Turkuaz Authentic Turkish Kitchen

I have heard the buzz about Turkuaz for quite sometime. But only had the chance to visit it a few weeks ago. The very first time I came was a major disappointment, because it turns out that without prior reservation, it is impossible to get a table, even less so on a busy Saturday evening. So, not wanting to repeat the same mistake, I called and made a reservation one week ahead, only vaguely requested to be seated at a nice table, because I had no idea about what it's like inside.

The second time we came, we got a rather lousy table, right next to the busy kitchen counter and the cashier register. It was somehow very windy in that corner and not comfortable to sit at, let alone to enjoy our food. Despite waiting for quite some time, the genial proprietor of Turkuaz, Ms. Yanti, kindly assisted us and sincerely apologized for the inconvenience and moved us to a better spot. 

Tommy, who spent 2 years living in Istanbul, took charge of deciding what to order that evening. I learned from him that Turkish cuisine is heavily influenced by milk products such as cheese and yoghurt. They even have salty yoghurt / milk beverage that is typically Turkish, which I once had in Anatolia, Kemang, but I wasn't keen to have it anymore. As much as I love milk and cheese, there's what I call a saturation point.

I can only conclude with how much I love all the dishes served by the genial Chef Sezai Zorlu. Although I didn't get to try the dessert, the 2 appetizers and 1 main course we shared, already filled our hearty tummies:

• Tahinli Patlican - Char grilled mashed aubergines mixed with Tahini, garlic, yoghurt and extra virgin olive oil (comes served with 1 pc of Lavas Ekmeqi, a hollow oven-baked Turkish bread)
• Ispanakli Peynirli Borek - baked puff with spinach and Turkish white cheese filling -> This is my favourite!
• Iskander Kebab - Shaved Doner Kebab with tomato puree and bread bits, served with Yoghurt dan Sehriyeli Pilav (Turkish savoury rice)

Ambiance wise, the dim and warm yellow lighting emanates romantic setting, but the table for two created quite a big space, that makes it hard to chat if you're seated across from each other. Despite the minor glitches, I will always have a strong reason to come back and certainly: to try the dessert.

PS: No alcohol is served here, but they provide uncorking service for a cost of IDR 80,000

Rating: 4 out of 5

Centerpiece on the ceiling

Ispanakli Peynirli Borek IDR 40,000

Tahinli Patlican IDR 42,000 + Lavas Ekmeqi (hollow bread) IDR 10,000

Iskander Kebab IDR 105,000

Mint Turkish Tea IDR 22,000

*) Prices are subject to 10% Service Charge and 10% Tax PB 1

Turkuaz

JL. Gunawarman No. 32

Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan

Ph: (021) 7279 5846 / 7279 5853