Without a doubt, Turkish food isn't one that I often get to sample very often at all, but having said that, there are a few Turkish places that have long piqued my interest and I've always wanted to try. So of course, I was quite pleased when Adam decided to take me out to Caravanserai, one of the highest rated Turkish restaurants in Brisbane for date night. Although it was a fair hike from the city, we decided to walk, and it turned out to be a smart move to work up our appetite before dinner.
Arriving at our reserved time, the restaurant was bustling. Almost all tables were reserved or had guests seated and there was a healthy crowd outside waiting for a table. Seating was split between the front porch, inside as well as the back porch. Lighting was moody and dim, some would even say, romantic. We had a seat out back on the porch and were able to enjoy the warm summer breeze. I imagine though it would be quite hot during the peak of summer.
Service was quick and attentive, menus were provided very promptly along with a jar of water.
The venue itself was licensed for BYO, which I noted quite a few of our neighbours had taken advantage of, but we opted for a jug of Turkish lemonade to share. It was sweet and refreshing without being carbonated. I found it to be a little sweet, but Adam with his sweet tooth, really enjoyed it.
We started our feast with two entrees, this was the Dip Duo, with Babagounosh, humus and warm Turkish bread. Initially I wasn’t too keen to fill up on such a large amount of bread, but this bread really took my breath away. With its fluffy warm and soft interior, and its thin, crisp exterior, it was a joy to devour. Coupled with the delectably creamy and rich dips (my favourite was the babagounosh) it was a wonderful starter.
Our second entrée was the Haloumi, spicy olives, pomegranate salsa, fig chutney and crispy flat bread. The haloumi was wonderfully caramelised and tasty. Coupled with the sides on the plate, it reminded me a fair bit of a Greek platter. The salsa was fresh and tasty, olives were quite salty and the fig chutney was an interesting touch. Compared to the Turkish bread, the flat bread was also warm and toasty, but no where near as crispy, the texture was also definitely more dense.
Not being able to decide which main to try, we thought that it would be a wonderful idea to try the Sublime Platter for Two to Share. It contained grilled chicken skewers, garlic prawns, a sticky rib, kofta meatballs, haloumi, green beans, roasted almond salad, rice, pickles, olive, sauces and warm pide. We could not get enough of the Turkish bread, so that was definitely demolished with much gusto. The sticky beef rib was wonderfully seasoned, with a smokey charcoal taste and very tender. I really enjoyed it. Being a meat lover, the chicken skewers were also delicious and meaty (I love the burnt edges) whilst the prawn and haloumi were also very tasty. I did think though that the texture of the rice was a little overdone and mushier than I am used to.
Having gone out with him for quite a few times now, I know instinctively to save room for dessert (I swear its like he has a second stomach reserved for sweets). So when the dessert menu arrived on our table, I saw his eyes light up with anticipation.
Between the two of us, we had two desserts and two Turkish coffees.
Turkish coffee again reminded me strongly of Greek coffee. It came in a tiny little cup the size of a shot glass, was unfiltered with finely granulated coffee dregs and extremely strong. It definitely did its job in keeping us up all night long.
His choice for dessert was the House made Baklava with vanilla bean ice cream. Trying a bite myself, I found the pastry to be very flaky and delicious but the dessert as a whole was very sweet. It really satisfied his sweet tooth.
My choice was the Frangelico fig mousse. Despite the fact that it was a mousse, it was rich, dense and very decadent. Balancing the nutty taste of Frangelico and the fruitiness of fig, neither overpowered the other and complemented each other quite well. The strawberries and cream also offered a bit of balance to the richness of the dessert. Given the quality of the food, there is little doubt as to why Caravanserai is a favourite amongst locals. I can’t wait to go back.
Espresso and Matcha got to enjoy this complimentary meal by freeloading off FoodieAdam's invite. But as always, my opinions are solely my own.
Taste: 8.5/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment