A taste of traditional Turkish cuisine that's a delight
If you are looking to sample the tastes of traditional Turkish cuisine with a modern twist, you should look no further than Efendy, situated near the edge of the Balmain peninsula, as Larry Schlesinger discovered
Restaurant: Efendy
Cuisine: Turkish
Entrees: (Mezes) $30 for two people for selection of six
Mains: $28 - $34
Location: 79 Elliott St, Balmain
To make a booking: (02) 9 810 5466 (www.efendy.com.au)
Corporate: For anyone looking to hold a business lunch, dinner or meeting, Efendy has several private rooms and can host up to 100 people
Efendy stands on the corner of Darling and Elliot Street just across the road from the Cat & Fiddle pub, a well known venue for live music, and a host of trendy antique shops.
The restaurant itself is rather imposing, being a converted house incorporating an outdoor patio dining area, a separate cocktail bar and ground and upper floors.
The interior is decorated with classical and contemporary design, incorporating modern Turkish art as well as black and white photographs depicting the architecture of the country.
We ate indoors and despite it being a large space, owner Somer Sivrioglu has managed, through a combination of lighting, music and tasteful d‚cor, to create a warm sense of intimacy.
Efendy is based on the concept of 'meyhanes' - the local eateries and pubs of Istanbul - and we were encouraged to try the meze platters - a traditional form of eating in such establishments, our well-informed waiter explained. The platters are designed to be shared by two, with six items chosen from a selection of hot and cold dishes.
Among the dishes we tried were haloumi cheese, delicately fried and topped with lemon; Pastirma, asparagus wrapped in the Turkish equivalent of Prosciutto; Enginarli Fava, a dish made of broad fave beans and marinated baby artichoke; and Ordek Gozleme, homemade thin pastry filled with shredded duck and pomegranate.
Be warned, the meze platters are filling in themselves, but impossible to resist as each dish offers a different array of tastes, smells and textures - in particular I recommend the homemade gozleme.
For mains, I had the 'Kuzu Sis', which is a marinated lamb skewer, with warm house made hummus and pastirma while my companion went with the 'Kilic Baligi' or chargrilled swordfish fillet, with fire roasted Mediterranean vegetables.
Both were elegantly presented - head chef Christien Darvall has done a great job of presenting the dishes in an appealing way to the eye and full of flavour - and the spices seem to ooze out with each bite.
We shared a salad of rocket, figs, feta and walnuts complimented by the local Turkish lager, Efes Pilsen, which I highly recommend. As our waiter informed us, it's the most popular beer amongst Turkish beer drinkers and it's not hard to guess why -it's an easy to drink beer, with a light bitterness.
I would also have tried Raki, the traditional Turkish drink made with Anise, had I not had to navigate back to the city by car - our waiter told us its carries quite a punch (40% proof).
For desert, I went with the traditional Turkish coffee served with home-made Turkish Delight (pistachio flavoured) while my partner tried 'Keskul' a traditional pistachio and almond pudding with pomegranate reduction (very rich with great 'sweet-sour' taste complimented with crunchy pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top). If there was room I would undoubtedly have tried the chocolate baklava with salep ice-cream and port spiked sour cherries.
Upon leaving, I remembered that Efendy means "gentleman" in Turkish...and that was certainly how I was made to feel throughout the evening.
