Konak, Roath, Cardiff Turkish restaurant review

There’s a good reason why many people’s favourite curry house, Chinese restaurant or fish and chip shop is just a short walk from where they live.

It’s not necessarily because they serve the best food, have the friendliest service, or the best vibes.

Of course, they’re all very important. But, it’s convenience which is the factor that many people neglect to mention when naming their favourite places. 

I can certainly relate. At the end of a busy week, I’d rather go somewhere just a small shuffle from home instead of schlepping across town for a shashlik or shish.

Which brings me to Konak, a new Turkish-ish restaurant that’s opened a short walk from where we live and that also happens to be en route to two of my favourite watering holes, Pop n Hops and State of Love and Trust.

Located on the former site of the Juboraj by Roath Park, a konak is the Turkish word for a large stately home. Whilst the building that Cardiff’s Konak occupies isn’t exactly a stylish mansion, it’s great to see the venue back in action after its inauspicious end under previous owners. They’ve done a nice job on the refurb of the interior too, with its dark wood and moody lantern lighting.

Konak’s menu is dominated by a Turkish influenced selection of mezze, grills and casseroles as well as a few European sounding dishes, like creamy garlic mushrooms and seabass with turmeric beurre blanc. 

I always enjoy a beer with a kebab, and Konak serves the highly gluggable Efes (£6.50) on draught.

A basket of complimentary bread was warm and squishy with a good glossy crust. Sweet red pepper and garlic and mint yoghurt dips were lovely accompaniments.

Our sizeable hot starter platter for four delivered a bevy of treats and was well-priced at £25. Despite arriving in what seemed like a matter of minutes, it all tasted freshly cooked to order. 

There were crisp crumbed calamari and whitebait, golden crusted halloumi that was very good dipped in sweet chilli sauce, loose textured falafel flecked with whole chickpeas, slices of addictively savoury and spicy fried sucuk, and little filo pastry cigars filled with feta and mozzarella.

Four of us ordered the mixed grill and were all impressed. It’s worth noting though that at £23, it’s a good few quid more expensive than the mixed grill at Saray and Troy.

Loose-textured lamb adana kebab had a lovely waft of smoke and was flecked with plenty of herbs. Golden chicken shish and lamb shish were both commendably tender. However, I preferred the chicken over the lamb. Zesty red cabbage, grated carrot, perky leaves and charred peppers and onions were a cut above the usual kebab house salad whilst a mound of carbs combined a buttery mix of rice and orzo with a layer of nutty bulgur wheat.

We ordered a couple of bowls of fries (£4) because you can never have enough carbs. Whilst they were most likely bought in, they hit the mark when it came to crispness and seasoning.

Mrs G was the only person to order something other than a mixed grill and her chicken shish with yoghurt (£20) was every bit as impressive. Hunks of tender chicken were bathed in thick and creamy garlic-twanged greek yoghurt, a fruity tomato sauce, and capped off with a good drizzle of rich and caramel-twanged brown butter.

On the side was more of that excellent salad, rice and bulgur.

We had a lovely dinner at Konak and the witty waiter who delivered a steady stream of puns made the experience all the more enjoyable. I hope Konak is embraced by the local community on its doorstep who will be crucial to its success. The signs are promising as it was packed on the weekday evening we visited.

The details:

Address - Konak, 2 Lake Road West , Cardiff CF23 5PG
Web - https://konakwales.co.uk/
Telephone -  02920 488999

Nefis Cafe, Cathays, Cardiff Turkish breakfast review

Ever since Cardiff Turkish breakfast trailblazers Longa opened their doors back in 2019, more and more cafes across the city have started to serve a similar offering.

As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

One spot dishing out a similar menu is Nefis Café on Cathays’ Crwys Road, whose strapline is a “Taste of Istanbul”.

Located on the former site of Stagg Coffee, Nefis’ expansive outdoor seating area and eclectic inside space make it a comfy spot for all of Wales’ climactic extremes.

On the menu are traditional Turkish breakfast dishes like menemen and sucuk with eggs, baked goods such as simit bagels and borek, and house specials like manti dumplings and hummus with slow cooked lamb.

However, it was the Nefis Turkish breakfast that caught my eye. For £12 you can choose a main from a selection of five dishes, accompanied by a selection of eight sides, bread and Turkish tea. On paper it’s extremely good value – unusually, even more so than the version for two people that costs £25.

Despite Nefis being pretty busy on a weekday lunchtime, my order arrived quickly. And what a looker it was with its ornate centrepiece surrounded by a bevy of treats.

The main event, kavurma and eggs saw scrambled eggs flecked with pieces of intensely flavoured and tender slow-cooked lamb scattered with palate warming chilli flakes.

A little light on seasoning, it really kicked up a gear when it combined with a smear of fragrant and spicy cemen, a harissa-esque red pepper paste that featured as one of the accompaniments.

A generous basket of soft-crumbed Turkish bread was an essential mop for the eggs and selection of sides. I intended to only eat half the basket, but my carb-grabbing reflex got the better of me and before I knew it I’d devoured the final piece.

