Yishun is quite that neighbourhood for some of the most unexpected foodie finds in the northern side of the island — being one of the newest additions to the neighbourhood is Arab Street Turkish Restaurant, which had opened its doors silently in end-October 2022 at the foot of Blk 661 Yishun Avenue 4. The restaurant is fairly easy to locate for those who are familiar with the locality considering how it is strategically located right opposite SAFRA Yishun, though does require a little bit of exploring within the slightly deeper end of the estate for those who do not know their way around Yishun in general. Decked in a dark blue facade, Arab Street Turkish Restaurant has a pretty eye-catching exterior — think faux columns in white and gold colour schemes as well as wallpapers, while the outdoor seats do come with Turkish table lamps to further enhancing those vibes. The entire interior is decked with a similar Persian flavour; the walls and counters bearing wallpapers featuring a mosaic of Persian tiles, while the furniture features metallic and wooden accents. One could easily say that the vibes of Arab Street Turkish Restaurant follows that of those touristy establishments serving up Persian cuisine in Kampong Glam, and this is with good reason — Arab Street Turkish Restaurant is a concept by Maxim Grill International Pte Ltd, which is also known to run CAPPAdocia Turkish & Mediterranean Restaurant at Bussorah Street. The menu at Arab Street Turkish Restaurant feature sections dedicated to Soups, Cold / Hot Appetiser, Green Salad, Charcoal Grill / Charocla Grill Seafood Main Course, Turkish Tagine / Sharwama Main Course, Turkish Pizza, Crispy Fried Chicken, Dessert and Side Order. The list of beverages available at Arab Street Turkish Restaurant include canned drinks, hot beverages such as Turkish / Arab / Apple / Cumin Tea, Turkish Coffee, Milk Tea etc., as well as cold beverages such as Ayran (i.e. Turkish Yogurt Drink; available in both Sweet or Savoury variants), Fresh Lemon Mint, and Dates with Milk.

We were pretty spoilt for choice given the number of items available on the menu here, but we eventually found ourselves going for the Tagine Mussaka Cheese (Chicken), which is listed on the Turkish Tagine Main Course section on the menu. The dish is described as “minced chicken cooked in special sauce with potato and eggplant topped with mozzarella cheese” on the menu, and is also available in either beef or lamb as the different meat options for the dish. The menu also states that the dish is “served with Mandy Rice & Vermicelli Rice + Turkish Bread & Sahawi Sauce”, though we note that the folks serving us here did not ask for our choice of carbs whilst taking our order and we were served with Mandi Rice & Vermicelli Rice rather than both rice and bread as described on the menu. Nonetheless, we did feel that going for the bread could have been a better option; the rice was served at room temperature — not quite something to our preferences even though the rice does come with a hint of spices which made it quite fragrant with some crispy bits for an added texture and some bits of lamb meat for extra flavour. The Tagine Mussaka Cheese (Chicken) was enjoyable however; the special sauce being more of a savoury and rich brown sauce typical to that of western fare but with heavier notes — the entire skillet coming with chunks of eggplant, potatoes, strips of chicken, dried green chili and tomato slices; all that with melted mozzarella over the top. There was a fair bit of textures going on in the dish over here — the eggplant being cooked to a soft consistency, while the potatoes had a soft bite with crisp edges for a bit of contrast of textures; the dried green chili also providing a bit of a slight kick of spiciness to tingle the tastebuds. Whilst the melted mozzarella doesn’t cover the entire skillet, the mozzarella still manages to achieve that somewhat stretchy consistency as one pulls the cheese and the underlying elements from the skillet.

Overall, Arab Street Turkish Restaurant is not quite alike most of the establishments serving up Persian fare in the neighbourhood — that being said, Persian food establishments are already pretty much a difficult find in the heartlands to say the least. Whilst we are in no position to actually comment on whether the food from Arab Street Turkish Restaurant is authentic or not, one thing we are definitely certain about is how they are definitely one of the more interesting spots to dine at within the heartlands — one that carries a vibe that is unique on its own whilst offering the masses a taste of Persian fare given its accessibility to those staying in the vicinity (or even in the North) in general. Prices of the dishes at Arab Street Turkish Restaurant are also pretty reasonable — most of the items that are listed as a main course ranges from $8.90 to $12.90 with a few exceptions, while the family-sized platters which can be shared between 4 pax are priced between $28 to $34 for the Dulang (i.e. mixed rice, choice of meat, Sahawi & Garlic Sauce served in a tray). An interesting addition to the neighbourhood that they are in, it would be exciting to see if Arab Street Turkish Restaurant is a spot that would become popular with the residents around.