With the rainy and windy weather we’ve been having lately, it would be nice to get away from it all to foreign climates for a week or two, wouldn’t it?
While going on holiday in the sun isn’t that easy, you can still enjoy some exotic cuisine here in Leicestershire.
A taste of Turkey was recently brought to the quaint town of Market Bosworth, with the opening of Istanbul BBQ Kitchen.
Read more about Leicestershire food and drink here
I really enjoy the cuisine of this Mediterranean country and after seeing photos of the authentic Turkish kebabs on offer in Istanbul, I couldn’t wait to try this new addition to the county’s food scene.
Restaurant
Istanbul BBQ Kitchen was started by the Caglar family, who also own a restaurant of the same name in Barrow upon Soar (from which I have heard very good things).
The family has long been involved in the takeout business, starting in Besiktas, a town just south of Istanbul, where they still operate a Burger King franchise.
Their first Turkish take-out in England was at Leicester’s Church Gate in the late 1990s.
Market Bosworth’s new Istanbul barbecue kitchen is located in the premises of the Market Square, formerly occupied by butchers JW Lampard and Son, which closed permanently in October 2019, after 51 years in business.
The restaurant looks bright and welcoming, and you can see into the kitchen where the chefs are preparing the food on the indoor barbecue.
There is a small seating area for guests who want to eat on-site, and a take-out service is also available. It is the latter that we have tried.
Food
Istanbul BBQ Kitchen aims to offer diners a wide selection of Turkish dishes, including the specialty of authentic Turkish kebabs. According to the owners, all food is prepared daily on site, using fresh ingredients, never frozen.
The menu includes cold meze such as hummus, dolma (stuffed grape leaves) and Turkish feta salad, as well as hot starters such as sigara borek (fried stuffed dough), falafel and sucuk (sausage). grilled spicy turkish).
The kebabs include adana, chicken chicken, lamb and chicken beyti, which are served with rice, salad, and house sauces. There are also kebab wraps and vegetarian options such as a vegetable skewer, falafel wrap, and halloumi wrap.
Offering customers the chance to try a few menu items, menus are available from mixed kebab for one (£ 13) to a family platter for four (£ 32).
(Image: Becky Jones)
My husband and I decided to try the meal for two – the Istanbul Special (£ 17.50) which includes a kebab of adana, lamb, chicken and chicken beyti, as well as rice, salad and warm bread.
After placing the order with a friendly member of staff at the counter (you can also call to order ahead) our food was ready in just 10 minutes which made for an impressive start.
The food was still piping hot when we brought it home, and everything looked very inviting. It smelled so good!
The shish kebabs (made from cubes of meat) were very good. The chicken was chewy and had a nice, slightly spicy flavor. Lamb is always a good test for a place as it can often be chewy and sinewy, but these pieces of lamb were superb – lean, tender, and flavorful.
We really enjoyed the adana, made with ground lamb that had been seasoned with herbs and spices, and we enjoyed the light hit of chili. My favorite part of the meat mixture, however, had to be the Beyti Chicken, made with minced chicken seasoned with garlic and parsley. The meat was deliciously succulent and had a wonderful flavor, with garlic being especially important.
The rice that came with it was very tasty, having taken on the flavors of the meat it had been served under.
We enjoyed the warm bread which was served with a few dips – one mild yogurt based dip and the other a rather fiery chilli dip. The salad, which included cucumber, carrots, red onions, red cabbage, lettuce, and cherry tomatoes, was fresh and colorful.
(Image: Becky Jones)
We couldn’t resist ordering a serving of baklava to finish our meal, and this was one of the best examples I’ve tried.
With layers of filo pastry, crushed nuts and sweet honey syrup, it was a rich and delicious dessert.
Verdict
It was a tasty take out treat that we both enjoyed very much. From the succulent, beautifully scented kebabs to the rich and syrupy baklava, this was a very satisfying meal.
At £ 21.60 for the menu and dessert, I think it was very good value for money. One thing worth noting, however, is that this is all cash.
If you are a fan of Turkish food or just fancy trying something a little different, I recommend a visit to Istanbul BBQ Kitchen.
Our rating: 5/5
Food hygiene: awaiting inspection
