Turkish cuisine is largely known through doner and kebab, thankfully, Bosporus is here to delight us with more Turkish eats. Turkish cuisine overlaps our Middle Eastern food in so many ways that at a first glance you might think you have eaten it before, but Turkish cuisine is full of its’ own character, and Bosporus proves it by staying true to core Turkish cuisine. Turkish Food in Heliopolis
Dishes Sampled
Our review fell on one of the coldest days of the year so consequently we started off with a warm, hearty red lentil soup, which in Turkey is called Mercimek Çorbası. Our soup was seasoned with cumin and Aleppo pepper, garnished with a slice of lemon on the side, served with a particular type of bread called Ramazan Pidesi. A sort of leavened, round shaped bread, decorated with a crisscross pattern, topped with nigella and sesame seeds.
Following that we were presented with a beautiful selection of 7 traditional dips and an assortment of mezze. Muhammara; Aci Ezmi – a rather spicy tomato dip, very typical of Turkish cuisine; Cacik – a refreshing yogurt, cucumber, mint, garlic dip; Hummus; Moutabel with tahina; Babaganoush and Olives Salad. A large puffed flat bread came along with the mixed appetizers platter. The tantalizing smell of warm bread coming from the oven filled our table. Like that, we were set to scoop into the dips.
Soon after a sequence of the restaurant’s best dishes arrived one after the other. The Bosporus Salad is a signature dish, composed of three different types of lettuce, chopped tomatoes, pomegranate, white slated cheese, golden raisins, and crushed walnuts. Followed by Antep Lahmacun which is the equivalent of a thin crusted pizza – seasoned with minced meat and spices. There are two options: regular or spicy. Next came the lamb Kofta, then vine leaves served warm, topped with Iskander sauce (tomato, garlic and basil) and served with the typical Turkish yogurt, a bit sourer than we expected.
As the main dishes arrived, we realized that Lamb is the basic Turkish kitchen meat. It was present in all our mains, marinated, grilled, plain, stewed. Kurzu Pirzola – this dish of lamb chops was pure juiciness and tenderness with a pleasant lemony sharpness from the sumac used in the marinating. Bosporus Mixed Grill was garnished with rice, charcoal vegetables and thinly sliced red onions. The Testyi Kebab dish is a show on its own.
On a separate table, high flames surrounded a sealed clay pot filled with slow cooked meat and vegetables, with the unveiling of the contents inside the pottery happening before your eyes. A steaming hot lamb cubes kebab stew on a tomato base sauce, onions, garlic and full of aromatic spices. We could not have left without the sweetness of the Turkish desserts. The richness of the Baklava was intriguing with ice cream inside the filo pastry, topped with chopped pistachio. We wrapped up with a special homemade Ayran – a super refreshing, simple mixture of yogurt, water and salt.
Other Menu Options that Appealed & Beverages
The Bosporus menu consists of over 170 items, so plenty of options to try on each visit. It also includes both cold and hot drinks.
Photos
Décor & Ambience
Decor is clean and elegant. A beautiful arabesque wooden wall panel gives the place an Ottoman vibe. The restaurant has two seating areas: an indoor area that faces the inside of the mall and a much larger outdoor area within the mall’s food hub court space. Turkish Food in Heliopolis
Clientele Mix: Mall goers, families, friends, businesses diners.
Price Range: Reasonably priced
Contact Information:
Address: City Center Almaza
Working hours: Mall hours
Telephone: +2 0106 271 2479
Facebook/instagram: @thebosporueg
Wondering where to dine this weekend? Check out our reviews for the best restaurants in Cairo in this link
