473198 Thu Dec 27 03:31:06 -0800 2007 28 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3239166 Turkish Kitchen is a potentially interesting Mom & Pop (or Anne & Baba) operation which last month replaced the Medterranean on Shattuck. The menu goes well beyond the usual hummus and kebabs. I was intrigued by the tripe soup - a $6 special, "iskembe corbasi" I think - which turned out to be a simple cloudy broth served with a lemon-egg sauce on the side. I wasn't entirely sure how to consume the sauce but I presumed you were just meant to mix it in to taste. The soup was OK, though there wasn't much tripe taste. For dessert I had kazandibi ("bottom of the pot", $4.50), a pleasantly sweet, starchy pudding caramelised on one side. The crust was firm, but not creme brulee-hard, with a slightly wrinkly surface. Would have it again. The food was all very homestyle: there are no flourishes in presentation, at least not at this early stage, and I think I could accurately replicate the dishes if I had a Turkish cookbook, a couple of practice runs, and a few hours to cook. But I haven't, so I'll come back. Thu Dec 27 03:31:06 -0800 2007 101674 bradluen 1 3239172 Can't get the Places link to work, so: Turkish Kitchen 1986 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley Thu Dec 27 03:42:28 -0800 2007 3239166 101674 bradluen 1 3239668 Thanks! Something new in Berkeley that we will have to check out! S Thu Dec 27 08:36:04 -0800 2007 3239166 151138 suebe 1 3240238 I was wondering if that place had been bought by Turks! Smart move to change the name to reflect the new menu. Thu Dec 27 11:32:44 -0800 2007 3239166 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 3240819 Hopefully there will be more info in the future, but here's the website http://yourturkishkitchen.com/ Thu Dec 27 14:31:25 -0800 2007 3239166 10264 rworange 1 3241447 That soup sounds interesting - is it like a do-it-yourself avgolemono, but with tripe? Did the soup come out hot enough to cook raw egg? Did you see any pide on the menu? If have pide, I'm there. Thu Dec 27 18:37:13 -0800 2007 3239166 44059 daveena 2 3307294 Avgolemono would be "Terbiyeli Shehriye Chorbasi". If my memory serves me right the tripe soup has a similar look and taste, but may not have the same ingredients. Ahmet Toprak Director, San Francisco Turkish Radio Thu Jan 17 22:55:29 -0800 2008 3241447 62161 topraka 1 3243272 While we're asking about the menu, do they have Iskendar Kebap? After a very disappointing and overpriced one last week at Ephesus in WC, made with kofte instead of doner, I'd love to have the real thing! Fri Dec 28 13:30:00 -0800 2007 3239166 13401 jmarek 2 3244424 I scribbled names of a few dishes I'd never had before on the back of my receipt (which also tells me the kazandibi was only $3.50): Shepherd's salad Stuffed grape leaves Lahmacun Kiymali Borek Baked pies Beyti Grilled kofte Manti Sutlac I'm not even close to sure, but they might've had iskendar and might not have had pide. Sat Dec 29 04:02:36 -0800 2007 3243272 101674 bradluen 3 3244701 Aaaah! They have lahmacun! (I use the terms lahmacun and pide interchangeably, don't know if there's a subtle difference between the two). They're flatbreads with a thin layer of finely minced, seasoned lamb and beef. And manti are the other thing I've been craving lately (little lamb dumplings with a yogurt and chili sauce). Thanks so much for the report. I'll have to get there soon. Sat Dec 29 08:11:25 -0800 2007 3244424 44059 daveena 4 3245673 Lahmacun at A La Turca in SF is the thin flatbread with minced lamb. At the same restaurant, pides are a chewier, fluffier dough formed similarly to a stromboli, with cheese and other fillings (e.g. sujuk, mushrooms, chicken). In my experience (not vast) of other Turkish restaurants, lahmacun always conforms to the former description. Sat Dec 29 16:06:03 -0800 2007 3244701 10406 twocents 4 3246334 Pide may be a more generic term than that. Here's an old post about pide (though the restaurant in question is long gone), http://www.chowhound.com/topics/26041#105720 Looking forward