It is not Turkish Kitchen!

And it is not a Turkish kitchen... Turkish Kitchen is the most famous, positively rated and expensive Turkish restaurant in New York City.

We went there for a company dinner about 8 people... On the way my boss said that he was about to cancel the reservation when the restaurant representative asked him to leave at 9pm with his guesses if he scheduled the dinner at 7:30pm... He decided to change the dinner time to 6:30pm... This restaurant was utilizing double seating policy on Friday nights... My boss said it was unacceptable for as if it is a first class restaurant... And I said, "Well, then maybe it is now"... And then he joined me and said "Yeah, its service and meal quality had been consistent for many years, so it is a good restaurant." We agreed to applaud it and its owners...

I really hate to do this to this... I resent to hurt any Turkish business... Because I know how hard it is for them to be really good in any field they are operating, especially in the U.S. ... I really do... I am one of them... But there are certain rules that you have to keep up with either to become a leader in your field or to maintain leadership... You stay committed, consistent and always value your patrons sincerely no matter how big you become... And I believe competency brings better quality...

First of all, its walls are bold red with minimal blue lightings, and nothing else... It has orchids here and there... That's it... I am not an architect, however I know this isn't Turkish.... I believe it is Far Eastern... I haven't seen a Turkish kitchen like that; let alone any establishment back in the country; it feels more like a Japanese restaurant (I would understand a modern style decoration but this is far away)... It doesn't have any authenticity at all despite its name... So, this was my first impression. Oh, no wait, my first impression was "Uh-oh, are we just welcomed without a smile by a crowded men group at the door?" Very serious looking, suited men, about 4 of them (They must be taking their job very seriously, good for them :) )... However, as I recall the greeting job requires one, maybe two people, but a smile is a prerequisite without a doubt... Which has a very important place in Turkish hospitality... Otherwise how I could feel welcomed?.. Of course, I did forget about it while we were escorted to our table... But...

Second, I've never seen mezes served separately in a Turkish restaurant, in Turkey or in New York, or somewhere else in the world, in my life - I am almost half way... Yes, sometimes cold mezes can be served first then warm ones later but not, as Turkish Kitchen did, one by one... The waiter did not take our order completely... Well, I actually realized that after when we finished our mezes in about one hour because of the service style that he did not and he asked about what we are going to eat for the main course... I thought I already gave my order at the beginning... And Turkish cuisine has dishes that take time to prepare... They were supposed to prepare our meals while we were eating appetizers... This wasn't that important!.. Please, don't let me make a big deal out of it...

Anyway... I was afraid to wait another hour to get my meal, fortunately it didn't take that long... Even though, there wasn't that much time to prepare it and they made it possible to serve it cold... My dish was in a traditional brass plate which also should be hot, but nope, iskender kebab was served cold... Well, again, don't make me big deal out of it... Don't count on me, either...

Then I started to eat with my mouth was watering since I hadn't had a good Iskender Kebab for a long time... (Frankly, I had sworn not to eat Iskender outside of Turkey after my first couple of attemps which ended with regrets... None of the places had the authentic Iskender... That's 2+2 equals 4... Heh he... But not that 4 at the door :)) Waiter didn't even ask about whether I'd like to have melted butter on it or not, and there wasn't any on it... Yogurt supposed to be plain, not with garlic and a lot of salt... Pita bread wasn't toasted so it had melted under yogurt (yoghurt) and turn into dough... I gave up on my kebab after a couple of bites... Then again, don't let me make a big deal out of it... I've never said that I am a low maintenance person, or I have low expectancies... I always expected to get what I paid for... It is that simple for me... If it is too much to ask or too complex for you, then go ahead try that kitchen or whatever that is... You might enjoy it probably under those circumstances...

At the end of our meal, we ordered Turkish Coffee and Tea... Coffee drinkers complained about their sugar level, which was higher than what they had ordered... My tea was tasteless and came in a cup instead of a traditional tea glass... This is again might be considered a small detail...

Oh, I forgot... They added an extra martini that nobody drank to the check... What a first class restaurant, right... (Aw pinaroma, shut up already!.. ) Hey, this restaurant was supposed to be the best...

There is a saying in Turkey that says "You ate what you ate, bon appetite, tell us about what you saw". So, I told you what I saw which is "if you want to try delicious Turkish dishes the place is not Turkish Kitchen"... I do not know why there is such a buzz about that place... Maybe they were good once upon a time... But not nowadays... Go try some other Turkish places...

This is my opinion... I am sure there are tons of people who will say that I am wrong... Try and see for yourself... Or go try Taksim on Second Avenue (Between 54th & 55th Str.), or Ali Baba which is my favorite on East 34th Street (Between 2nd & 3rd Ave.)... They are both better and cheaper...

One last word... I am awake since 2:30 am EST and I drank bunch of alka seltzers and still waiting my stomach to settle (Just to clear that: I don't have regular stomach aches after my meals)...