A Bit of the Turkish Mediterranean in Lake Hiawatha

If one of the best ways to learn about a country is through its food, look no farther than Bosphorus–not the strait in Turkey that separates Europe  from Asia, but the restaurant that sits inside a small strip mall on North Beverwyck Road in Lake Hiawatha.

That’s where you will come face to face with a style of Mediterranean cooking that originated in Turkey. It's a food genre that is  a welcome alternative to more familiar forms of Mediterranean cuisine.

We discovered Bosphorus more than a decade ago and were captivated by its signature Shepard salad (Coban Salata), its juicy kebabs and its drop-dead rich Turkish coffee. (This coffee's creamy goodness puts the stuff the chains sell to shame.) Of course, over the years, other eateries distracted us, but we always kept Bosphorus in our back pockets.

It was time for a fresh visit, especially when we noticed the “other” Bosphorus on Route 53 in Denville had shut its doors a while back. We were under the impression they were owned by the same proprietor but our server the other night, Sal, said the two were not connected.

The restaurant's latest owner , Muzaffer Elmas (Sal's cousin) has been in the U.S. for more than a decade and now lives with his family in Parsippany. His first job at Bosphorus was as a cook under its previous owners. Eight years ago, when it became available, he bought the restaurant, kept the name and fine-tuned the recipes.

According to Sal, the only server on duty during our visit, most Turkish cooks tweak well-known recipes to put their own spin on them. (He said his cousin is not fluent in English, hence Sal served as the go-between.)

The menus for both dinner and lunch are impressive.

The appetizers (mezeler) are plentiful, and if you arrive with a crowd, you can make a feast of just apps. They include Hummus, a creamy dip made with mashed chick peas, lots of fresh garlic, tahini (sesame paste), herbs and Babahanu (eggplant spread) which tasted of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and garlic. Hummus is available for $5.50 and easily feeds two or three. Warm, sliced pita makes a perfect “scoop” for the Mediterranean staple, but we could have used more of it as the meal continued. It is available for an extra $1.

Another appetizer we tried was Yalanci Dolma (stuffed grape leaves with rice and vegetables) along with and an assortment of grilled vegetables including eggplant, squash, peppers and zucchini marinated in balsamic sauce and served with garlic yogurt sauce. What makes these dishes so special is the way they are marinated. In the case of Shepard salad, chopped tomatoes, onions, green peppers and cucumbers are treated to a judicious amount of vinegar, olive oil and shaved feta cheese, making for a delicious and refreshing combination. We fought over the leftovers the next day.

The night we visited Bosphorus we hadn’t expected to find a crowd. Late in the summer, one wouldn't expect Turkish food to attract pizza-loving kid types. Plus, there was a thunderstorm raging. Still, the pumpkin-colored space was three-quarters full when we arrived and diners kept entering, sitting down or picking up takeout orders throughout the two hours we were there. Families, senior citizens, high school and college kids and young professionals made up the clientele. 

Once finished with appetizers, it really takes concentration and negotiation to decide on the right assortment of main dishes so there’s plenty to sample from each other’s plates. We knew the shish kebab was an absolute; we craved those juicy, marinated and grilled to perfection lamb cubes. After that, it took some studying of the choices to make a decision.

There were a number of dishes that feature chopped lamb. An interesting offering called Sultan’s Favorite consists of grilled chopped eggplant, heavy cream and mozzarella cheese, large grilled shrimp or fillet of grilled salmon.

The combination platters caught our attention too, and eventually we settled on a chicken and adana combination made of moist chunks of marinated chicken and a long sliver of grilled chopped lamb that was spot on in flavor.

Sides of red cabbage grated into a slaw and white rice sprinkled with parsley helped soak up the meat juices as our sides.

By this time, dessert was a distant thought. We had to at least sample the Baklava, the only choice. For $4, little pillows of gently layered filo dough filled with nuts, drizzled with honey and topped with finely minced pistachios was as elegant a dessert as we’ve ever had. And although one serving came with four sections, it was again enough to satisfy two nearly stuffed diners.

Bosphorus Turkish Restaurant: 32 N. Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha (973) 335-9690. Open seven days a week serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 to 3 p.m.   Dinner menu available throughout the day through closing at 10 p.m. BYOB. Major credit cards accepted.