Turkish delight: New eatery on Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge dazzles

The recently opened Istanbul Bay Turkish Café and Restaurant on Bay Ridge’s Fifth Avenue is truly a treasure trove of Turkish cuisine.

Sparklingly fresh and authentic, the dishes prepared by the eatery for its grand opening event on Friday, November 4 were bright-flavored and absolutely delicious, from the array of meze through main dishes and bread (all prepared in house except for pita bread).

I was particularly taken with the crispy Falafel, whose crusty exterior contrasted wonderfully with its tender interior; the Chicken Shish Kebab, beautifully marinated and grilled, tender and deeply flavorful; the refreshing Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi), studded with chunks of tomato, green pepper, cucumber and onion and sprinkled with a hearty serving of crumbled feta cheese; the Piyaz, a mix of white and red beans, red and green peppers, chickpeas, parsley and onion; the sweet and creamy Babaghonush, just one of several eggplant dishes out to sample; and the cooling Haydari, fresh yogurt spiked with garlic, dill and walnuts, sprinkled with paprika and drizzled with olive oil.

I was also blown away by the baked goods, sampling several house-baked breads as well as the Spinach Pide, a rich and flavorful crust “boat” with a spinach and feta cheese filling, and the Beyaz Peynirli, baked with herbed feta cheese, not to mention the Sigara Boragi, filo dough wrapped into elegantly slender “cigars,” filled with feta and deep-fried.

Istanbul Bay is the owners’ second restaurant, branching out from its successful Bay Parkway and 86^th Street location, which has been dishing out traditional Turkish food for 14 years, said Co-Partner Seyran Say, who owns the eatery with Zafter Bozkurt and

, parlaying years of experience into a culinary experience that is a diner’s delight.

“I’ve been in the kitchen since I was 12 years old,” Say noted, “so I have a long history from Turkey.”

The recipes are authentic, and, stressed Say, Istanbul Bay keeps them pure. “Some people when they cook something, mix it up to make a different taste,” he explained. “I put just a little spices in, not to break the real taste of the chicken or lamb,” resulting in the clear, fresh flavor of the food.

The Bay Ridge restaurant opened in August and has been building a loyal following, Say said, stressing that Istanbul Bay uses all natural ingredients, including halal meat sourced from the Amish, and makes the food it serves up fresh daily.

“We’re doing very well,” Say noted, mentioning that “Sometimes, we have a line outside on weekends.”

For good reason, I’d say.

 

Istanbul Bay Turkish Café and Restaurant

8002 Fifth Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11209

929-292-2353

11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Free delivery with $15 minimum order at IstanbulGyro.com