Kosebasi: Turkish Anatolian grill

One of my latest culinary discoveries in Riyadh is a Turkish restaurant, Kosebasi, located in Al Tahliah Street. Kosebasi also has an outlet in Jeddah in Al Rawdah Street.
Kosebasi is no newcomer to the food scene. The first Kosebasi opened in Istanbul in 1995 and became immediately reputed for being one of the finest restaurants in Turkey. The restaurant’s success prompted an international expansion and the opening of outlets in Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Baku and Amsterdam.
Blessed with a huge country that straddles Europe and Asia, Turkish food is not only the mixture and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines but also the heritage of Ottoman cuisine. It is therefore quasi impossible to fit Turkish cuisine into a short list, hence Kosebasi has chosen to specialize in the typical cuisine from the Mediterranean town of Tarsus in Southern Anatolia, which is known for its meat dishes.
Incidentally Time magazine distinguished Kosebasi as the “Best Kebab Restaurant in Istanbul” and readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine voted it as one of the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants”.
For a starter, I would choose “ezogelin corbasi”, as this hearty soup is a great meal to eat on a cold winter day. Originally from southeast Anatolia, the origin of this soup is attributed to an exceptionally beautiful woman named Ezo, who lived in the village of Dokuzyol near Gaziantep in the early 20th century.
Legend has it that Ezo, with her rosy cheeks and black hair, was admired by travelers along the caravan route who stopped to rest in her village. Many men longed for her hand in marriage and Ezo’s family hoped to secure a worthy match for their daughter. Unfortunately, Ezo the bride (“gelin”) didn’t have much luck when it came to finding marital bliss. Her first husband was in love with another woman and she divorced him on grounds of maltreatment. Her second marriage took her to Syria where she became homesick for her village and had to deal with a difficult mother-in-law who was never pleased. It is for her, the story goes, that Ezo created this soup. After bearing nine children, poor Ezo died of tuberculosis in the 1950s and has since become a Turkish legend, depicted in popular films and lamented in folksongs. Her name lives in this popular soup, which is now traditionally fed to brides to sustain them for the uncertain future that lies ahead.
This well-known soup is made with rice, cracked wheat (bulgur), red lentils cooked in a broth flavored with garlic, onions, tomatoes, dried mint and seasoned with black and red pepper as well as paprika.
Amongst the cold appetizers, I found “kisr”, which has been dubbed the Turkish tabbouleh, although it is quite different from the Lebanese version. The main difference in this dish is that the Turkish tabbouleh has tomato and pepper paste. In Turkey, the recipe for kisr varies from region to region. In Antakya, they don’t use water at all; they knead bulgur with tomato and pepper paste until it gets soft. The mixture is then flavored and seasoned with pepper, cumin, mint, pomegranate syrup, lemon, spring onions, cucumbers and parsley. Kisr is usually served with lettuce and chopped tomatoes. You simply wrap some kisr in a lettuce leaf with some tomatoes and eat it just like that!
For hot appetizers, I recommend the “icit kofte” a version of the Lebanese “Fried Kibbe”. Kibbeh has many variations in the Middle East. In Cyprus, for instance, it is called “Koupes”, while in Iran it is made with rice instead of bulgur. The main difference between the Turkish and the Lebanese version lies in the spices, the ingredients as well as the cooking method. The Turkish icli kofte is first boiled then sautéed in oil. Moreover, the stuffing is made with walnuts instead of pine nuts. Making icit kofte requires work, but it is well worth it! In Turkey, this delicious delicacy is often served on special occasions.
You might also like to try “doner”, a Turkish specialty made of meat cooked on a vertical spit, normally lamb, but it can also be made with chicken, beef and even fish. It is interesting to know that the idea of roasting vertically came from Iskender Efendi, who is known as the inventor of the Turkish Doner Kebap. “doner kebab” is sometimes spelled “doner kebap” (the Turkish spelling) or it can be shortened to doner or donar. As for the word “shawarma” used in most Arab countries, it is believed to have evolved from the Turkish word “cevirme” meaning rotating.
Kosebasi specializes in a variety of superb grilled meat and chicken. I personally enjoyed the “patlican kebap”, which is minced lamb kebap with barbecued eggplants. The flagship dishes though are the “kosebasi kebap” and the “tarsusi kebap”; they are similar, the only difference is that the latter contains extra onion.
The “beyti kebap”, also featured on the menu, can be made with ground lamb or beef. This type of kebap is seasoned and grilled on a skewer, and is often served wrapped in lavish bread and topped with tomato sauce and yogurt. It is named after the famous kebab restaurant in Istanbul, Beyti.
My favorite Turkish dessert is “tavuk gogsu”; a wondrous milk pudding made with shreds of chicken breast. It is not offered on the menu, but you will find similar desserts like “sutlac”, a rice pudding or muhallebi, a milk based dessert served cold and very refreshing during the summer. But at this time of the year, I would definitely order “kunefe”, one of the most delicious Turkish desserts, which is a cheese cake served hot and doused in syrup.

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