Sofra

The chef and the Kebab work-station

Sofra; the name stands for "dining" in Turkish. After doing some research, Sofra seemed to be a suitable place for our lunch this weekend. Away from the crowded Arab Street, it provided a serene environment for a weekend lunch (or brunch? hehe). Anyway, we were there last weekend; all of us with empty stomaches..

Sesame Bread

While we wait, we had some Sesame Bread and Hummus dip. Made from a cream mixture of chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice, the hummus is a very refreshing companion for the warm bread. They gave a considerable portion too, for those who dip a lot, like me. Consisted of mainly tomatoes and bell peppers, the Sofra Salad is too plain I would say. The dressing was ok but there are hardly any walnuts in there, despite what was written in the menu.

Chef Plate is a combination of Doner Kebap, Izgara Kofte (grilled flat meatball) and a skewer of Shish Kebap. The best item on the plate would be the Izgara Kofte, cooked perfectly with smoky taste, crisp outer but tender meat. It was served with some turkish bread-warm and fluffy; just came out from the oven, I reckon. They combine chicken, beef and lamb here, but I can't tell you which one is which, except the white one (it must be chicken).

Beyti Kebab is spiced meat patties rolled in their homemade bread, served with some tomato sauce. There are three choices of meat: chicken, beef or lamb. I find this very unique; they roll it together and cut them into smaller pieces. This one would be the chicken, but I think it doesn't matter- everything there will taste great with any meat fillings.

Golden Jacket Cream Dory

I didn't have a stomach for any heavy meats and opted for some fish instead. I thought it would just be in a perfectly fit portion and obviously not this extremely huge. Mine came out really, really late and I immediately understood why when it finally came. There are lots of stuffs in the plate (or is it tray?haha), can almost be shared for 3. They put lots of tomatoes, diced beet-roots, flavoured rice and of course, the dory with cheese fillings. I like the tomato sauce that was midly spiced and it goes well with the whole thing. 

For dessert (Yes, I can't skip this thing), we opted for something small: Baklava. I was being careful this time and asked the waiter about the portion. It came in two tiny pieces and I'm glad it did. The flaky pastry would deliciously paired with the istachio fillings, if only the syrup wasn't too sweet. Even a sweeth-toothed person like me can't even finish one whole pastry. But I did my research, and found out that Baklava are traditionally sweet; so maybe that's the way it is?

To tackle down the sweetness, some bitter Turkish coffee or tea are recommended. Small cups are enough for you, I tried them. By the end of the meal, we were fully filled. Even after it past the lunch time, most of the seatings are remained empty. Some diners kept the kitchen busy though, making it a perfect place to go for a laidback weekend.

Sofra - Turkish Cafe & Restaurant

100 Beach Road #02-42/43/44
Shaw Tower (Shaw Leisure Gallery)
Singapore 189702
Tel: (65) 6291 1433