Sultan of St-Denis

>> Turkish delights at Palais Istanbul

by MATHILDE RABBAT

Save the fare, don’t expect to find images of the Blue Mosque, evil eyes or other things Turkish at Palais Istanbul on St-Denis, also synonymously known as Château Istanbul. This first-rate resto may not do French cuisine on the menu, but it appears to take its cue from this type of cuisine by prizing a certain European refinement that extends from the décor of the establishment to the all-important execution of dishes.

The friendly server welcomes you with Turkish flat bread (pide), sliced into strips and heated, the perfect little spade to scoop the accompanying olive oil and balsamic pond, as well as an enticing starter or two. No less than a dozen cold entrées (soguk baslangic) and half as many of the warm variety grace the menu card. For the undecided or non-committal types, the mixed platter of appetizers (ordir tabagi), destined for either a couple ($14.95), or a foursome ($26.95), is a very satisfying bet. That way, you get to sample half a dozen treats, every one as promising as the next.

Since fried goods are best warm, I smoked the cheese cigar first (sigara boregi). This golden crispy shell snuggling a soft feta and dill interior did not disappoint. I went from one cigar to another as I quickly polished off a compact stuffed wine leaf (yaprak sarma) next. I’ve sampled many a stuffed grape leaf in my time, but none sported quite the same je-ne-sais-quoi as this compact, slender cylinder. Was that a smidgen of cardamom I detected? Whatever it was, it had good chemistry with the rest of the cast, cooked rice and pine nuts. Green stringy beans sautéed in olive oil and tomato sauce with chunky garlic (zeytinyagli fasulye), served chilled, provided nice bedfellows with the other neighbouring cold appetizers, featuring two varieties of highly viscous sour yogurt—one with garlic and shredded fresh spinach, and the other with garlic, dill and crushed walnut (haydari)—both incorporating about 10 per cent fat, the way it ought to be.

Finally, the room temperature patlican soslu (cooked eggplant, yellow and red pepper, diced tomato and onion concoction, in an olive oil ablution) was so delectable that it actually made an adjoining thick, but mild, hummus dashed with paprika—tasty in its own right—appear somewhat uneventful.

After the hors d’oeuvres were history, it was time to evaluate the stuff that the main dishes were made of. My hopes of sampling their iskender kebab were dashed as I was told that they only prepare it on Fridays and Saturdays and maybe Sundays, if the heavens are smiling on you. The disappointment quickly faded upon laying hungry eyes on my adana kebab platter ($13.95), which scored high marks for both presentation and near flawless execution. All food groups are well in hand with two grilled juicy minced beef brochettes lying on a bed of white and brown rice, and a healthy salad composed of a trio of adjoining shredded mounds of carrot, romaine leaves and red cabbage, all topped with onion ringlets doused in a vinegar and coriander powder marinade.

Compared to the adana skewer, the Sultan’s Delight (hunkar begendi, $15.95), a traditional ottoman recipe and the chef’s signature dish, deceivingly appears smaller in stature. With a thick bed of puréed potato and eggplant, spiked with just a hint of nutmeg acting as the undercarriage for scrumptious cubes of lamb drizzled with a delicious butter and hot pepper elixir, it’s clearly a dish fit for a sultan, and you will not have room for dessert. If that doesn’t sound enticing enough, various other permutations on the rather extensive menu, fashioned with grilled fish, beef, chicken, lamb, veal or vegetables, come in both kebab and non-skewered forms.

White linens, a well-stocked wine cellar and muted tones complementing its stone walls bring to mind la fine cuisine française, rather than the Eurasian delicacies it does so well. Still, in this time of Ramadan, there’s no better way to break a fast than a visit to the Palais.