Alaturka is this place in Arab Street which serves Turkish/Middle Eastern cuisine. Went there a few weeks back with my friends to try out the food, since it's supposedly quite unique here in Singapore.

First impression was the place was empty, and very humid, since they did not on the air-con. We were quite surprised that no one was around since it was already about 6.30pm, and began to have doubts about the place.

Anyway, we ordered the Ali nazik <$14> (Lamb meatpattie with creamy eggplant dip), Kuzu sis <$14> (Lamb kebab with capicum, served with a salad topped with demi glace sauce), Kunefe <$5.30> (Baked kadaiffwith cheese) and a pot of mint tea ($5.50).

They served the mint tea first in this traditional teapot with cups which looked like they were from those royal Middle Eastern palaces in the past. The tea itself was a little disappointing though, as it tastes like the typical mint tea you'd find on the streets. We were expecting a little more than that. We were pleasantly surprised to see that real mint leaves were used however, so I suppose that is how the real mint tea is supposed to be like.

The ali nazik and kuzu sis were both quite small in portion - only 6 slices per dish. However, I thought it was wonderful. The meat was tender and the yogurt sauce was one-of-a-kind. My friend didn't like the sauce though, maybe because it's a little funny to combine something sweet with something savoury.

The kunefe came as a big surprise. It was really small and had oil drenched all over it. When we ate it though, we found that the 'oil' was really sugar syrup, and the cheese was sweet instead of salty. Again something that you don't normally taste in Singapore, though this was well-liked by all of us.

Throughout the meal, more and more customers came, till the point where the whole restaurant was full. Do people from the Middle East usually eat dinner at such a late hour? I don't know.

Bill came up to about $15 a person, though it was definitely not filling. The owners of the restaurant offered us a Turkish Delight each after the meal, and it tasted, well, like the typical Turkish Delight.

I'd say though, that it was a new and pleasant experience of trying out Middle Eastern/Turkish cuisine, and I'd go back for more to savour the other exotic dishes.