"T" is for Turkish

This Alphabet Eats experience was to be a little different. Two visitors to our town (one Dutchman and one semi- expat) treated your bloggers to a night out however the proviso was that they would choose the "T" for us. Always the risk-takers, your bloggers took a step back and let them decide the cuisine and the venue.

116-136 Cecil St, South Melbourne

Despite it being a warm balmy night in Melbourne, the Alphabet Eaters opted for the air-conditioning instead of the outside table. Melbourne was in the midst of what was to be a 3 day melting pot so relief was welcomed.

How long do 5 people really need to decide on their menu choices? When participating in alphabet eating, the rules often need to be reminded and/or reviewed which is often challenging. 
To share or to order solo is always debated. The outcome is always the same however the discussion process always occurs.


This discussion did take place however over a jug of PIMMS and a couple of Turkish beers which perhaps prolonged the decision making.

First up was a dip platter with fresh Turkish bread.
It's gotta be said that no matter what the cuisine, a dip platter is always a winner. Mr X did make his usual observation that the dips always outlast the bread.

It was noted that the menu provided attractions for differing palettes. The two carnivores were obviously attracted to the meat platter: Karışık Izgara: Mixed grill of lamb, chicken, swordfish, Izmir köfte & sucuk sausage, served w rice & salad.

Our overseas guests however felt that the salad was average and that the meat platter was not in the same league as a typical seafood platter in terms of quantity.

  The omnivores were ready to spread their wings and enjoy what was on offer so selected the following dishes to share:    

Iskender – Traditional dish 
of sliced lamb baked w Turkish bread, red sauce & garlic yoghurt

• 
  

    Izmir Köfte- Handmade Turkish ravioli filled 

    w minced meat topped w yogurt & paprika sauce

     

       Mantı- Slow cooked meatballs w potato & sweet peppers in a tomato & herb stew, served w rice & yogurt 

Despite the waitress warning the diners that they were ordering a "lot of food", their hearty appetites and commitment to the task ahead saw empty plates at the end.
All agreed that the experience missed the "something" that would have made it outstanding.

Our guest scorers:

Scores:              Ms C                Mr P

Ambience            7                     7

Parking               9                     9

Service               6                     8

Value                 7                     7

Food                  7                     7

Total – 74

How did they match up to the alphabet-eats bloggers?

Scores:              Ms X                Mr X

Ambience            4                     6

Parking               9                     7

Service               8                     7

Value                 7                     7

Food                  7                     6

Total – 68

Gee Mr and Ms X are tough critics!

P.S. If you need to use the bathroom, it's off to the market you go.

·   

S is for Spanish!

When it came to the letter 'S', this blogger was sure of one thing........... Singapore Slings, Sri Lankan curries, Swiss fondue or Swedish meatballs were not going to cut the mustard. It had to be Spanish! Anywhere that combines Sangria and Paella has to get the nod. Just which one was the question remaining? Although initially it was tempting to go with the familiar 'Simply Spanish' in South Melbourne, one had to remember that this was not a game of Scattergories with double points being awarded for the multiple use of the letter S. So off to we went to:

First up, it was on Johnston Street and Mr and Ms X had to park a distance away... hmm, will that effect the 'accessibilty' scores?It was also raining- not a good start.  in addition to this drawback was the fact that it was extremely busy and with a late booking,these diners had to be accepting of a table in the corner, sort of 'semi-detached' from the other diners. But, we 'no complain' as this business is always a good sign. There was a 3rd diner along for the experience with us so a large jug of Sangria as well an Estrella beer was ordered pronto.

With a sangria under the belt, all was forgiven. As usual, the Alphabet Eats dining experience was derailed with the ongoing debate of share plates or individual meals. Mr X is not a big fan of sharing however this was the HOME of sharing. With TAPAS they invented sharing so Mr X was soon outnumbered when it came to a vote and as usual he would be glad of this!  

So the entrees were finally agreed upon:

Cordero :Lamb cutlets marinated in herbs and spices, garlic, wine and served with salsa Verde.                  

Croquetas de pollo :Chicken croquettes prepared with chicken breast   

Croquetas de bacalao :Codfish croquettes prepared with codfish and potatoes

  

They were all delicious however one entree arrived to our table having not been ordered: The Croquetas de queso azul y puerros : Blue cheese and leek croquet! The chef apologised for the mix up and invited us to enjoy them on the house.  More sangria and entertainment in the form of a Flamenco guitarist and dancer had the alphabet-eaters wishing they had packed maracas!

And so it was time for the Paella de pollo y chorizo* (Chicken and chorizo paella) Chicken and chorizo with green peas, capsicum, garlic, wine and

Spanish paprika. Tasty? Sure. The best? Not quite. These diners had enjoyed paella on La Rambla in Barcelona as well as la Village Way, so it did fall short.....or was the problem that they had over indulged on the tapas? Anyway, the sangria more than made up for any shortcomings.

Brindo por eso!

• 72 Johnston Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Scores:             Ms X                Mr X

Ambience         8                     8

Parking            6                     5

Service            8                     6

Value               7                     6

Food                7                     7

Total - 68