New Turkish eatery serves great food in cozy surroundings
While there is no lack of Caucasian eateries in Kyiv, the Middle Eastern cuisine is not yet presented in great variety, so news of such a restaurant opening up easily attracts the attention of any gourmet. Therefore, having heard a number of highly positive comments about the new Turkish eatery LaLe, I decided to visit it without hesitation.
Having walked up the quiet Sofiyivska street – one of those going up from Maidan – we reached our destination only to discover that above the entrance it distinctly read “ZaZe” instead of “LaLe” – the letters were simply drawn too intricately, and someone who came across this place by chance without knowing much about it, would probably leave with the twisted version of the name in his mind.
Upon entering, I wasn’t sure where to go, as the carpeted steps lead us both downstairs and upstairs, and we seemed to be standing on some sort of landing. However, the girl who greeted us motioned us to go up, and in a few seconds she was joined by a Turkish gentleman who could be either the host, manager or owner of LaLe. He hurried to greet us himself, and quickly gave directions to the girl to take our coats, while he led us into the hall.
The place looked empty but for a couple of people chatting on the couch, and we settled at a table by a window, overlooking the darkened street. The oblong hall of the restaurant was wrapped in dim lighting, which was intensified by the shades of brown that prevailed in the interior. The latter was not a bit pompous, which was a relief, considering how often I had seen it present in oriental restaurants. Chairs and couches with patterned upholstery and Persian miniatures did accent the theme of the restaurant, while the main role was clearly given to the food.
The menu involved a full set of Turkish signature dishes, including a great selection of kebabs, as well as Manti, Pastirma, Dolma, Sujuk, Kofte and others. Though Turkish cuisine is generally considered quite meaty, my friend had no problem finding dishes that didn’t contain any, as there were plenty of offerings of eggplant, pepper, cabbage, rice and brynza. Unfortunately his attempt at ordering artichoke stuffed with shrimp failed – they didn’t have artichoke at the moment, so he chose eggplant dolma (Hr 39) instead, as well as Muska (Hr 37) – triangles with brynza as they were described on the menu, and his own favorite lentil-based soup, only this time it was to be a real Turkish Chorba Mercimek (Hr 29). For my part, I picked Chorba Domates (Hr 27) – the tomato kind of the same customary thin soup, as well as Karniyarik (Hr 76) – a dish of eggplant and veal with Bulgur rice (Hr 22).
Quite soon we received our soups. My friend was absolutely delighted with his lentil one – it was creamy and light, and I was more than pleased with my tomato chorba, which arrived with some grated cheese on the side of the plate. I could add it to the soup if I wished as the waiter informed me. I did so and indeed – having melted in the creamy tomato concoction it felt simply perfect. Quickly done with his soup, my friend turned his attention to the Dolma and brynza in pastry that were already standing before him. He gave high praise to the brynza, which was slightly melted cheese in fried, crunchy pastry. It was one of those dishes which I admire for being so delicious while being made of such simple ingredients (though the portion could be bigger), and the sauce that was served with it made it juicier.
He equally enjoyed the classical Dolma of eggplants stuffed with rice, though having tried it I had to admit it wasn’t exactly my kind of food. Karniyarik, on the other hand, definitely was. Made from eggplant cooked on an open fire and stuffed with minced meat and tomato paste, it was hot, tender and filling. The meat was mixed with eggplant so evenly in fact, that I could hardly tell which was which.
Still a bit hungry, my friend then opted for hummus, or Ezme Nohut, as it’s called in Turkish, which is a traditional dish of ground chick peas. Meanwhile I, though quite full already, just had to try what was called traditional Turkish halva in the dessert section of the menu. The truth is something that is called “halva” here in Ukraine is usually sunflower seed paste made in one big solid brick, which is then sold by weight. I had a strong suspicion that what I was going to be served was very different. I was quite right – this halva was semolina-based and therefore was quite crumbly, moderately sweet with a strong honey flavor, filled with nuts and raisins. It had a wonderful gelatinous texture, which was combined nicely with the cool creaminess of the ice cream that hid inside the round-shaped serving of halva. It was also served with a bit of sauce, which I first thought to be honey, but it turned out much more liquidy and sour-sweet with what appeared to me as apricot flavor.
It was quite late already so I quickly finished my tea and we hurried home, being walked to the door by that same Turkish gentleman. It was indeed noticeable that the place had just recently opened – the waiter was somewhat clumsy and unsure in his actions, though trying very hard to make a good impression and so did other members of staff. But I have no problem with that, unless the attention is excessive, and it wasn’t. What’s most important is that they cooked genuine food instead of relying on the attractiveness of the interior, which surely made LaLe an exceptionally good addition to Kyiv’s mid-range ethnic restaurants.
LaLe (14 Sofiyivska, 278-7566). Open noon till 11 p.m.
English menu: Yes
English-speaking staff: Some
Average meal: Hr 150
