My dining experiences at Bosporus have been consistently delightful. The noteable success of this…read morerelatively new restaurant can be ascribed largely to the personality of its affable and ever cheerful proprietor, Sabo. His influence translates to service that is always welcoming and attentive. But most important is the quality of the cuisine.
In my several visits to Bosporus as a visitor to the city, I have enjoyed each of the meals I have sampled. While I won't begin to claim expertise in Turkish cuisine, I have visited the country enough times to gain some appreciation of its native cuisine. Bosporus, I will attest, offers an excellent, somewhat upscale, rendition of the Anatolian culinary tradition. It starts with Sabo's insistence on quality ingredients: from produce, to the fresh fish and even to the Turkish wines it pours. To this, add a skilled and well-trained kitchen staff, and the results are remarkable.
For starters, the cold plate sampler included some mezze dishes that matched the excellence I experienced at some of Istanbul's best restaurants. I especially enjoy Saksuka, a medley of eggplant, tomatoes and zucchini in a tomato sauce. I also favored the several yogurt-based mezzes, the namesfor which I never caught. The quality of produce is very evident in their very refreshing Shepard Salad with its sweet peppers, cucumbers onions, and tomatoes. A favorite dish of mine that is done extremely well here is Ali Nazik, lamb strips with tomatoes and eggplant in truly lovely tomato butter sauce. The flavors include a hint of smokiness that is delightful and sets this apart from others I have tried. A dish I enjoy that would appear to be a Bosphous creation is Hurmah Kuzu Dolma, a lamb saddle stuffed with roasted walnuts, dates and pomegranate seeds. I was initially hestitant about the combination, but the dish came highly recommended. It has become one of my favorites.
If you're feeling a little adventuresome and in the mood for a sweet, you could bypass the easy and very familiar baklava for something more interesting, Kunefe is a specialty from Eastern Turkey (also found in Jordan and Syria) that I have come to like quite a bit. It is white cheese wrapped in skinny noodle threads baked to make the threads golden and crispy. It is then served with a light dose of sugar syrup. The cheese provides a richness in texture and mutes the sweetness of the sugar syrup. The dish is made to order and requires a little wait, so it's best when you plan a leisurely meal. Sip some Turkish tea and relax while you wait.
Sabo for several years was the restaurant managers of another excellent Turksish restaurant in Essen where I first met him. Even there he was extremely hard-working and knowledgeable. But Sabo's strongest suit, then and how, is his passion for serving his customers and for culinary excellence. This is reflected in all facets of his new restaurant and is what accounts for Bosporus' enormous popularity.
