The art of Turkish cuisine at Kaftan
Can you count the number of dishes on the table? Well, don’t count. Just head over to Kaftan Turkish Cuisine & Fine Art in Jumeirah and treat yourself to authentic Turkish cuisine in a wonderful setting.
These are just scenes from the blogger’s meet up at the restaurant, but read on to find out my favorites, what’s hot and what’s not (not many for the latter though).
Daiquiri & Mojito
The Zomato meetup at Kaftan started with these really refreshing mocktails.
The Peach Daiquiri and Strawberry Mojito in this picture are two of their bestsellers and definitely cannot be missed. These fruity drinks will not last throughout your meal though, especially during summers. So in a way, it gives you an opportunity to experiment with more!
Gurme Peynir Tabagi
Yet another strikingly pretty item on their breakfast menu, this cheese platter at Kaftan Restaurant is a must have for cheese lovers.
Served perfectly on a wooden board, the Gurme Peynir Tabagi offers a collection of four different gourmet Turkish cheese varieties. It is served along with classic accompaniments of black grapes, dried figs, apricots and walnuts.
At only AED 55, this one could easily be shared among two or four, depending on whether you take this as a starter or a main.
I wonder though if I could get this as a takeaway to pair it up with some grape beverage for a lazy Saturday home brunch.
Kasap Sucuk Izgara
You haven’t tasted the best Sujuk yet if you haven’t tried this one at Kaftan Restaurant.
Grilled and butter fried on an iron skillet to an absolutely tender and fragrant melt-in-your-mouth perfection, the Kasap Sucuk Izgara uses 100% fresh beef soudjouk in this homemade Turkish breakfast delicacy.
The green pepper and red chili garnish add a spicy finish. These beautifully mingle with the smooth texture of the meat.
Honestly if I could have, this would have been the only item I would have eaten for the rest of the evening.
Bal & Kaymak
Calories! If it hadn’t been for these tiny devils that conveniently set up camp on your waist and hips, I would have devoured this Bal & Kaymak everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. One of the very well known delicacies of Turkish cuisine, this one comes with a block of extremely sweet organic bee honeycomb sourced from the high mountains of Kars. That’s the one in the background.
And then there’s the heavenly, rich and luscious piece of Turkish clotted cream. This fresh dairy cream comes in a smooth texture that just melts in your mouth like a cloud. A very raw, natural version of honey and cream, you have to eat them both in one spoon to experience the beauty of the slightly stringy honey and thick cream creating magnificence in every bite.
Meat Platter
One of the most crucial elements of Turkish cuisine are their meats. Spiced, coated, grilled – these spell out paradise for every meat lover. I would even go on to say that you haven’t fully experienced Turkish cuisine until you haven’t had their meats!
This platter came with a combination of tavuk, kofte and kebab. These were served over freshly baked bread accompanied with spicy green peppers and char grilled tomatoes. There’s also the Meyhane Pilav made from Turkish bourghoul rice with eggplant and capsicum.
You can opt for individual dishes on their menu or go for a platter and try out a little of everything.
Simit Katmer
We all know how integral pistachios are to Turkish desserts. It’s almost like they’re inseparable. And this is made evident once again in the Simit Katmer at Kaftan Restaurant.
This signature Antep specialty is made with phyllo dough in a circular shape which is later cut into smaller serving portions. The phyllo is filled with layers of Turkish pistachio, fresh cream and pistachio spread. This homemade dessert served warm with crushed pistachio garnish offers a crunch and cream combination in every bite.
Pasa Kadayif
Alas! Another sweet ending. Although when you’re dining at Turkish restaurant there will be more than one dessert, which means more than one sweet ending. If you read my previous post, you already know about the first dessert I tried, and the magic ingredient which takes the spotlight on all Turkish desserts. Well, this was the second one.
With pistachios at the heart of the dish, like in the former, the Pasa Kadayif is worthy of royalty. One of the acclaimed desserts eaten by Sultans, this one’s made with thin strands of phyllo dough, studded and stuffed with a mix of crushed and whole pistachios. The dough is baked in a copper pan until it is firm and crispy. It is then carefully layered with Maras Dondurma – Turkish goat milk ice cream. I have always loved Turkish ice cream. It’s not only light, but has a unique sweet flavor with a slightly stringy texture that melts in your mouth. The Maras Dondurma, combined with that crunchy pistachio bake, are a match made in heaven.
The end product looks like a rich ice cream sandwich, one that’s definitely worth a try!
Good to know
There are two great things about this chic place you need to know now:
* They have a beautiful summer tent set up outside the restaurant offering Burj Al Arab views. It is propped up with tree highlights, lanterns, and traditional Turkish accents. This tent will be up until the end of September, so make sure you don’t miss out on that.
* Kaftan has an extensive an absolutely delicious breakfast menu which takes the concept of all day breakfast one step further. It serves designated dishes all the way until 3 am in the morning.
We honestly couldn’t tell if it was breakfast or main course, cause we were just too busy devouring all that goodness.
But you head over to Kaftan Restaurant in Jumeirah and treat yourself to authentic Turkish cuisine in a wonderful setting.
Kaftan Turkish Cuisine & Fine Art
Location: Opposite Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim, Dubai
Contact: 04 2753062
