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The Bosphorus, Cardiff Bay
After a few months spent in the wilderness of Terra Nova (which for a pub in the Bay is actually very good) we decided to return to an old favourite - The Bosphorus Turkish Restaurant.
The lunch time menu is extensive - three options ranging from a light lunch of hot and cold mezze (£5.35) to the mighty BBQ lunch - which at £8.50 a head sets itself a little higher than other lunches in the area.
Being in a carnivorous mood, we all opted for the BBQ menu. After taking the drinks orders our starters were dispatched from the kitchen in around 10 minutes, we opted for two portions of Humus, one of Hellim and one of the avocado.
The Humus was stunning, I defy anyone to find anything more comforting that dipping great hunks of (complimentary!) Turkish flat bread into the smooth, cold creaminess of the chickpea and tahini dip. It's just so easy to eat. With a side salad of lettuce and cucumber, it just slipped down leaving me wanting more.
I also managed to steal some of the Hellim, deep fried Turkish halloumi cheese, golden brown on the outside, cut into small slabs. Delicious.
The Avocado stuffed with prawns and a Maryland sauce – was declared to be more than acceptable.
We were all ready for more and awaited our main courses eagerly. Now dear readers, I am not one to be rushed over my food. I like to have time to savour the last course as well as the atmosphere and indulge in my other hobby, people watching. But at lunchtime, in a room that's only half full, you do not expect to be kept waiting for thirty minutes. The waiters hastily served the tables around us, refusing to meet out pleading gazes. No explanation was given when our main course finally did arrive.
However, the chef redeemed himself. We were all very predictable, ordering the Kuzu Shish - charcoal grilled lamb kebabs, served with steamed rice, a grilled tomato and grilled chilli. The lamb melted with pressed with the fork, and even more so in the mouth, the little layer of fat giving it a richness and depth that, accompanied with the grilled chilli, is a little piece of heaven. Ok, I'm overdoing it a little. But trust me, it more than made up for our grumbling tummies.
The same waiters who had earlier avoided us now seemed only to keen to clear our table and palm us with the dessert menu. My fellow diners look to me on this - I have a very sweet tooth and claim to have two stomachs (one is especially for puddings) which means that, no matter how full I am, I can always manage dessert. This time I was not alone, with them opting for the poached pear and my partner opting for the traditional Baklava. I used to follow his example, but have learnt that even with two stomachs, a girl cannot eat a BBQ lunch and Baklava - its syrupy sweetness is just too much. Instead I ordered another favourite - apricots stuffed with a cream and pistachios.
The puddings arrived and to be honest, I was a little disappointed. They were all drowned in a thick layer of bright, iridescent pink goo - raspberry sauce. The kind that children like with their “99”. Yep. I was gutted. We all tucked in regardless. The apricots are, for something stuffed with whipped cream, light and delicious - really soft and juicy, if slightly spoilt by the pink slick on my plate. The baklava was flaky and sweet in the right proportions, and the pear concoction, poached in wine, slipped down easily.
All this, with drinks, came to a little over £15 a head. Aside from the waiting times, I will definitely eat here again.
Bosphorus
31 Mermaid Quay,
Cardiff Bay CF10 5BZ
Tel: 029 2048 7477
Fax: 029 2045 2977
Web: www.bosphorus.co.uk
Review by Nicola Tudor
myspace.com/cardiffbitesback