KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — KL residents who frequent Glo Damansara’s Turkish Cafe Istanbul now have a new address to bookmark.
The popular restaurant, which first opened in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in 2014, has expanded with a sister outlet in Bukit Tunku.
Turks is tucked into Block A of The Stories of Taman Tunku, between Mazi Greek Taverna and Kenny Hills Bakers — a scenic but somewhat difficult-to-find corner of the complex.
The greenery and outdoor patio at Turks makes it perfect for brunch. — Picture by Ethan Lau
The menu mirrors the original, with all-day breakfast, kebabs, pide, and larger plates like mandy rice — the same dishes that made the original a crowd favourite (and mine, too).
With the patio and lush greenery, this side of The Stories practically begs for a lengthy brunch.
A mixed meze (RM36.90) to start is always a good idea, and any excuse to eat an unhealthy amount of lavaş — the soft, pillowy Turkish flatbread — is as good as any, especially with a platter of five delicious dips.
The ‘menemen çakalli’ is slightly thicker and richer in consistency than the usual ‘menemen’. — Picture by Ethan Lau
The patlıcan soslu (eggplant in tomato sauce) and caramelised yogurt are my favourites, the latter striking the balance between sweet and tangy to great effect.
Next: menemen (RM24.90) is usually my order of choice, but the slightly different menemen çakalli (RM26.90) which I hadn’t seen at Turkish Cafe Istanbul, caught my eye here.
Eggs scrambled with onions, tomatoes and peppers get cheese folded in, while the vegetables break down until soft.
Everybody goes for ‘pide’, but I prefer the ‘lahmacun’. — Picture by Ethan Lau
The result is a rich, creamy consistency that’s a delight to mop up with the fresh housemade bread — a real strength here — straight from the sahan (the traditional double-handed pan for menemen).
Onto the more substantial items: pide usually gets people perked up, but instead of big dough-boats of cheese, I much prefer lahmacun (RM24.90).
Though often described as Turkish (or Armenian, depending on who you ask) pizza, the similarities end on the surface.
It looks way too cheesy, but the Ottoman kebab is far from it. — Picture by Ethan Lau
There’s no cheese, just a topping of minced beef, lamb and vegetables smeared onto a paper-thin crust before cooking, almost like a spread.
The result is a light, cracker-like base topped simply and savourily — the kind of thing you can keep eating slice after slice.
You can’t skip the kebabs — even at brunch. The signature Ottoman kebab (RM43.90) is unique to Turks and the original restaurant, created by chef and owner Deniz Alkoç.
The ‘künefe’ is simply a must-have here. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Grilled minced lamb arrives submerged in what looks like a river of cheese and tomato sauce — but is actually a white sauce made with eggplant, topped with only a bit of cheese.
Reminiscent of béchamel, it’s rich and creamy, but imbued with a mild eggplant flavour that keeps it from tipping into offensively cheesy territory. The lamb provides all the strong, gamey flavour you might want.
Save space for dessert. I always find a second stomach whenever I visit the original restaurant, purely for their künefe (RM25.90), though I know your eyes just jumped at the price.
It is almost impossible to find this sign from the car park — just walk past the big “A” sign that denotes Block A. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Indeed, the prices throughout the menu here have clearly been adjusted to reflect the locale.
But if you eat only one thing here, make it this. Künefe is the Turkish version of knafeh, which is widely believed to originate from the city of Nablus, Palestine.
Thin shreds of filo pastry called kadayif are spun around a melty cheese and soaked in syrup, topped with a flourish of ground pistachio.
The crisp strands shatter under your spoon, revealing soft, melty cheese drenched in syrup — a fittingly indulgent way to end any meal.
Turks
A2, Block A, Jalan Langgak Tunku,
Taman Tunku, Bukit Tunku
Kuala Lumpur
Open daily, 8am-10pm
Tel: 03-6211 7332
Instagram: @turkskl
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and mildly self-deprecating attempts at humour.
