Arkadaş Cafe

It was my first time trying this Turkish dessert, and it was a pleasant surprise. This Kunefe with ice cream ($17.90++) has a fried noodle-like texture for the pastry dredged in a sugar-based syrup, layered with cheese inside, and topped with nuts. The pastry itself is warm and it has the perfect balance when paired with the ice cream.

Overall taste is quite reminiscent of some hometown dish (which we cannot recall lol). 2 photos to show the pastry. 1 dish is enough for 3-4 pax :)

(Part 5/5)
Note:
- All prices are EXCLUSIVE of 10% service charge
- Will not be rating the price as I have no comparison when it comes to Turkish Cuisine

Baklava ($6++)
- Comes in 3 bite-sized pieces
Baklava's crisp and crunchy pastry was soaked in sugar syrup and had strong nutty notes (I'm pretty sure it was almonds), complementing the flaky sweet pastry. This baklava was very simple and a good pastry to satisfy one's dessert cravings but I felt that I have tasted better, was far too small and was just a tad too sweet for my liking.
Taste: 7/10

See more at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B0KWJLZApWf/?igshid=1vaj1kge8k15v

(Part 4/5)
Note:
- All prices are EXCLUSIVE of 10% service charge
- Will not be rating the price as I have no comparison when it comes to Turkish Cuisine

Kunefe ($12.90++)
'Künefe (kyoon-eh-FAY') is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with thin noodle-like pastry, or alternatively fine semolina dough, soaked in sweet, sugar-based syrup, and typically layered with cheese'; Typically topped with pistachio powder as well
As my virgin experience eating this warm pastry dessert, it was very creamy (From the whole cream), subtly sweet and crunchy. Its quite dense and stringy with the entire exterior having a texture similar to that of the light crunchy ends of a Min Jiang Kueh (Chinese pancake) combined with the bite of Hong Kong Crispy Noodles. While the dish was drenched in sweet syrup, the cheese within the pastry helped to cut through it, making the dish not too cloying, a comforting dessert to end off the meal. If you had a hearty main, can be shared amongst 3-4 pax.
Taste: 9/10 (Must-try dish)

See more at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B0KWJLZApWf/?igshid=10fgfy005wxjl

(Part 3/5)
Note:
- All prices are EXCLUSIVE of 10% service charge
- Will not be rating the price as I have no comparison when it comes to Turkish Cuisine

Beyti Kebab ($17.90++)
- 6 pieces of Grilled minced beef & lamb wrapped in Lavash (A soft thin unleavened flatbread made within a tandoor) within a mixture of cold greek yoghurt and warm tomato sauce
A very interesting dish where many different basic flavours are combined together. As the greek yoghurt on its own is not strong in flavour and only slightly sour, when combined with the warm tomato sauce it definitely elevated the sauce by adding a creamy texture but the flavour profile was overwhelmingly tangy due to the strong tomato flavour and sourish greek yoghurt. The lamb & beef wrapped in the bread tasted slightly similar to the Pide I had earlier except that this was definitely more meaty and the taste of the lamb was more muted, probably due to it being drenched in the tomato sauce and greek yoghurt mixture. Personally, I do not quite like this dish as after awhile, the flavours seemed quite flat and one-dimensional but I do appreciate the natural and fresh ingredients used.
Taste: 6/10

(Part 2/5)
Note:
- All prices are EXCLUSIVE of 10% service charge
- Will not be rating the price as I have no comparison when it comes to Turkish Cuisine

Pide with Lamb and Cheese ($14.90++)
Lamb flavour was very strong, slightly gamey which I like and the bread was nicely toasted as well. Good for sharing amongst 2-3 pax. If eaten on its own, may be quite dry after awhile hence if you can dip it in the hummus, it will definitely make this dish much better.
Taste: 8/10

(Part 1/5)
Note: 
- All prices are EXCLUSIVE of 10% service charge
- Will not be rating the price as I have no comparison when it comes to Turkish Cuisine

Lunch Set Menu B ($12++; Ala carte price for Doner Chicken Kebab is $8++)
- Comes with Soup of The Day (Tomato Soup), Salad & Doner Chicken Kebab
Tomato soup had a hint of mint, sour and tangy, not sweet but fragrant; Not your typical tomato soup. Comes with a side of Pide Bread which was very fresh and fragrant (All of their breads are very fresh). Unfortunately, did not try their salad or the donor chicken kebab.

Hummus with Pita bread ($8.90++)
To start, absolutely love their bread like seriously all their breads are good to eat on their own with this one being nicely toasted and crisp on the outside. When you get towards the middle, topped with white sesame seeds, it adds an additional crunch to the bread and greater complexity to the overall flavour profile of the bread. The hummus dip (Typically made with mashed chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt & garlic) complemented the bread very well, adding a creamy texture and earthy flavour to the bread. The overall dish was very natural and a good start to the meal.
Taste: 9/10 (Must-try dish)

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