PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAAlanya’s enigmatic owner, Serkin has clear views on how Turkish food should be cooked. He deplores the simplification of Turkish dishes for Australian tastes, so you can rest assured that there will be nothing but the most genuine Turkish dishes coming out of Alanya’s kitchen. With the growing number of Turkish restaurants in the ACT, it is hard for one to be truly distinguishable from another; Alanya’s philosophy marks it out as special. With a number of awards under its belt, diners would seem to agree. However, its location in Manuka’s cafe district leaves it out in the cold; walk up to the top floor of the Style Arcade, and you are greeted with a brightly lit room, decorated with Turkish motifs.
To truly understand Alanya’s philosophy, trying one of the many banquets on offer is recommended. These well-priced options allow for a wide selection of entrees and mains to be chosen – and the choice is yours. Start with some pirasa (leeks cooked with carrots, parsley and rice), or a serve of the unusual ciger tava (lambs fry marinated beautifully and served with onions). Moving to mains, the famous hunkar begendi is a masterful creamy curry of eggplant and lamb. Vegetarians are well-catered for, with an entirely meat-free banquet, and the superb vegetarian plate of 12 different entrees, Turkish delight and coffee – the perfect way to end a meal.
Russell Buzby, September 2008