Out of the eight sides, grilled halloumi and a puck of tangy cream cheese were the highlights. Sweet honey with a dollop of clotted cream was also lovely slathered over the bread to make a mini dessert.

The only real dud was a tepid hot dog in a bland tomatoey sauce. A dollop of jam was decent but light on fruit intensity.

A large glass of fragrant and sweet Turkish tea was a delicious drink.

When I’d just about polished everything off, a complimentary piece of crisp and sugar-soaked baklava arrived to bring a sweet conclusion to my meal.

I really enjoyed my Turkish breakfast at Nefis. Whilst it doesn’t quite hit the same highs as Longa’s version, it’s really excellent value for £12 all in. If you’re in the market for a Middle Eastern breakfast in Cardiff, then it’s well worth checking out.

The Details:

Address - Nefis Cafe, 83 Crwys Rd, Cardiff CF24 4NF

Web - https://nefiscardiff.co.uk/

Telephone - 020 3342 1106

The Sultan, Cardiff Bay, Turkish restaurant review

There aren’t many restaurant buildings in Cardiff with as storied a past as the Big Windsor in Cardiff Bay (except perhaps the Burger King in Cardiff city Centre).

This grand Grade 2 listed building was formerly occupied by French chef Abel Magneron, who made the Big Windsor famous after World War 2 and cooked for film stars like Richard Burton and Stanley Baker.

His renown is commemorated on a plaque outside the building, which reads:“In the difficult days following the war 1939-1945, Abel Magneron, 1890-1954, here achieved a gastronomic standard which contributed to the further glory of the Entrente Cordiale.”

After years lying empty since its most recent incarnation as the Juboraj, the Big Windsor is bustling once again.

The Sultan Turkish restaurant opened its doors in 2023 and a December trip to see Hamilton at Wales Millennium Centre presented the perfect opportunity to finally visit. Other pre-theatre diners clearly had the same idea, as the classy dining space was buzzing at 5.30pm on a Saturday evening. It’s worth noting that service was swift and friendly throughout our meal, a very important consideration when dining on a deadline.

The Sultan’s menu certainly aims to appeal to a broad audience, with mezze and classic kebabs for the traditionalists, burgers for...those who want a burger, and a selection of specials for the more adventurous. These include pistachio crusted lamb chops (£27.90) with asparagus and pomegranate molasses and a monkfish and octopus kebab (£29.90) with beetroot couscous.

Booze on offer includes cocktails and raki, but I made a beeline for the Efes Draft (£5.90). Ice cold, crisp and malty, I’m always a big fan. Mrs G knocked back a large glass of smooth and red fruit filled Chilean Merlot (£5.70).

Complimentary Turkish balloon bread lived up to its name. A gigantic, puffed flatbread deflated at the first tear. Hot, soft and crisp-edged, it was accompanied by a pot of thick and rich cream cheese.

We ordered a couple of starters to share between four of us. Mixed mezze (£19.90) would have been more accurately described as mixed dips. Martin Short’s character from Only Murders in the Building would certainly have been impressed.

Out of the five different dips on offer, smoky baba ghanoush, green herb and tangy feta cheese-packed girit, and chunky cucumber and fresh mint laden cacik, were the highlights.

Chunky hummus was pretty good, but I wasn’t particularly sold on a thick guacamole like dip that was topped with a clashingly sweet jam. With so many dips to work our way through, our balloon bread was kindly replenished swiftly.

Two hefty slabs of excellent halloumi (£7.90) had just the right ratio of golden crust to chewy cheese. They were served on a dollop of sweet and fragrant fig jam, which worked rather well to balance the cheese’s salty creaminess.

 

Onto mains, and Mrs G and I both played it safe by ordering the mixed shish kebab (£20.90). A good few quid more expensive than my usual haunts on City Road, it was well worth the extra money as this was some of the tastiest kebab meat that I’ve ever eaten in Cardiff.

Gigantic chunks of remarkably juicy chicken and medium pink lamb were both licked with smoke. They were perched on a thin piece of flatbread so there was no wasting all those delicious juices.

On the side was a simple yet very good bowl of stubby grained rice and a well-dressed mixed salad that included pomegranate seeds and\ cornichons.

Bowls of creamy garlic yoghurt and fresh chilli sauce were brought to the table without prompting.

Our friends both ordered from the specials with varying degrees of success.

The Cokertme (£23.90) comprised of tender pan-fried beef strips in a tomato sauce that was sat on a bed of smoked garlic yoghurt and covered with a mountain of crisp shoestring potatoes. Our friend loved it, but I didn’t think it was as good as the mixed shish.

Chestnut chicken (£18.90) would be best described as tasty but a bit weird. Whopping pieces of impeccably juicy chicken (they certainly know how to cook meat at the Sultan) were coated in a sweet, fragrant and zingy lemon sauce that bore more than a passing resemblance to Chinese takeaway lemon chicken. If that’s your bag, then you’ll love this dish. Added interest came in the form of a dusting of crisp fronds of kataifi pastry and soft pieces of chestnut.

We rounded off the meal with complimentary cups of sweet Turkish tea.