to trying this place, thanks for the report, brad. Sat Dec 29 21:45:22 -0800 2007 3244701 10039 Melanie Wong 5 3246439 Thanks for the link. At leisure for my evening meal tonight, I conquered my Berkeleyphobia for long enough to have dinner there. I never went to the Mediterranean, but I am guessing that the brightly colored space with painted murals on the walls and ceiling is left over from that restaurant. Apart from normal menus, the menu is printed, along with photographs of the food, high on a wall above the kitchen area. The menu is very similar to the local reference, A La Turca, and indeed, if I am not mistaken, one of the gentleman puttering about in the kitchen area has worked at A La Turca in the past (I am not 100% certain). Based on the photographs, I agree with ace below that they do have pide similar to A La Turca, and they are called baked pies. In answer to jmarek, they do indeed have Alexander Iskendar Kebap as one of their entrees. I had lahmacun and an Adana Kebap sandwich. Sandwich came first- I did not specify and was not asked, but you have the option of lavash or pita, so mine came in a lavash, wrapped up like a long burrito with one end open. Adana Kebap is a spiced minced/ground lamb kebab, and the seasonings on this one were bright and strong, and it tasted wonderfully of being grilled over an open flame. Wrapped up inside along with the meat were some lettuce and tomato, tahini and some hot sauce. It was delicious. Normally if given the option I get the pita, but the lavash here was very tasty, about as crispy as it gets whilst still being rollable. The lahmacun was on a crispier lavash like crust, spread with a paste of lamb and tomato, and served with lemon and a mini salad of lettuce and red onion sprinkled with something like zatar. This was also very tasty, but differed from the A La Turca version in the consistency of the lamb-tomato topping. At ALT, it is more like seasoned ground lamb atop a tomato paste, while here the paste was more of a combination. I saw a basket of sliced pita bread go by, and it looked promising. For those unfamiliar with Turkish pita, it is a round thick, chewy bread unlike the Middle Eastern pita or pocket bread. To my taste it is infinitely superior. I will be returning soon. Let's hope it holds up and does well. Sat Dec 29 23:27:49 -0800 2007 3246334 10406 twocents 6 3246852 Thanks for the report. What is the difference between Adana & Iskendar Kebap? And where does Doner Kebap fall in the picture? I take it there is no rotating spit out in the open? Sun Dec 30 09:03:15 -0800 2007 3246439 11940 DezzerSF 7 3247050 Adana is ground meat formed on an individual skewer then grilled to order or sometimes they're made like flattish hamburger patties. When I've had Iskender (aka Alexander) kebap around here, it's slices of meat cut off the doner spit sauteed with bread cubes and lots of melted butter, tossed with tomato sauce and topped with yogurt. But I've read references to Iskender as slices from ground meat cooked on a spit. Doner kebap is stacks of sliced meat (lamb, beef, veal, chicken, or a combination) cooked on a rotating spit, then shaved off to serve. I'm excited to have another place to try Beyti kebap. Sun Dec 30 10:41:10 -0800 2007 3246852 10039 Melanie Wong 5 3246906 Mmm, makes sense. I guess pide is a generic term for flatbread, and lahumacun is a subset. Most of the places I've been to call the flatbread topped with minced lamb lahmacun, but one place I used to go to a lot in NYC called it pide. Anyway, twocents description sounds like the kind I've been looking for... can't wait to try it! Sun Dec 30 09:33:14 -0800 2007 3246334 44059 daveena 4 3307307 Yes, there is a difference between pide and lahmacun. Lahmacun has a very thin dough underneath, and has only one type of topping. However, pides have a much thicker dough underneath and all sorts of different toppings. Also pides are usually made into boat shape. Ahmet Toprak Director, San Francisco Turkish Radio Thu Jan 17 23:02:12 -0800 2008 3244701 62161 topraka 1 3246355 I checked this place out