Char grilled Cowra lamb cutlets seasoned with thyme and sea salt – what’s not to love? Photos: Ian Bushnell.
It’s hard enough when your birthday is only a few weeks after Christmas and easily forgotten in the aftermath of the festive season.
But it also falls in the dead zone where many restaurants have shuttered for the break and finding a place to celebrate is a challenge.
That’s been the fate of my partner and there have been several times when the birthday girl’s first-choice favourite Ottoman Cuisine in Barton has been closed – until now.
More than a year now since owners Serif and Gulbahar Kaya reopened in late 2024 after a three-year hiatus, Ottoman has been welcoming back old friends and winning new ones with its innovative but classic Turkish dishes at its stylish but relaxed art deco pavilion.
It did take a break this season but fortunately the birthday booking was on the right side of reopening.
Not that the evening started that auspiciously. Dropping her off at the entrance as it started to rain, I parked around the corner only to be greeted by an almighty thunderclap that put the fear of God into me and a downpour of Biblical proportions.
I scurried towards the restaurant grasping an umbrella and praying that it wouldn’t be a lightning rod. Inside, the relief was immediate.
A comfortable corner table beckoned, but this evening the view was of a telco crew with digger and truck taking advantage of the summer twilight, after the deluge, to get a job done. My grandson would have loved it but I just thought, “go home”. Which gratefully they eventually did.
We ordered bubbles of course but the Tassie “traditional”, usually a good bet, didn’t suit her. So she swapped at no cost for something local, a Nick O’Leary riesling, always a winner. I stuck with the bubbles having taken a bigger, reassuring gulp after my potentially near-death experience.
Being familiar with the standard menu, checking out the specials was a must and they didn’t disappoint. They furnished our entrees – hers balik tava, pan-fried baby snapper fillet and rocket and watercress salad with lemon dressing, while I opted for narli karides, Queensland king prawns pan-sauteed with snow peas, shallots and pomegranate.
Food should be a generous experience and that’s the case at Ottoman. The citrusy salad perfectly complemented the crispy delicateness of the fish, while the meaty, juicy prawns melted in the mouth, punctuated by the bite of the shallots and sweetness of the pomegranate.
We went with classics from the standard menu – pirzola kekikli, char grilled Cowra lamb cutlets seasoned with thyme and sea salt, plus Dutch cream potato chips for her. I chose pilic – spatchcock, de-boned, marinated with biber salcasi (Turkish pepper paste) and fresh thyme, char-grilled.
The spatchcock is usually served with cracked wheat pilaf but comes with rice on the side for gluten-free folk like us. We shared the domates salatasi, heirloom tomato with parsley, shallot, olive oil and lemon dressing.
One disappointment. No Lark Hill (our favourite local winery) sangiovese but a Yerring Station pinot noir for her and a Lark Hill shiraz viognier for me, both with a bit of age, more than compensated.
The lamb cutlets (four of them) were tender, tasty and properly cooked, without a hint of blood. The bones picked clean evidence of satisfaction.
It had been a while since I’d had the spatchcock but the memories, spicy and smokey, flooded back. Served on a potato mash, this was something to savour at length, with studied sips of the peppery shiraz tempered by the softness of the viognier.
The heirloom tomatoes put contemporary varieties to shame, with deep, rounded flavours lubricated by the olive oil.
I have to say that we could have and possibly should have, called it a night right there. But someone once told me never leave a woman without dessert.
We did pause, before throwing caution to the wind and embracing a sweet finish.
She chose a special – poached peach with cardamon ice cream and morello cherry sauce, which proved very special indeed, especially when it arrived illuminated by a birthday candle after we casually mentioned her big day.
I usually keep it simple with a duo of sorbet but this time in the spirit of celebration opted for decadence with the chocolate cake and scoop of raspberry sorbet but it also came with an almond macaron and mixed berries, beautifully presented.
Throw in a Turkish coffee and the flavours and textures were popping all over the place.
Ottoman’s famed service made the evening the memorable one we had hoped for and I hope made up for the ones we had missed at this time of the year.
The food is fine but not fussy, the venue elegant but not stuffy and the service friendly, warm and efficient. The menus can be easily negotiated for dietary needs. The wine list is lengthy but Canberra’s local heroes aren’t forgotten.
If I am struck by lightning, at least I know what they will be serving in heaven.
