One taste of the acili ezme and I’m hooked. Yes, tomato is the overriding flavour, but several different notes play together within a rather elaborate arrangement. There’s a hefty bit of garlic and some quite unusual chilli, both nicely rounded out by a broad wave of sweet peppers. I find out later Chef Omer Ozkan Cam uses three different kinds of chilli including isot, a maroon Urfa native known for its sustained heat.
That I haven’t come across this classic before isn’t a surprise. Turkish restaurants in Dubai are few and far between, and many of the older ones simply dial down their recipes to cater to the gentler palates of the local Arab community.
Thankfully, Ottomans at the Grosvenor House is like a tiny bit of Turkey bang in the middle of skyscraping Dubai Marina. Service is attentive, and the staff can actually answer questions about the food without having to check with someone else first. A selection of Turkish beverages underscores the feeling of a getaway, but really, it’s the food that wins.
As an Indian, complex spicing is home turf, so when I stumble upon it unexpectedly, I’m ecstatic. As with modern Indian food, Cam takes the best bits of Turkish food and reinterprets them for today’s globalised tastes. So dishes heaving with fat, cream or cream are slimmed down, but don’t disappear. Rather, they’re curated into an array of flavours, making a star turn now and again.
On the starter platter, the moutabal and the haydari, a herby yoghurt dip, are rich and creamy, but the hummus and the garlic prawns are more approachable. The acili ezme, of course, is the star. Cam repeats the trick with the mixed grill: his sujuk, a sort of sausage steak, is spiced and savoury, while the classic Adana kebab is a neutral counterpoint, juicy and well seasoned. Both let the herby chicken shine: it’s perfectly marinated, the flavour going right through, and moreish.
Cam refines recipes by concentrating flavours. His amuse-bouche is a tiny shooter of lentil soup with a sprinkle of red pepper. The earthiness of the lentils is deftly lifted by the sharper pepper, without which it’d be too cloying. The earthy hummus, too, is reinforced by toasted chickpeas.
I’m delighted to be able to order the gluten-free sutlac. The baked rice pudding, with candied walnuts, fresh berries and mint is a study in contrasts: crispy but gooey, soft but crunchy, tart but sugary. It makes for a fitting end note and a pleasant memory.
Ottomans, Grosvenor House Dubai; Starwoodhotels.com
