by Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com
Istanbul in Little Rock
I had the chance to eat at Istanbul, a self-proclaimed Mediterranean restaurant in Little Rock, over the weekend. My wife and I joined two of our friends for dinner there and went without reservations on a Friday night. The restaurant is located in West Little Rock by The Fresh Market and CheeBurger CheeBurger and we arrived at around 7:15pm.
The place was full (a good sign normally) and we had to wait for about 20 minutes to be seated. This must be a rare occurance as the wait staff didnt seem to know what to do with us. There is not a waiting area; therefore, we stood at the front door while we waited. It was quite humorous to watch one of the waitresses try and figure out how to combine to 2-seaters into a 4-seater but it never quite worked out. This may clue you in on the fact that we could have been seated right away if the patrons in the restaurant had been seated at tables appropriate for their party size (2 people in a 2-seater, 4 in a 4-seater, etc.) As I said before though, they probably don’t have the overcrowded problem often; hence, the wait.
We were seated in a booth and promptly requested to have the air-conditioning turned up. It was quite stuffy in the restaurant and my wife looked like she was ready to pass out from the heat. They complied and turned on the air after taking our drink orders. The first thing I noticed about the menus were the pictures. I have a saying about menus that have pictures on them and it’s not flattering. I mean, if you need pictures, why are you in business? Is a lamb kabob really that strange of an item that you need a picture to explain it?
The menu had the “standard” offerings I would expect from a Mediterranean restaurant with appetizers such as Hummus ($5), Babaganouj ($5), Falafal ($4.50), and Dolmas ($5). In the entree side I was suprised to see the Turkish specific item of Iskender Kebap ($13.50). The menu had it mis-labeled as Iskender Kebab but it is the tomato braised beef dish famous in Turkey and not a kebab.
They have many Doner dishes on the menu which they describe as: “Doner is a blend of ground lamb and beef carefully mixed with select Turkish spices and then vertically slow-roasted to crispy, juicy perfection. This tantalizing Mediterranean favorite is served sliced and dipped in sweet cream butter and roasting juices.” They also have several kebabs and sandwiches made from Doner, Chicken, and Lamb.
We ordered several appetizers to start with including the Trio Appetizer (Hummus, Babaganouj, Dolmas for $10.50), Spinach Pastry ($4.50), Cigar Pastry ($5), and a full order of Dolmas ($5). We had ordered quite a few appetizers but wanted to try everything they had to offer. The appetizers arrived in about 10 minutes and we dug in.
Trio Appetizer
The first thing I tried was the Trio Appetizer with the dips and dolmas. The dish came with a good amount of pita bread nicely sliced and ready to go. The Hummus and Babaganouj both had almost zero flavor and had the texture of what I imagine a mushy sand paper to feel like in your mouth. The dolmas had a good flavor but were not firm enough for my tastes. I promptly moved on to the Cigar Pasty and didn’t bother to grab another bite of the dips.
Dolma, Cigar Pastry, Spinach Pastry
The Cigar Pastry had a nice sharp cheese in it that was a bit on the sour side (which was good.) I really enjoyed the pastry but a side of yogurt sauce would have knocked it out of the park on the goodness scale. Next up was the Spinach Pastry which looked good but had almost zero flavor. I could feel the fried pastry, spinach, and cheese, but it had zero flavor. We ended up with almost all of the dips on the table and a spinach pastry left but the cigar pastries and dolmas were all gone.
Lamb Shish Kabab
For the entree I ordered the Lamb Shish Kebab ($15.50.) My wife had the same thing with a side order of Tomato Soup ($3). One of our dinner companions had the Falafel Sandwich ($7.50.) I didn’t try the dish of our other companion so I won’t go into it here.
The Lamb Shish Kabab had a good amount of flavor. The lamb was also cooked properly and was tender. I actually had expected it to be tough but that was not the case. Out of everything the entree was the best item and is something I could see myself ordering again. The dish was served with a nutty rice and slices of pita bread that had been seared.
The Falafel was overfried but had a decent enough flavor. It was on the dry side due to the frying though and a bit too dense for my tastes. I did not try the tomato soup but my wife seemed to enjoy it.
We opted to skip dessert as everyone was full from the variety of appetizers and the entrees. We left at around 9pm and were satisfied with the meal. Would I go back? Most likely not. I only have so many calories I can consume a week and prefer to spend them on food I enjoy more. If you are looking for a good Hummus or Babaganouj I recommend The Terrace on the Green. Their food is much better.
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