A Return Visit To Bosphorus

Bosphorus, which only opened about three months ago, is one of my neighborhood restaurants, and I really wanted to get the word out about how great it is and also learn a little more about traditional Turkish dishes, so I talked with Hakan, the general manager, about setting up a blogger dinner. He was happy to host a small group of bloggers, and so this past Tuesday Daisy, Elizabeth, Emily, Meghan, Michelle, and I descended on the cozy Inman Square eatery and feasted on a variety of Turkish dishes.

The dishes at Bosphorus are all traditional Turkish dishes, and Hakan and his cousin, who owns the restaurant, both used to work at a restaurant in Turkey before deciding to set up shop in Cambridge, so they've got plenty of experience with the fare.

We all settled in at a table right by the windows where we knew we'd have great natural light for our pictures. And then the food began to arrive. We started with ezme and pita bread. The ezme is a spicy tomato and red pepper dip. Like chips and salsa or fresh bread and olive oil, this was the perfect way to take the edge off but pique our appetites.

Ezme (spicy tomato and red pepper dip made with onions,
green peppers, parsley, olive oil, and spices) 

Pita bread

We all ordered Turkish wine in anticipation of the dishes to come. I tried a white that the waitress described as a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favorite whites, and I was not disappointed.

While we were nibbling on pitas with ezme and sipping our wine, Hakan brought us out two meze platters. These platters are not on the menu, but any of the meze we tried can be ordered individually. I loved everything on the platters, especially the artichoke salad, bulgur salad, and stuffed baby eggplant.

Haydari (thick strained yogurt dip with garlic, mint, and olive oil)
Zeytinyagli sarma (vegetarian stuffed grape leaves with with rice,
pine nuts, currants, onions, and herbs)
Mercimek koftesi (red lentil patties made with mashed red lentils,
cracked wheat, scallions, and parsley)
Patlican ciftlik (char-grilled eggplant puree mixed with red and yellow peppers,
olive oil, and lemon juice)

Kisir (Fine-ground bulgur (cracked wheat) mixed with parsley and tomato paste,
garnished with romaine lettuce and tomatoes)
Hummus (mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice)
Imam bayildi (whole baby eggplant stuffed with tomatoes, onions, and herbs)
Artichoke salad (artichoke hearts and fresh vegetables tossed with olive oil & lemon juice)

We nearly polished off the platters because everything was so light and flavorful but tried our best to save room for the entrees. We shared three of them, which ended up being just the right amount after all the mezes.

Sultan's chicken (pan-seared chicken breast stuffed with spinach, mushrooms,
apricots,  and almonds, served over potato puree)

Bosphorus kebab (braised lamb shank wrapped in eggplant, served with bulgur pilaf)

Sebzeli guvec (mixed vegetable casserole with potatoes, eggplant, mushrooms,
carrots,  peppers, and celery, served with bulgur and yogurt)

The lamb was easily my favorite. It just fell right off of the bone, and the concept of wrapping it in eggplant was completely new to me. The sultan's chicken was not something I would have thought to order, but I was glad we tried it because I really liked the sweet and savory combination with the apricots and figs. The vegetable casserole comes with bulgur and yogurt and makes for a very filling meal -- you won't even miss the meat.

We were all pleasantly full at this point but eagerly awaited the dessert offerings. Desserts at Bosphorus, besides the baklava, are unexpected and completely different from anything I've ever tried before.

Kunefe (shredded phyllo dough filled with fresh mozzarella cheese, baked,
and topped with syrup and pistachios)

Asure aka Noah's dessert (a festive pudding of cereal grains, chickpeas, beans, dry fruits and nuts)

Sekerpare (baked semolina and almond pastries soaked in a sweet, lemony syrup)

Baklava (layers of phyllo dough filled with pistachios and sweetened with syrup)

The kunefe had the most interesting texture, and it waffled between savory and sweet with its strings of mozzarella and syrup and pistachios. Noah's dessert was not my favorite because I'm not a fan of chickpeas (in whole form -- I love hummus and falafel), but minus the chickpeas, I could see myself eating it for breakfast. The sekerpare also had an interesting texture -- they were soft, moist, and crumbly all at once. And while I've had baklava before, I found this version softer with very finely ground pistachios.

We all truly enjoyed our meal, and I want to give a huge thank you to everyone at Bosphorus for having us in for dinner. I know we will all be back, and I hope those of you who live locally get a chance to check it out soon too.

Have you had any of these dishes or any other Turkish dishes?


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