Haloumi… the cheese is thickly sliced, fried and served with honeycomb, thyme and rose leaves. Photo: Wendy Johnson

The dips… including silky, smooth hummus and roasted beetroot served as a cannoli with mint and yoghurt. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Karides… plump prawns cooked in a Turkish earthenware casserole dish. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Crispy sardines… with fennel, red cabbage pickles and xo mayo served on square slices of toast. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Crispy chat roasted in rich duck fat. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Kuzu… a slow-cooked lamb shoulder created with quince, braised spinach, swirls of yoghurt sauce and puffed rice. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Rakkas invested time to change matters before greeting its first customer – new, comfy bench seating, soft features and lighting, and innovative elements for soundproofing… But the food is the star of the show, writes dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON. 

“Turkish hospitality is in our blood,” says Mert Toplu, chef and owner of Rakkas, a new restaurant dishing up exciting, modern Turkish food, on Kingston Foreshore. 

Once settled, we were presented with a hot towel by wait staff determined to please. A lovely touch. 

Rakkas invested time to change matters before greeting its first customer – new, comfy bench seating, soft features and lighting, and innovative elements for soundproofing. 

Mert is determined to make Rakkas anything but run-of-the-mill. He’s got experience to back him, having worked in five-star venues in Istanbul and at Ottoman in Canberra. He also runs the popular Thirty 4 Café, Queanbeyan.

But the food is the star of the show at Rakkas.

The dips are divine and far from what you expect (trio for $28 with freshly baked, piping hot Turkish bread). The silky, smooth hummus, for example, features a swirl of black tahini and crunchy chickpeas on top. The “Pink Sultan” beetroot is roasted for hours and served as a cannoli with mint and yoghurt. They are mouthwatering.

Haloumi lovers will be delighted. The cheese (nice and squeaky) is thickly sliced, fried and served with honeycomb, thyme and rose leaves ($19). The honey is the perfect level of sweetness. Another starter we adored was the sun-dried eggplant, which showcases the skills of the experts in the kitchen. The eggplant featured pomegranate molasses and a delish sour cherry rice ($16).

We also shared the crispy sardines with fennel, red cabbage pickles and xo mayo served on square slices of toast – Rakka’s funky take on fish and chips ($23). Half of us were thoroughly impressed and half thought the sardines were too strong (personal taste).

For mains we indulged in Kuzu, a slow-cooked lamb shoulder we cut with our forks it was so tender ($45 for a generous portion). Rakkas scores big with this dish, created with quince, braised spinach, swirls of yoghurt sauce, puffed rice and loads of love. It was sensational with decadent crispy chat roasted in rich duck fat ($12).

Our group didn’t go wrong with the Karides, plump prawns cooked in a Turkish earthenware casserole dish. It’s a dish that is tangy, fragrant and earthy all at once ($42).

The to-die-for milk pudding dessert isn’t overly sweet, and neither is the mascarpone kaymak (each $18). Go for it.

Wines from Turkey are on offer, and we enjoyed the Buzbag Emir Narince (2021), a dry white. Rakkas is super proud of its cocktail menu, which features signature creations highlighting special ingredients of the regions the drinks are named after (block ice cubes are even stamped with Rakkas). 

Turkish hospitality struck again when given a small, sweet gift bag as we departed (you’ll have to dine to discover what’s inside).