Carleton Cole
June 8,2008
The Nation
With its red-and-white awning and signage at Bangkok’s chichi new European-style boutique mall Sun Square, the six-month-old Ibo Turkish restaurant just off Silom Road resembles Istiklal Caddesi, Istanbul’s upscale shopping and dining district. But there’s an Islamic prayer room above the restaurant, which, unlike many places in Turkey, doesn’t serve the fiery aniseed liquor arak.
Of course, the main attraction in this small eatery is the delectable food of Turkey, the culinary culture of which became influenced by cuisines from the Middle East and southeastern Europe, when the Ottoman Empire, centred in Istanbul, was at its prime a few centuries ago.
“We offer something different then the Arabic food on Sukhumvit Soi 3/1,” says Mustafa Senoz, co-owner of Ibo, referring to Bangkok’s mecca for Arabic food. But he adds that while much of the mezze appetisers and grilling of meats is similar, the spices used are different.
“All our spices are imported from Turkey. The lamb is from New Zealand,” he says, adding that there are also chicken and fish dishes and a range of veggie mezze on the menu.
A mix of Thais, Westerners and Arabs come here for the chow. “Business has been going up and up,” says Senoz, whose restaurant was named after the one-year-old son of his partner, a co-owner of the eatery.
A mix of Thais, Westerners and Arabs come here for the chow. “Business has been going up and up,” says Senoz, whose restaurant was named after the one-year-old son of his partner, a co-owner of the eatery.
The home-style hummus here is thicker than the hummus in the Arab restaurants on Sukhumvit near Nana. It is taken, along other mezze like babaganush and yoghurt, with pita bread, as well as the uniquely Turkish lavas bread which is shaped like a pillow, and deflates like the Hindenburg when touched.
Bread is also used to scoop up soslu patlican, a super-smooth garlic-flavoured tomato and eggplant dish, which is similar to Iranian dishes. The restaurant has plenty kebab dishes. Strong shots of tea come in dainty glasses; stiffer still Turkish coffee comes in thimble-like cups.
“We make our mezze items fresh each morning. We make yogurt every day from fresh milk,” says Senoz, who hails from Istanbul and has a Thai wife. “I started cooking when I was 11 years old in my family’s restaurant.
“I have been living in Thailand for three years. I cooked in Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore as a chef in Turkish restaurants.”
A brief tour of the kitchen affords a view of how Turkish pizza is made. The first stage is similar to the Italian style, in which mounds of dough are shaped into circles. Then various combinations of meat and vegetables are imbedded into the soft dough which then slid with a long paddle into the oven, where they are baked by charcoal. Turkish pizzas are smaller than their Italian counterparts, and in many cases don’t have cheese.
For desert there are several tasty options in which light honey plays a starring role, such as sekerpare.