The World in 202 Meals

Like many an Englishman, my first encounters with Turkish food had me wolfing down a pita full of chicken shish on the way home from the pub. Like the curry and the Chinese takeaway, the kebab—served by Turks more often than not—has become quite a fixture in our fast food landscape, almost as English as Chicken Tikka Masala.

Like all foreign fast food though, it leads one to certain inevitable questions: Is this how it’s really eaten in Turkey? What might a more authentic sit-down meal consist of? How can they stand the influx of drunks at closing time?

It wasn’t until I first moved to London (Dalston, fortuitously) that I found answers to some of these. Dalston is home to London’s most recent wave of Turkish immigrants, and as such the best place for a really authentic Turkish meal. A cheap one, too—I remember being astounded at the generosity of the diner across the road, which would feed me lots of lamb stew with plates of rice, fresh bread, salad and pickles for just £3. Some years later I was hankering after a return to one of these establishments, and found the options have multiplied even further since my last visit.

Turkish grills, or ocakbasi, dominate the upper stretches of Kingsland road, with the Mangal chain particularly renowned. These represent the more authentic origins of England’s fast-food kebab shops, with their charcoal grills and cabinets full of freshly-skewered meat. We wanted to try some Turkish mezze as well though, so after some deliberation headed to 19 Numara Bos Cirrik 1, one of the best-reputed local restaurants with a grill and an extensive restaurant menu too.

Turkey, of course, is a big country with many borders, and its cuisine reflects this, bringing together flavours from Greece and the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Our plate of mixed mezze served as a great example of this. Cacık (cucumber with yoghurt, dried mint and olive oil) is the Turkish version of Greek favourite Tzatziki, and Patlican soslu (grilled aubergine and pepper in an olive oil-rich sauce) definitely brought to mind the Mediterranean. Tahini-rich hummus and taze fasulye (a mezze made from green beans) might feel at home in the middle-east, while the Russian salad and our favourite starter, mücver, recalled Eastern Europe. (Mücver are soft fritters made from potatoes, cheese, egg, minced courgette and dill).

The kebab and the charcoal grill still feel like the heart of Turkish cooking, and of the menu at Bos Cirrik. Having led 202 Meals there myself, I feel almost obliged to try their £12 mixed grill, a selection of kebabs which you can watch sizzle over the coals.

(We are sorely tempted by an aubergine and minced meat kebab, grilled wrapped in foil, but are warned, as I have been elsewhere, that these involve a quite a time commitment. Someday I must wait for one of these beasts.)

Juicy chicken şiş and çöp şiş (small lamb chunks) are familiar from more everyday kebab joints, but what a change to taste them succulent, well-marinated and fresh off the smoky charcoal grill. Pieces of lamb shank (a giant skewer of which Andrea almost conquers) add variety, and an Adana (minced lamb) skewer tastes homemade, juicy and rich with fresh herbs. Alex’s beyti is similar, but comes encased in thin Turkish bread before slicing, something of a novelty to us and very tasty. His was served İskender style (sliced over garlicy yoghurt and tomato sauce), while our grills came with butter-infused Turkish rice.

We all shared free sides – lots of fresh pide (the Turkish version of pita bread, softer and thicker, without the pocket) and three different salads including, to my delight, what I now know to be Izgara soğan. I have saved this until last, because it is actually my favourite part of the meal. It is slices of grilled onion, served with a dramatic purple sauce made from pomegranate syrup, turnip juice, and sumac (a sour, purple-coloured powdered spice common in Turkish cooking). It’s wonderfully intense, providing sour bursts of flavour and some crunch to help the meat along its way.

By now, as you can imagine, we were stuffed. The size of their portions is incredible, and in retrospect ordering mains after mezze was a little rash. Sometimes I do find Turkish main courses a little too much of the same thing, consisting as they often do of big, straightforward combinations of grilled meat, bread, rice, salad and yoghurt. When well-executed with fresh ingredients, as they are at Bos Cirrik, they are delicious—but the ingredients are key, and one should be careful to avoid ordering too much.

In summary

19 Numara Bos Cirrik 1
34 Stoke Newington Road, Dalston, N16 7XJ
020 7249 0400
Open noon to midnight daily

More Turkish

Dalston abounds with cheap and authentic Turkish eateries, with lots more in surrounding areas of North and North-east London
including Stoke Newington, Green lanes and Finsbury park. We can recommend Petek on Stroud Green road, which offers some great Turkish food in a slightly cosier restaurant setting.

There are also many Turkish bakeries in North London; a local favourite for me is the Yildiz bakery in Archway, serving delicious lamacun (Turkish flatbread with minced meat and spices), börek (pastries stuffed with cheese, spinach, meat and other fillings), baklava and other Turkish deserts.