Turka

Seventy per cent of the menu at Turka is homemade Turkish food. Most dishes are owner Istanbul-born Alex Buharali’s mum’s recipes.

And although Turka serves traditional Turkish food, there are also distinctly Australian dishes, such as beetroot dips; a kale salad with bulgur cracked wheat, pumpkin seeds and dried apricots; and prawns in paprika-burnt butter. Then there are the dishes that fall under the general category of “Middle Eastern food”, including falafel, baklava and hummus from Lebanon, Turkey, Greece and Egypt.

At breakfast, there are quick toast-based options, the kind you’d find at a coffee cart in Turkey – like kashar (a mild, mozzarella-like cheese) with toast – alongside multi-course options, such as the Turka Big Breakfast. It involves cheeses, fruit, dips, yoghurts, nuts, fried eggs and menemen, a spiced, slow-cooked tomato and capsicum dish resembling shakshuka. It’s huge and is served on wooden planks.

At lunch there are quick and delicious rolls. Meats such as chargrilled chicken or lamb are served on long, crusty bread rolls with tomato, red onion, sauce and pickles. The pace slows again for dinner, where it’s about substantial shared meals.

Cold mezes consist of smoked eggplant or capsicum, olives and Turkish pickles. Try the Mum’s Courgettes, which are sautéed to tender and served with garlic yoghurt and walnuts, and from the warm meze, options include the aromatic sujuk (Turkish chorizo) pan-fried and served with capsicum. Or try the set-menu and let the chef choose.

Then you can sit back and take in the handsome space, which features polished stone floors, industrial lines, exposed timber and ornate light fixtures.