tonight and my friend and I had a delicious dinner. We shared two appetizers, the shepherd's salad and borek (deep fried rolled pastry stuffed with parsley and feta). For entrees, my friend had a pide with spicy meat (their pides are listed on the menu as "baked pies"- they have both lahmacun and pide on the menu), and I unfortunately can't remember the name of what I had, but it was described as ground chicken rolled in lavash with a tomato and yogurt sauce. It was served hot and the rolled lavash was sliced...very good. The meal, including a soda and a beer, cost $33. I'd describe the service as eager to please. Our food came very quickly, but then the place filled up and I had to go ask for the check. But they were sweet. My friend and I both give it a definite thumbs up. Sat Dec 29 22:00:17 -0800 2007 3239166 11230 ace 1 3248161 I tried this place earlier tonight, and I like it already. First off, I was glad to see the food really is Turkish...I had my suspicions that it would be just be sort of vaguely Mediterranean. I had the doner & cheese pide, which I liked quite a bit. Their lamb/beef doner is flavorful and makes a good filling for a pide. I remember really liking the desserts in Istanbul, so I think it's great this place has a dessert menu (which I'll probably work my way through soon enough...) Has anyone tried Bosphorus (now closed) on University? Curious how this place stacks up against that one. Sun Dec 30 18:29:32 -0800 2007 3239166 11816 Agent 510 1 3248437 Had dinner here tonight - really liked the manti and the kazandibi. The manti are more pasta than filling - thick, handmade pasta, satisfyingly chewy, with a bit of seasoned lamb inside. They're small dumplings, roughly the size of a thumbnail - the smallest ones seemed to be all dough. Yogurt and chili sauce could have used a touch more heat. I loved the texture of the dumplings and will be back for this dish alone. The kazandibi ("bottom of the pot") is a rice flour and milk pudding with a creme caramel-like top. This had an appealing texture and a straightforward, caramel and dairy sweetness. The lahmacun are good, but I like more seasoning and less tomato in the lamb topping... also, I actually like a little topping, as the flatbread got soggy quickly (also, if you order more than one order of lahmacun, they stack them all up, so they're pretty much guaranteed to get soggy.) The beef pide and kofte kebab were fine but not remarkable. Overall, satisfying meal - I'm not really into kebabs, so it's exciting for me to have a Turkish place nearby with good non-kebab items - thanks for the heads up, Brad! Sun Dec 30 20:16:17 -0800 2007 3239166 44059 daveena 2 3272388 I know what you mean about the lahmacun, but I still liked it quite a lot. Went again during normal dinner hours- about 7:30; they were almost full. Had the lahmacun again, and confirmed my liking. I agree about the manti- my first time with the dish, and the chewy, fingertip-sized dumplings with yogurt sauce are very appealing. I might have liked the lamb to be seasoned just a bit more, given the tiny size, but very appealing nevertheless. Finally, had eggplant salad, excellent roast or broiled (I think) eggplant marinated in olive oil and seasonings. Pita was served as well, and was great, not the best I've had but still very delicious, a very appealing combination of tenderness (inside) with a chewy, salty and savory exterior. Almost as good as A La Turca, though the best I've ever had was a place in Sunnyside, Queens whose name escapes me. Can't wait to return. Mon Jan 07 21:52:37 -0800 2008 3248437 10406 twocents 1 3264821 Had a good lunch today. Appetizer plate: babaganoush was excellent, dolmas, kisir, and esme very good (though we should have asked for lettuce for the kisir), hummus not great. Haydari (strained yogurt with dill and carrot), excellent. Pide with sucuk and cheese, excellent. The sucuk was really gamy and sour. Beyti (lamb kebab wrapped in lavash and sauced with yogurt, butter, and tomato sauce): kebab and sauce were delicous but I wasn't big on the texture of the