Relaxed dining with many tasty options
BARBARA HODGSON ENJOYS A TASTE OF TURKEY – IN BIRTLEY. SO, WAS IT TURKISH DELIGHT OR BIZARRE?
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
A former pub, the restaurant has a stand-out position on the corner of Birtley’s busy main road and Harras Bank.
With no idea of where to park, we chanced upon a big free parking area tucked behind the block of shops opposite, but it seems some evening diners take advantage of the grounds of the nearby doctor’s surgery which is closed in the evenings.
Inside, rather than being lost in the huge former pub space, diners find the interior partitioned up into a choice of eating areas and made cosier with hanging Turkish lamps, tapestry, mural scenes of Turkey and red furnishings among the black seating.
I also loved the background music: beautiful Schindler’s List-like violin at one stage, which added to the relaxed ambience.
We received a warm welcome; were given a choice of two seating areas and soon were comfortably seated, with me nursing a glass of house red – served in a big bowl glass which I always think adds a touch of class – and my guest a Moretti beer.
WHAT WE HAD FOR STARTERS
The first thing which struck us were the prices: plenty of the starter dishes hover around a very reasonable £3.50/£4 mark. The next surprise was the menu’s range, which includes a barbecue section and range of pizzas among the mains on top of fish and vegetarian choices.
I fancied trying something distinctly Turkish and liked the sound of the £3.50 Kisir – a traditional side dish apparently – which mixes crushed walnuts, bulgur wheat, finely-chopped celery, tomato, red bell peppers, onion, coriander, lemon juice and parsley.
Formed into a ball shape, and held together with lemon juice and virgin olive oil, it came prettily presented with a twist of lemon and a little side salad which added a flavour of its own.
As a starter, it was light, cous cous-like in texture and interesting enough to make me want to be equally experimental with my main meal selection.
My guest struck lucky with his choice of Sucuk – grilled slices of Turkish spicy sausage with tomato priced at £3.95.
A good-size helping, it was presented as four flattened strips of delicious meat with a really punchy flavour, nestling on top of a mixed leaf salad with a sole cherry tomato and a drizzle of dressing which added a touch of sharpness to the salty sausage slices.
I’d definitely pick it myself next time.
HOW WAS THE MAIN COURSE?
Service was prompt and – while our friendly wait-
ress was happy to chat between courses – it was soon on to the mains.
Feeling we were on a roll, I decided to go full-out in the spirit of experimentation and pick another dish I’d never heard of, just to find out what I might get next.
The Iskender, for £10.50, sounded a good bet with its choice of chargrilled lamb shish, adana – which is a blend of minced lamb, herbs and spices – or chicken shish served in a “special” tomato sauce on a bed of Turkish bread; all flavoured with butter and mint and accompanied by yoghurt.
Having chosen the chicken, my resulting dish was topped with huge chunks of it – so much so, in fact, that it needed careful handling to ensure it didn’t overflow.
The only downside – for me – was the texture of the chicken. Some of the chunks were curiously dense and therefore difficult to cut – and most were so big that I could only wonder at the size of the chicken they came from.
Admittedly, I am a bit fussy about textures but I did enjoy that of the bread at the bottom which had been made chewy by the tomato sauce and the plus here were the combined flavours: rich, bold and satisfying and offset by the layered yoghurt which jostled for space at one side of the dish.
My guest’s Turkish-style meatballs (£9.95) had a proper home-made look. The generous helping of lamb meatballs, cooked in a tomato sauce, was accompanied by vegetables and a serving of rice. And there were distinctive layers of spice in there which made them a cut above the norm.
Again, both dishes were attractively presented and beautifully fragrant.
AND DESSERTS?
I could manage only ice cream and my choice of pistachio (£3.50) – with real pieces of nut – was served knickerbockerglory-style with cream and a swirl of chocolate dressing.
Whereas mine was a refreshing finish to the meal, my guest was pushing the boat out.
And his baklava, for just 45p more, proved a bargain choice – and such a hit that I didn’t even get a taste.
Suffice to say, the trio of filo pastry parcels soaked in honey and syrup with nuts – and cream too as an added indulgent touch was considered worth every one of its no doubt many calories.
COST
With a 250ml glass of house red (a merlot; £4.50) and large Moretti at £3.50 – plus two coffees for just £3 – the total bill came to £46.35 which we thought extremely good value.
A nice touch was a piece of Turkish delight served with our coffee.
OVERALL
A good find and a very enjoyable evening, helped by its relaxed atmosphere and friendly nature of the staff. There’s plenty choice on offer so I’d imagine A’la Turka is a popular choice with families, although it was pretty quiet during the mid-week evening we visited.
Available menus include a kids’ deal; lunch-time, happy hour and Sunday lunch options.