Plymouth's rising Turkish food scene to tickle your taste buds

Many have their heads in the clouds, dreaming of the next time they can hop aboard a plane and visit lands far and exotic.

Some are past the dreaming stage and have put their money where their mind is, in a different country.

A popularly discussed destination is Turkey. Always a great getaway and perhaps slightly easier to book at the minute.

Turkey has previously revealed plans to welcome UK holidaymakers back for the summer, with no need for a recent PCR test, or a vaccination against Covid-19.

The country has however recently seen an increase in numbers of Covid cases so it could be that when the UK does reopen travel, it will be one of the likely countries on the amber list which will require Brits to self-isolate at home when they come back to the UK. Read more about that here.

In the meantime, if you're craving a slice of Turkey and want to tease your taste buds before the summer, here are a few Plymouth places you don't need a ticket to try.

Simply Turkish

If you've never tried the offering at Simply Turkish, depending on when you're reading this, Jane Stapleton and her delicacies will be at the Ivybridge Saturday Monthly Market this weekend.

She's bringing, or did bring, borek with spinach and feta cheese or minced meat and peppers. As well as Turkish delight, tutku biscuits and a selection of baklava too.

Jane lived in turkey for two years, and adored it, but didn't have a work permit.

Simply Turkish food stall, Jane Stapleton developed her skills when she lived in the country (Image: Simply Turkish)

She said: "I wanted a change of scenery. I went with a friend and wanted to live there. Everyone said I was crazy, but I did it and I loved it.

"I love cooking for people, when I used to sit in the village with families, we were on the floor with a round table. You wouldn’t dream of doing that at home.

"I make rice the Turkish way, I love cooking for people, if its for me, I don’t do it."

Now back in Plymouth, where she went to school, her business is educating people as well as feeding them.

One example being, when a chap popped in for a pasty, and left with borek instead. He came back for more, of course. Follow Simply Turkish on Facebook here.

Dunya

This Turkish restaurant in Plymouth city centre has been shortlisted for an award just a year after opening. Dunya Restaurant on Derrys Cross opened just over a week before the UK was plunged into a national lockdown.

It made the semi-final of the 'best newcomer restaurant in or outside London' category. A big honour, and testiment to its growth.

Owner of Dunya, Dilbrin Ismaeel, said he was "so excited" to reopen his restaurant when restrictions are lifted and is so proud of his team.

"It feels great," he said.

You can read more about Dunya here.

Turkish Shawarma

Have you seen Salt Bae on Mutley Plain? Not the actual guy... But a mural in his honour. This is why.

Plymouth's newest Turkish restaurant has finally opened to takeaway customers in an old popular nightlife haunt.

Owner Samir Ali Hassan is currently offering collection orders from 10am until midnight and cannot wait to have customers dining inside the refurbished venue.

Mr Hassan also has plans to turn the upstairs of the building into a Turkish dessert parlour, which will specialise in pancakes, baklava and homemade ice cream.

"I want to make this area shine again and make new things happen here," the 33-year-old said.

Kapadokya

The couple have been running Kapadokya on the Barbican for over a decade. A couple years ago Ismail Celik, better known by his anglicised moniker John, said he is the only Turkish-born chef running a Turkish eatery in Plymouth.

“There are takeaways and kebab shops,” said Amanda Percival. “But not all run by Turks.”

The diner, formerly known as Shirley Valentine’s, has been a hit, surviving the 2009 recession and the so-called casual dining crunch.

And Amanda and John have even expanded, taking over the Mad Merchant coffee house, just opposite in New Street, in 2018.

They spent the recent lockdown renovating the coffee shop's garden area: transforming the space into a beautiful Turkish-themed paradise with comfortable seating areas and striking gazebos.

The outdoor seating area features a mixture of upholstered bench-style seating around coffee tables, and bar stools gathered around barrels, giving the venue a real funky and exciting feel.

Read more about their story here. For more information on the Mad Merchant, click here.

Tantuni

Tantuni, named after a spicy dürüm (traditional Turkish wrap), serves "what you'd find at a street-food stall in Turkey" in Plymouth market.

Tantuni offers a selection of traditional Turkish street-food, including beef, lamb, chicken or vegetable tantuni wraps, a traditional Turkish breakfast made from egg and spices called 'menemen' and shish kebabs, as well as traditional Turkish tea, Turkish apple tea and Turkish coffee, in a bid to "bring proper, fresh traditional Turkish food to Plymouth."

You can read more about how they started in Plymouth here.

Plenty of other businesses around the city are bringing the taste of Turkey and elsewhere to your door, in times when travel is tricky.

All the more reason to support local and take your tongue on the trip of a lifetime.