damp bread. Baklava: good. Definitely going back. Check out the specials board before ordering. The server said all the staff came from A La Turka. I think the food's better at Turkish Kitchen. Best Turkish food I've had around here with the possible exception of the pricey Ephesus in Walnut Creek. Sat Jan 05 15:08:25 -0800 2008 3239166 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 3911403 Dinner last night. Place was close to full at around 7:30. Appetizer platter, again good. Hummus maybe improved somewhat. Baba ganoush was fabulous, nice and smoky. Esme was nice and spicy. Again forgot to ask for lettuce for the kisir. I tried the tripe soup special ($6.50). Clear but rich-tasting broth with small chunks of tripe and nothing else except maybe a little onion, LOTS of tripe flavor and aroma. For tripe lovers only, not something to order if you're sitting next to an offal-hater. Since that was lighter than I expected I tried the chicken doner because the photo looked like it came with a cup of garlic sauce like Truly Mediterranean used to make. Nope, just haydari. Tasty but I wouldn't order again given the other choices. One of these days I'll have to try their kunefe. Tue Jul 29 10:23:40 -0700 2008 3264821 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 3276070 I have nothing to really add except a thank you to all who reported. A freind and I ate wonderfully following your recs. Thanks to Robert we tried the haydari - think of all those lovely spreads that Aziza serves... this is like that ... heavenly served on the soft pillowy bread which I hesitate to call pita since it is so different. The only other Turkish food I had before was sigara boregi which I fell in love with the first time at Hayes and Kabob in SF. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/391518 Can't call a winner. Both versions are delicious. At Turkish Kitchen they are smaller and the cheese tangier. Five to a plate. The manti are lovely tiny dumpling with bits of mint and lamb. I wouldn't order this for a single person though. I think it is a dish best shared by two or even three. We went with the doner and cheese baked pie (pide). Never having had this before the best way I can describe it is almost like a long calzone with the lightest, most delicate crust oozing cheese and also filled with chopped lamb and beef doner. The doner meats were cut off two vertical spits. Either the dumplings or pide came with a chiffonade of lettuce that was nicely dressed with a tasty vinagrette. This is a very pleasant colorful restaurant. The front deli case had some delicious food. There is tables service and the people are very nice. The only thing I can add was the Turkish tea was very good, served in a little glass with two brown sugar cubes. It was not bitter as many Turkish tea I've tried. The only special left tonight was a roast chicken dish. I'll definately be back. Nice to know that it is open until 11 pm on Friday & Saturday. Thanks again all. Tue Jan 08 20:57:23 -0800 2008 3239166 10264 rworange 1 3276262 Here’s the menu. If someone reported on it as of this post, I’ll only add the price, However, if there was only a one word mention and it is not a commonly known (at least to me) dish, I’ll add the description. BTW, here’s the Alaturka and Ephesus (pdf) menus for comparison http://www.alaturcasf.com/Paper%20Menu.htm http://www.ephesuslounge.com/ephesus_menu.pdf SPECIALS Written on whiteboard on top of deli counter SOUPS AND SALADS Lentil soup $3.75 Red lentils with rice, onions, carrots, onions, potatoes and spices Green salad $4.95 Lettuce, tomatoes, onion, green pepper Chicken salad $6.25 Grilled chicken breast served with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red cabbage, onions and house dressing Shepherd's salad $6.25 Chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil Caesar’s salad $4.95 Romaine lettuce with shaved parmesan cheese COLD APPETIZERS (All cold appetizers are vegetarian) Stuffed grape leaves $3.95 Eggplant salad $3.95 Baked eggplant, red and green bell pepper, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil