New Brisbane

Ahmets Licensed Turkish Restaurant
Shop 10/164 Grey Street
South Bank
Brisbane

A lot of the time I choose to eat out because I’m looking for a new experience, I’m looking to be excited and taken beyond my expectations. Admittedly, every diner wants a good, dependable restaurant to incorporate into their eating roster. But I’m yet to find mine.

Judging by the nightly crowd filling the tables at Ahmets Turkish Restaurant in South Bank, I’d say the restaurant holds status among the slew of other venues competing on the strip. Having never been to Ahmets before, my interest was piqued. Typical of most Turkish restaurants (at least in Brisbane) the décor was colourful, decked in warm reds and yellows, sported long low tables, lots of cushions, wall hangings and belly-dance type music. I even spied a few fez hats sitting in neat red stacks, topped with requisite tassels.

The service was prompt, and had us seated and ‘watered’ in record time. The service I noticed in particular this night, because I was mouth-wateringly hungry and would have taken food intravenously if I’d been eating alone. The menu boasted a lengthy list of choices, which meant I was instantly indecisive. Did I want a meze dish? Or a pide dish? A salad, or a soup, or both? Or maybe a banquet ($37.50 - $40.90 per person)?

There seemed to be at least 10 variations for each category, which slowed the selection process considerably, but eventually I chose a meze: Pilic Alaking ($16.90) with pan-tossed marinated chicken, olives, corn and red capsicum. The Pilic Alaking had a very generous serving of rice, accompanied by a concoction of creamy-sauced chicken with, well, you read the description.

As a rule, I hate creamy sauces- usually I just eat them to be nice. But I was impressed by this- instead of a thick, flavour-drowning coating it turned out to be very light and flavoursome. A drizzle of fresh lemon further broke this up and gave the sauce a heady tang. The chicken pieces were oh so good, falling apart on the tongue, and with the addition of corn, olives and mushrooms it became a very filling, homey meal. I’d liken it to a casserole, but I think Ahmets may be outraged by this.

My companion ordered the Tavuk Gogusu, a marinated breast of chicken served with Ahmets’ ‘special sauce’ ($24.50). I perused this meal at length, with its portion of rice, portion of greens and two chicken breasts. The chicken, which turned out to be dry, looked as if it had been lathered in Dolmio pasta sauce- this did not eleviate it texture; the finely chopped lettuce had a dollop of salad cream and the rice - well in my opinion it was the best part. Suffice to say we cleaned my meal off the plate.

On this particular occasion we sat outside, so we weren’t enveloped in the warmth and cooking aromas inside. I would recommend a booking for this restaurant because I doubt there’s ever a quiet night at the place. The food is homey, as I said. It’s comfort food in a way, safe tastes, makes you sleepy after eating, puts you in a docile mood. And, although pricey (mains around $15 - $25), it’s quantity-driven.

I would compare this restaurant to Caravanserai on Dornoch Terrace, West End, and Harem on Latrobe Terrace in Paddington. Together they form a dining niche, providing a similar product. These types of restaurants are great for large groups – although Ahmets is licensed and not BYO. You can guarantee you won’t be served anything too weird and wonderful and you will be full to the brim by the time you leave. The atmosphere is buoyant (although I’d attribute that to the sitar music) and the waiters are deft when faced with a lot of people and a lot of food.

If I’m looking for a safe option I’d be choosing Ahmets and, it’s undeniable, the place is doing well with awards like 2002, ‘03 and ‘05 Best Themed Restaurant.

By Alice Blackwood