Gourmet Traveller (Australia)

YOUNG TURK

Chef Ibrahim Kasif brings the spirited flavours of Turkey to Sydney at Stanbuli – it’s classic, it’s contempora­ry and it’s a whole lot of fun.

- RECIPES IBRAHIM KASIF WORDS TONI MASON PHOTOGRAPH­Y WILLIAM MEPPEM STYLING LISA FEATHERBY DRINK SUGGESTION­S JOE VALORE

Chef Ibrahim Kasif brings the spirited flavours of Turkey to Sydney at Stanbuli.

Every few weeks Ibrahim Kasif’s grandmothe­r climbs the stairs to the firstfloor dining room at Stanbuli to eat her grandson’s food – and she loves it. It’s an illustrati­on of how Kasif’s cooking has in some ways come full circle. “It’s funny,” says Kasif. “You learn all these techniques and amazing tricks, but the default is my grandmothe­r’s cooking and my mother’s cooking. These are the flavours I adored growing up, and that’s what I try to emulate.”

The chef-patron of Stanbuli, whose heritage is Turkish-Cypriot, was first inspired to open a Turkish restaurant as an apprentice working at Peter Conistis’s modern Greek restaurant Omega. “I thought it was exciting that he was reinterpre­ting his own cuisine, and I thought then I wanted to do something with Turkish food.”

A decade later, enter partners Joe Valore, Elvis Abrahanowi­cz and Sarah Doyle of Porteño, where Kasif worked as a senior chef for three years. Together they renovated the former Marie-Louise beauty salon on Enmore Road, retaining the glorious façade, and transformi­ng the interior. The simple, clean fit-out recalls the meyhanes, or tavernas, of Turkey without leaning on clichés. Its white walls are hung with pictures sourced from Istanbul along with the accordion-style lanterns, the bar is topped with marble, the floor elegantly tiled, and not a rug in sight.

And it’s a hit. The combinatio­n of flavoursom­e food, charming service and an irresistib­le fun vibe won a fast following when it opened late last year.

The menu is rooted in tradition with the occasional contempora­ry twist. “I may have played on flavours but in a subtle way, not changing what the dish stands for,” says Kasif.

He’s especially proud of the stuffed mussels, a typical street dish that won’t be coming off the menu any time soon. “To me they taste exactly like they do on the street – very peppery, very strong on allspice. They haven’t been reinterpre­ted or tricked up.”

In keeping with the meyhanes, eating at Stanbuli is about small plates, many cooked over charcoal made fragrant with raw ironbark. The octopus that follows is a case in point. The secret is cooking it twice: poaching it, drying it overnight, then grilling it to perfection. “We don’t sous-vide it. It’s just real honest cookery.” Served with the luscious tarama, it’s a luxurious dish.

The shepherd’s salad, a childhood favourite, is a fresh foil to rich dishes such as the duck. “We take a lot of pride in it, just like my mum and my grandmothe­r used to. They’d take great care preparing the salad, even though we had it every

night. There’s a lot of love goes into it.” 135 Enmore Rd, Enmore, NSW, (02) 8624 3132, stanbuli.com.au

 ??  ?? Charcoal-grilled octopus and tarama
(RECIPE P125)
Charcoal-grilled octopus and tarama (RECIPE P125)
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