Clemton Park’s Anatolia brings rich tradition of Turk kahvaltisi to southwest
A Turkish restaurant in Clemton Park is just quietly putting Australia’s Sunday bacon and egg tradition to shame.
The Express
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A Turkish restaurant in Clemton Park is just quietly putting Australia’s Sunday bacon and egg tradition to shame.
Anatolia was opened in the Clemton Park village precinct a year ago by brothers Volkan and Adam Kir with their childhood friend Serkan Omayoglu.
The boys are passionate about bringing the rich tradition of Turk kahvaltisi, or Turkish breakfast, to diners in southwest Sydney.
“The family has to be present for breakfast, it doesn’t matter if you’re a five-year-old child or if you’re 45 with three children and a business, you have to be there,” Serkan said.
“If you’re not there, there’s a problem.”
To honour this ritual, the trio have lovingly crafted their own Turk kahvaltisi banquet that is served on the weekend.
The grazing board for two comes generously strewn with house-cured meats, like the pastirma, a selection of Turkish cheeses, sweet tahini or halwa, fruit, nuts, rose jam and honeyed cream.
A warm basket of bread, with Turkish-baked goods like borek and simit, is a handy vessel for the hot dishes of menemen, a one-pan egg and capsicum dish, and fried eggs with sucuk- a dry spicy sausage.
As well, Turkish tea with cubed sugar and coffee are served on a silver tea tray as part of the breakfast in the restaurant, which is decorated with Turkish trinkets, patterned-pillows and a chandelier of ornate lamps.
The platter is purposefully lavish and Serkan says there is good reason for that.
“In Turkey, food is a reason to get together and make sure everyone is okay. So to entice everyone to come, the parents would traditionally go all out,” he said.
For those looking for dinner, the restaurant of course does marinated and barbecued meats and on Saturday night you will find a belly dancer and live Turkish music.
What: Anatolia restaurant
Where: 16/5 Mackinder Street, Campsie
Try: Turk Kahvaltisi breakfast platter on the weekend
Cost: $30 per person
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, midday til 9pm, Saturday, 10am — late and Sunday, 8am — 9pm.