26 March 2011

Cira Turkish Cuisine ~ Dulwich Hill


Breakfast at Istanbul - mercimek and manti at Cira Turkish in Dulwich Hill. Yum





I've been waddling past Cira Turkish Cuisine in Dulwich Hill for years and never ventured in. From the outside Cira doesn't look special. But the small army of old Turkish blokes permanently affixed to the tables outside, chatting, smoking and eating, is a clue that Cira is much more than your average kebab joint. And wherever there's ethnic old blokes, there's good food...



We wander past on a Saturday morning with no intention of eating. Then we see the specials menu above and the hunger pains start. Then we notice the breakfast dishes: pastrami and eggs; Turkish sausage and eggs;  menemem (scrambled egg and salad);  iskembe (tripe soup for the brave); paca (lamb soup); mercimek (lentil soup). How to choose?



Mercimek - lentil soup $6. Softly cooked mushy lentils in a simple broth with a sprinkle of paprika oil on top. Gentle and comforting.



Fresh Turkish bread straight from the oven to our plate (we watched the boss lady making it), this came gratis with the soup, wethinks.



Manti - $8. Beef filled pasta, like tortellini, smothered with garlic yoghurt sauce and a splash of paprika oil on top. A huge serve for the price, best shared. Plain, filling, comfort food. Joy.



We leave completely stuffed for only $20 for two including bread and coffee, very happy. Cira also does chips, hamburgers and Aussie style pizzas, so you can bring along the kiddies and less-adventurous eaters. There's tables outside and a skinny and pleasant eating area inside. We'll be back... [see our next visit here].

Cira is at 532 Marrickville Road, Dulwich Hill. Ph 02 9560 0421. Open 8am-11pm Sun - Thurs - 8am - Midnight Friday & Saturday. BYO.


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5 comments:

  1. Damn that specials board! LOL That's happened a few times to me too. ;-)

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  2. All I can say is, yum yum yum. We went there on April Fools Day, no joking around here! (except maybe the happy staff) The cheese pide was divine and Mrs Bunny adored the stuffed eggplant thing.

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  3. We can't wait to get back and try more dishes. Glad you liked it, its an unexpected delight!

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  4. I've had some of the best gozleme ever here :)

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  5. Something a little more close to home than heading out to Auburn. Looks spectacular.

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Thanks for your comment joy - please keep your musings happy - if you want to complain about a restaurant please do it on a restaurant review site (or your own blog) - we're all about celebrating cultural diversity and the great eats that come along with it :-)

Our ethics: We pay for all our own meals and travel (though sometimes Mum shouts us).