Babaganoush $3.95 Hummus $3.95 Kisir $3.50 Bulgur mixed with lettuce, green onion, cucumber, parsley, spices, lemon juice and olive oil Esme $3.95 Crushed and roasted red bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, parsley, spices, lemon juice and olive oil Cacik $3.50 Homemade yogurt with diced cucumber, mint, dill and garlic Haydari $3.50 Drained yogurt with carrot and dill Combo appetizers for two $10.95 HOT APPETIZERS Lahmacun $3.50 Kiymali Borek $3.95 Phylo dough baked with ground beef, green bell pepper, onion and spices Ispanakli Borek $3.95 Phylo dough baked with feta cheese and onion Sigara Boregi $4.50 BAKED PIES (PIDE) Kavermali $7.95 Chunks of lamb mixed with veggies and spices Chicken $6.50 Chicken breasts mixed with veggies and spices Sucuk and cheese $7.95 Spiced beef sausage with cheese Cheese $5.75 Spinach and cheese $5.95 Ground beef and egg $5.95 Potatoes and cheese $5.95 Donner and cheese $6.95 SANDWICHES All sandwiches served with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red cabbage and tahini sauce on homemade pita bread or lavash Chicken doner sandwich $6.25 Beef and lamb doner sandwich $6.75 Lamb shish sandwich $7.75 Adana Kebap sandwich $7.75 Grilled Kofte sandwich $7.25 Chicken shish sandwich $6.75 Falafel sandwich $6.25 Combo doner sandwich $7 PLATTERS Lamb and beef doner $8.75 Combination of beef sirloin and lamb spiced and roasted on a vertical spitfire and thinly sliced Chicken doner $7.75 Marinated chicken roasted on a vertical spitfire and thinly sliced Lamb shish kebap $9.75 Cubes of tender leg of lamb marinated in special spices Grilled kofte $8.75 Ground beef patties with spices Chicken shish kebap $8.75 Cubes of chicken breast marinated and grilled Alexander (Iskendar) Kebap $9.75 Small cubes of bread, fresh tomato sauce, doner strips topped with a touch of butter and yogurt Beyti $9.75 Chicken Beyti $8.75 Ground chicken wrapped in lavash, served with special sauce, yogurt and butter Falafel $8.25 Manti $9.75 Mousakka $8.75 Stuffed eggplant (meat and veggies) $8.75 Stuffed eggplant (vegetarian) $7.25 DESSERT Baklava (pistachio or walnut) $3.75 Kadayif $3.50 Shredded phylo dough with walnuts and syrup Kunefe $4.75 Baked kadayif with sweet cheese served with syrup, topped with pistachios Sutlac (rice pudding) $4.50 Rice, sugar, milk, cooked and baked in an oven Kazandibi $3.50 BEVERAGES Wines, beer, soft drinks juices, water, coffee, tea. Some Turkish Ayran $1.75 Turkish soda $1.75 Turkish coffee $2.25 Turkish tea $1.00 Turkish beer but they don’t have it on the take-out menu Tue Jan 08 23:31:06 -0800 2008 3239166 10264 rworange 2 3276734 Thanks for posting the menu. I didn't know whether they had a vertical spit or not until you mentioned it. My first taste of a doner sandwich was in Paris a few months ago, and I haven't had anything close since. I'll give them a shot. Wed Jan 09 07:20:19 -0800 2008 3276262 11940 DezzerSF 2 4213087 thanks for the menu--has anyone been there on Sunday? they supposedly open at 11am and I'm thinking they might be a fun pre-matinee choice before Arabian Nights at the Berkeley Rep. Mon Dec 01 17:51:18 -0800 2008 3276262 148549 ellenmmartin 1 3278742 We stopped on for coffee and the owner(?)/cook treated us to some sweet bread. Friendly, cheerful no-frills atmosphere with GOOD coffee. Now if we knew how to read our fortunes in the grounds.... I'll have to return to try the food. Wed Jan 09 15:12:33 -0800 2008 3239166 74784 oaklanddat 2 3746527 Just came back from here and had the Lamb Shish Kebab sandwich and it was delicious. The meat was flavorful, juicy and the lavash was soft and warm, there was also a slight spicy kick to the sandwich which completed the deal for me. I has been to the Mediterranean restaurant that was at the same location before and I was not a fan. I spoke with the server and indeed the chef from A La Turca is working there now which confirmed the superiority in food. Downtown Berkeley needed another place like this and I'm glad we got it. Tue Jun 03 15:20:05 -0700 2008 3278742 71217 oscarm