We had a delicious meal at The Sultan and it’s great to see one of Cardiff’s most famous restaurant buildings back in action. Whenever a good independent arrives in the chain dominated Cardiff Bay, it’s always a cause for celebration.

The Details:

Address - The Sultan, The Big Windsor, Stuart Place, Cardiff CF10 5BU

Web - https://www.thesultancardiff.com/

Telephone - 02920 497776

Mangal 2, Dalston, London restaurant review

I can't think of a restaurant that I've been as excited about visiting as much in a long time as Mangal 2.

The story of the 25-year old traditional Turkish grill house which reinvented itself last year to serve modern Turkish food is something which resonates with my internal conflict between Friday night doner muncher and try-hard hipster wannabe.

With multiple glowing reviews from bloggers and national critics; a booze list which features natural wines, local craft beers and 3Fonteinen lambic; and a menu with captivating dishes such as lambs heart pide with pickled cucumbers, it was top of our list of places to visit on our most recent trip to London.

So, we found ourselves in Dalston on a vibey Saturday night, tucked away in the downstairs dining room of the rammed restaurant.

Starters all smashed it out of the park.

Light and crisp chickpea fritters (£9) were capped with intense smoked cods roe and the crunch and zing of pickled cabbage.

A brilliantly crisp, soft and airy sourdough pide (£3) was as good a restaurant bread as I've had in a good while. Drenched in fat it was also accompanied by whipped butter with a superb cultured tang. We immediately ordered another.

A cull yaw (ewe mutton) kofte (£5) was exemplary - intensely lamby, juicy and accompanied by a blob of chicken fat mayonnaise, this was top tier kebabage.

Mains was where we first encountered a few issues.

A precisely cooked sweet fleshed lemon soul (£32) was covered with a buttery sauce seasoned with the intense earthiness of brown crab. It sat on top of nutty bulgur dressed with more of that excellent brown crab sauce.

Our two other mains could best be described as arriving at our table as warm - having already waited a long time for our food and with no check back from the very friendly yet stretched server, I was only able to raise the issue once we'd finished our plates.

Cull yaw loin (£28) was served a bob-on medium with a lovely depth of flavour, light chew and lick of char. Comfortingly meaty lentils flecked with bits of lamb offal and a charred green pepper were great accompaniments, but it was a dish which would have been so much nicer if it was hot.

A tepid bowl of ratte potatoes (£7) were dry, lacked the crispness which they teased from their blistered appearance, and didn’t really deliver on the promised hit of sucuk and aged kasar cheese.

Desserts were also a mixed bag.

An excellent warm, soft and sugary carob cake (£9) was accompanied by a genius dollop of butterscotch with the nutty savouriness of tahini and a glug of hazelnut milk which was a more than fitting substitute for cream.

A scoop of floral mountain ice cream (£9) and zingy rhubarb pieces and coulis were all bang on the money. But it was topped with a piece of baked filo which perhaps would have more appropriately been described as charred filo. Unfortunately, the astringent taste of the pastry rather overwhelmed everything on the plate.

Overall we had a tasty meal at Mangal 2 with flashes of brilliance. However, there were a few too disappointing elements for me to recommend it wholeheartedly.

The Details:

Address - 4 Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 8BH

Web - https://www.mangal2.com/

Telephone - 020 7254 7888 

Keyif, Penarth Turkish restaurant review

Last year someone spotted a shish-shaped gap in the market in Penarth and opened Keyif, a Turkish restaurant. The Penarthians have clearly had a good time there over the last twelve months as the restaurant’s walls are adorned with countless pictures of happy customers.

The menu is full of familiar faces from Middle Eastern cuisine - cold and hot mezze, grilled meats and fish, and vegetable stews. It’s worth noting there’s a Penarth premium on the prices of at least a couple of quid per dish.

Ice cold Efes Pilsner (£3.95) was enjoyably malty and seriously gluggable. 

Warm bread was super fresh and soft of crumb. 

A hot mezze for two (£12) delivered a good bang for our buck. Panko-esque crumbed calamari were pleasingly tender; uber crisp falafel were sat on a slick of coarse hummus; golden crusted fritters (mucver) were filled with soft shreds of carrot, courgette and onion; grilled Turkish sausage was nicely fatty and spicy; salty halloumi could have been melted a bit more; and semolina-studded borek parcels were light of pastry and filled with a tangy, parsley-fragranced ooze of feta. 

For main, like the starter, I put the menu through its paces with a single dish, the Keyif mixed grill (£18.50). Lamb and chicken shish were both tender and well seasoned; patty shaped lamb and chicken kofte were nicely herbed; wings were crisp and juicy; and lamb ribs and chops were both properly rendered of fat. Orzo flecked buttery rice and a run of the mill mixed salad completed the delicious dish. 

A shout also goes to the fresh, assertively spiced chilli sauce.

I really enjoyed Keyif and it definitely adds an extra dimension to Penarth’s restaurant scene.

Whilst you can't eat in at the moment, they're offering both delivery and takeaway. You can order online or by calling 029 2070 2429.

The Details:

Address - Keyif, 21 Glebe St, Penarth CF64 1EE

Web - https://www.keyif.co.uk/order-online

Telephone - 029 2070 2429