dumplings place.. the one you had me eat beef dumplings without saying it.. (sneaky =P)
The only dish that calls to me... the bread!!
She was speaking Turkish, hello? Lady?
ReplyDeleteThe bakery next door will call to you to, Puffin.