Sofra Turkish Cafe & Restaurant

Shish Kebap

Decor

You’re best served elsewhere if you’re looking for a restaurant to host your formal business meeting or planning to impress an important client. Otherwise, Sofra has you covered with its unique selection of dining areas. Pick the lengthy couches near the entrance if you’re throwing a large gathering. The accompanying coffee tables can be too narrow to accommodate more than a few large plates so the dining experience may be limited to starters and desserts. For the more gastronomically adventurous, choose the surrounding seats that do away with the couches and coffee tables for a more practical pairing of the common wooden chair and table. The decorative candle placed meticulously at the centre of each table can easily add a dash of romance to a fuss-free meal for partners looking to bring their dates.

Take in the sight of the framed Middle Eastern portraits hung around the restaurant as you dine and be sure not to miss the imported Turkish ornaments that can be found near the entrance. The transparent facade allows a reasonable view of Beach Road but is too aged and dusty to be an attractive place to seat next to.

The Food

If you aren’t a thorough explorer of our island, it can be difficult to picture Turkish cuisine beyond Kebab. Best described as a fusion of Central Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines, the extensive menu offers various kinds of kebabs which are prepared in a number of interesting ways and paired with different condiments. The Kebabs are surprisingly joined by Italian items like Pizzas, Baked Rice and Spaghetti which I suspect are tossed in for good measure.



Vine Leave Roll

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Start with the Vine Leaf Roll ($4.40). Promoted as a playful mix of rice, pine nuts, currants and spices wrapped in imported vine leaves, the appetizer may be more familiar than expected. Take the first bite and you would quickly realise that it’s essentially the Turkish’s reimagination of the Chinese delicacy Lo Mai Kai (Glutinous Rice) – without the pork and mushrooms of course. Each rice roll is bathed in a delightfully sweet coating that helps to complement the chewiness of the glutinous rice and the crunchiness of the pine nuts.
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Chicken Baked Rice

Try the Chicken Baked Rice ($13.50) to explore a pinch of Turkish creativity in an Italian dish. The savoury layer of cheese and generous servings of succulent grilled chicken bits are the most substantial portions of the dish but what really elevates the dish from your typical Pizza Hut or Pastamania offering is the baked rice which I discovered to be carefully drenched in a distinct cheese flavour. The result is a dish which has a consistently cheesy taste.

Those looking for more authentic Turkish food should order the Shish Kebap ($14.50). For the meat, you get to choose between beef, lamb and chicken. My skewered lamb cubes turn out fragrant and delicious. The colourful condiments, however, prove more celebratory than tasty. The rice is a little too bland while the salsa is less spicy than desired.

Other photos

Address 100 Beach Road, Shaw Towers, #02-42, Singapore 189702
Opening Hours 12nn - 9.30pm daily
Tel 6291 1433
Website http://www.sofra.com.sg/