Fatush salad, a combo of baby cos, tomato, and cucumber. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Thin slices of tender veal, well-seasoned with mild Aleppo chilli, were chargrilled and arranged on a leek and potato skordalia. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Zucchini flowers… crispy on the outside and filled with goat’s feta and halloumi cheese. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Light filo pastry rolls filled with shredded duck combined with onions, currants, pine nuts and herbs. Photo: Wendy Johnson

“To say that Ottoman Cuisine is a fine-dining institution is an understatement and it’s no wonder the anticipation of its reopening in its original building in Barton created a next-level buzz,” writes dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON. 

Established in 1992, Ottoman Cuisine has a long list of awards for its superb Turkish cuisine and expectations were justifiably high when a friend and I visited for lunch.

We were seated, given menus and water and then waited and waited for service, baffled because the restaurant – while busy – was far from packed.

After 25 minutes we flagged a waiter down and explained we had been patient enough. The response was: “Excellent and what do you want to eat?” 

I explained we wanted to order wine first and that the situation wasn’t “excellent”. We were taken aback by the waiter’s continued abruptness.

To be fair, the waiter recalibrated with multiple apologies and offered to take a starter and two glasses of wine off the bill. Matters calmed down and we were back to the Ottoman we know so well and love. 

The food was exceptional and so was our wine. Chef and owner Serif Kaya focuses on classic Turkish cuisine steeped in history. He and his team aren’t afraid, however, to push boundaries with a fantastic range of modern flavours and twists.

A dish Ottoman is famous for is zucchini flowers ($24) and these didn’t disappoint. They were crispy on the outside and filled with wonderful goat’s feta and halloumi cheese. The flowers arrived with a light lemon yoghurt sauce and brought back memories of dining at Ottoman in days gone by. 

Another out-of-this-world dish was the duck rolls, a chef’s special ($25). The light filo pastry rolls were filled with tasty, shredded duck combined with onions, currants, pine nuts and herbs. The pomegranate and yoghurt sauce was perfectly balanced, and the dish was pretty with ruby red pomegranate seeds and vibrant fresh mint leaves. 

We chose veal as a main ($42), which we could not fault. The thin slices of tender veal, well-seasoned with mild Aleppo chilli, were carefully chargrilled and arranged on a leek and potato skordalia. A well-executed, flavoursome lemon mustard sauce was drizzled on top.

We shared a Fatush salad, a generous serve for $16. It was a delightful combo of baby cos (some a bit wilted), tomato, and cucumber.

The mains came out instantly after the entrees (a short pause would have been appreciated) and we were not asked if we wanted dessert.

Ottoman Cuisine’s wine list is exceptional, with a wide price range. Local and regional wines are celebrated, and our handcrafted 2023 Nick Spencer Tumbarumba Chardonnay was reasonably priced at $65 a bottle. 

My friend wrote the Ottoman and received a swift, genuine response apologising for the service. Good on them.