Shereen Shabnam
Recently we ventured to the Award-winning Turkish Village Restaurant to sample their diverse range of unique authentic culinary experiences that included especially curated dishes blending authentic Turkish ingredients and flavors, complete with the much-loved art of Turkish hospitality.
We discovered that the restaurant offers so much more than just good food as we entered the Jumeirah branch of the restaurant. Starting from a retail experience to a selection of delectable food with seasonal flavours and impeccable presentation, we tried different inspiring food concepts, and each was a fun and social culinary experience best enjoyed in a group.
The Turkish Village Restaurant has a capacity for large events that can accommodate over 500 guests over three levels and can curate menus that can be custom made to suit any corporate or family event. When I visited with family, we opted for the a la carte menu as we wanted to try different dishes and each one was better than the next. My favourite was a metre long ‘pide’ or pastry which came with interesting fillings of meat and cheese fresh from the oven.
More recently we ventured with there with a group of friends and tried the Turkish mangal or barbecue that includes staple starters with meat marinated with spices overnight. We selected tender marinated chicken, succulent lamb, beef, kebabs and sausages and prepared the meal together at grill tables that come equipped with a private charcoal barbeque and a custom-made extractor.
The mangal meal was served with salads, fresh bread out of the oven, sauces, cold starters and water or ayran. The Mangal experience can be enjoyed for lunch and dinner at AED 50/- per person that includes charcoal, water, ayran, salad and cold starters on the table while the chicken and meat can be availed from the in-house butcher starting at AED 110/- per kg to share.
We then ended the meal on a sweet note with traditional Turkish sweets that include kunafa, baklava stuffed with cream and pistachios and the creamiest rice pudding in the city. This was the best Turkish culinary experience we have had in Dubai as it offers an authentic dining experience at par with what we normally find in Istanbul or other parts of Turkey.
Before leaving the restaurant, we stopped at the gourmet grocer named Bakkal (Meaning Grocery store in Turkish) on the ground floor for retail therapy. Bakkal features a diverse range of fresh, dried and frozen goods imported from Turkey every week and is a dream store for party lovers looking to get ready snacks that can be prepared easily for large families and intimate parties.
The three level Turkish Village Restaurant is located strategically in Jumeirah 1 (across La Mer, next to Spinneys and the Jumeirah Grand Mosque). It offers a laid-back memorable and interactive dining experience, within a warm and welcoming ambience and is also a one-stop shop for artisanal Turkish products. We left with bags full of Turkish delights and naturally, I got some extra desserts to enjoy at home later.
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