Authentic Turkish At House Of Kebab

By Peter Sloggatt/ foodie@longislandernews.com

Ask any grade school student to locate Turkey and he’ll tell you it’s in Eastern Europe, right near Greece. But there must be a little bit that’s missing because it’s right here at the Turkish Kebab House on Deer Park Avenue. The little bit of Turkey that Mehmet Ozdemie and his wife Selda have created at 1815 Deer Park Avenue (just south of the Dix Hills border) provides a “home away from home” for Turkish nationals from throughout the area.

Located in a brightly lit storefront on busy DPA, the first clue that the Kebab House is the real deal comes from the television set that hangs above the dining area. When there’s not a soccer game being broadcast, the satellite feed provides access to Turkish news and entertainment. Then there’s the bulletin board, with its apartment listings and job notices in what I presume to be Turkish.

As far as décor, the modest eatery falls somewhere between church meeting room and corner deli, but no one’s there for the atmosphere. It’s all about the food.

I’m no expert on Turkish cooking, so I can only go by the reasoning that if I don’t recognize the dishes, they qualify as ethnic. And while I can in no way vouch for their authenticity, I can tell you that during each of my three visits to the restaurant, there have always been a handful of men talking in what I presume to be Turkish. That alone assures me that it’s the real thing.

Of course, even the menu is foreign to me. I asked the advice of the owner who steered me toward the basic kebab dishes. On my first trip it was the Chicken Shish Kebab ($9) consisting of grilled marinated chicken served with rice and salad. My next visit, I’d graduated to the Mix Grill, or Karisik Izgara ($14), an assortment of shish adana kebab (ground lamb), gyros and chicken shish kebab, likewise served with rice and salad, plus a generous portion of homemade pita bread.

The pita bread alone is worth a trip. It’s not the flat stuff of grocery stores, but a crusty, egg-brushed-and-fresh-baked-on-premises-every-day round loaf of bread. Trust me, it’s a meal in itself that even carb-haters will not be able to resist.

Additional entrees on our still-to-try list are the skewer-grilled Beyti Kebab ($9), ground lamb flavored with garlic, hot peppers and parsley, and served over rice. The chicken sauté ($10) is one of few dishes not grilled and features pan-fried chicken, vegetables and sauce. The Adana Kebab (chicken or lamb, $9) is an intriguing sounding blend of ground meat, flavored with red bell peppers and slightly seasoned with paprika.

While a single portion is plenty, appetizers, soups and starters allow adventurers to sample the cuisine. The Sheperd Salad ($5.50, $7.50) is a refreshingly cool blend of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and parsley in an oil dressing. Greek Salad ($5.50, $7.50) adds grape leaves and feta cheese to tomatoes cucumbers and olives. Appetizers include a lemony Humas $3.50) and a delicious Baba Granouj ($3.50), combining elggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon and spices. One hot appetizer worth trying is the Sigara Boregi, or cheese pastries ($7, $13) made with delicate filo dough wrapped in feta cheese and parsley and deep fried.

Also on my to-eat list, the Cheese Pie ($9), something like a Turkish pizza consisting of thick dough with Turkish kashar cheese. It’s one of a half-dozen Turkish pizzas that range from $3 to $11.

The restaurant is nearing a year in business and so far has gained a following among Turkish nationals who seem to find their ways there by word of mouth, and Foodie adventurers like myself who trust that if the menu is in a foreign language and the customers are speaking what appears to be that language, they must know what they’re doing.

Owner Mehmet Ozdemi opened the place 10 months ago. In addition to his wife’s help -- she opens at 6 a.m.; he arrives later and closes up after 11 p.m. nightly – Chef Muarrem Kakutu brings 50 years experience to the grill.

The best part about The Kebab House is that it’s a total Foodie adventure; to one side of the restaurant, shelves are stocked with Turkish groceries – honey, olives, Turkish coffee and strong black teas preferred by Turks – plus a variety of pastas, rice and the dry goods. On the other side, refrigerators are stocked with cheeses, yogurt and the fruit-based soft drinks that are popular in Eastern Europe. (Note to pomegranate juice devotees: it’s less expensive here that in specialty stores.) Just browsing is an experience.

The Kebab House is open seven days and adventurers are welcome.

The Kebab House

1815 Deer Park Avenue

Deer Park

631-274-4851

Atmosphere: authentic Turkish cuisine in an extremely casual (plastic forks and tray service) atmosphere.

Price Range: Inexpensive

Hours: Open 7 days

6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Main Menu