OMG, I have lost count of how many days I've been in hiatus of updating my blog. Being so busy and in need of inspiration to gather myself in writing again and I am glad that I am back!
My recent restaurant visit was Anatolia at Kemang area, a restaurant that serves authentic Turkish cuisine. I was not yet familiar with the area and the road around the restaurant was quite dark and I could barely see the banner and the front door. But thank God for the GPS that patiently told me that I have arrived my destination.
When I parked, I did not see any other car and the place seemed "dead". So, my assumption of good eating places will produce a long line of customers popped up in my head and questioned if the food was worth to try. However, I am not always right, aren't I?
My first impression of the interior decoration was so "Middle-Eastern"; the first breath I take brought me to a Turkish and hotel-kinda like smell. Right before I stepped on dining area, there was a rack of genie's lamps on the right and a sofa on the left that I assumed it's for hungry customers who are waiting for their name to be called when the restaurant is full house. Apparently, the waiters and waiters also dressed in clothing and using perfumes that enhanced Middle Eastern feeling.
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| The Turkish Utensils |
Every dining table is uniquely designed and arranged to highlight the "Turkish" ambiance. When I was handed in the menu, to be honest, I had no idea what to order as I never really had Turkish dishes before except the fast food kebab I had eaten. It took around 10 minutes for me and my friend to decide what to order.
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| Tahinli Patlican (IDR 50k) |
Our first course was a cold appetizer called Tahinli Patlican that was a dipping made of a blend of charred grilled aubergine, yogurt, tahini and extra virgin olive oil. The dish was served with a unique bubbly warm bread. I can taste the charred flavor from the grilled aubergine that made me kept digging in. I was ohming while chewing slowly the warm bread with the cold dipping inside my mouth. It was weird at first but it's getting addictive the more I ate it.
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| Kuskus Salatasi (IDR 50k) |
I was so curious of kuskus' taste as it oftentimes appears on food TV shows. Therefore, I decided to ordered the kuskus salad. Honestly, I was kind of skeptical about it being a good one and unfortunately, it indeed was not really suite my palate, even though it was not as bad as what I thought. The kuskus was like well, kuskus, but luckily the dressing helped brighten up the dishes. The vinaigrette, fresh chopped veggies and dried herbs produced an enticing freshness and sourness.
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| Adana Kebab, Lamb (IDR 105k) |
My hardcore belly brought me to the next dish, a portion of lamb Adana Kebab for sharing with my friend. Many people might think that a kebab is supposed to be a wrapped meat that filled with veggies and other condiments. However, kebab is actually only the meat itself. It usually served with a metal skewer and the other ingredients I mentioned above. But the interesting part I discovered that day was a portion of pilav (rice) included on the plate.
The rice was infused with raisins and some nuts that I failed to figure out the name; it was bland, as my first thought. But I was sure there was an intention of putting the rice there. Hence I followed my guts and built my own complete kebab by combining every ingredients on the plate and put it in my mouth. The result was fantastic. Every ingredient complement each other very well; the salty, spicy and savory lamb with the fresh and sour mayonnaise and tomato salad, topped with the pilav and finally wrapped with the bread. Heaven!
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| Baklava (IDR 45k) |
Decided to close my dining experience there, my last order was a portion of baklava. I was afraid of ordering baklava as I heard that it is super sweet. I am a sweet tooth undeniably, but I still want a dessert that is not only bursting sugary sweetness in my mouth. Fortunately, it was well breaking my low expectation, this dish was so good. It was not as sweet as I thought, although it was still a very sinful dish. The pastry was crispy, the filling was fairly sweet and buttery and the pistachio was stand out. Recommended!
It was a pleasant experience back then and I will be back for sure, especially for my guilty pleasure, baklava!
Anatolia
Jl. Kemang Raya No. 110A
Kemang
South Jakarta
Monday - Friday, Sunday :11.00 - 14.30 , 17.00 - 23.00
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