But of those cuisines, the least represented in Ottawa may be the last of them. That’s despite the pioneering efforts of the Little Turkish Village in Orléans, which has been serving Turkish food for more than three decades.
So, scarcity helps to explain my Turkish friend’s enthusiasm when she messaged me about Turkish Kebab House, which opened two months ago in Kanata North.
“My Turkish friends are raving about it,” she wrote. “The items are legit Turkish, which is hard to find. Especially in Ottawa.”
On a balmy Friday night late last month, we took her recommendation. At this bustling, handsome, high-ceiling dining room with an open kitchen, we were lucky to grab one of the last free tables. Turkish Kebab House, which seats about 90 people, had clearly developed a following, including the several dozen people who arrived after us and chose to wait for seats. (The restaurant doesn’t take reservations.)
A few bites into our meal, we quickly understood why the restaurant was popular.
We began, as did other tables near us, with a basket of puffy flatbread, accompanied by two oval plates whose contents cried out for dipping. One plate was filled with ezme, a spicy appetizer/dip of finely chopped tomato, peppers, garlic, onions and spices reminiscent of salsa or pico de gallo, but with a different flavour profile. Beside it was cacik, a mix of yogurt, cucumbers and herbs not to be confused with tzatziki.