I’ve been a fan of Turkish food for many years but always stick to the same haunts so was pleased to be able to try out Turkish Kitchen in Hatfield recently. Their website states that they are constantly striving to improve their service and quality in order to give their customers the very best experience: so how did they do?
Parking at the restaurant was easy, with the car park at Parkhouse Court fairly empty when we arrived (this was a Saturday evening with the table booked for 7pm). The venue was quiet when we arrived, meaning we were seated straight away and soon had drinks in hand while we perused the menus. (As a side note, I did receive a bottle of Peroni rather than the Corona I had ordered but I’m not going to quibble that too much; I wasn’t there for the beer).
The usual turkish bread and dips were provided while we waited for our starters and as usual I had to stop myself filling up too much at this stage. The bread was fresh and delicious and it would have been all to easy to just keep eating it.
Halloumi and Sukuk for starter: mainly because I couldn’t choose between the two. Mouthwatering sausage complimented by the perfectly grilled cheese. My only complaint was how quickly my plate was cleared but that’s hardly the restaurant’s fault.
We didn’t have long to wait for our mains to be presented (long enough to have ordered another drink – this time I did receive Corona) and my plate of Lamb Shish was in front of me. A simple choice, I know, but it is a favourite of mine at other turkish restaurants and I wanted to see how this place competed.
The lamb was tender and flavourful, not quite as melt-in-the-mouth as I’ve experienced elsewhere but still delicious. The rice was well cooked and the salad was, well, it was salad – not a lot to say there. Overall while the presentation was a bit messy the food was good.
The restaurant had filled a bit by the time we left but was not especially crowded. The staff were friendly and available when required and it wasn’t particularly noisy (except when the entire place joined in singing happy birthday to a patron at a table at the other end of the restaurant).
The prices were reasonable for the type of venue and the atmosphere was relaxed (something to do with all the plants and weird light fittings maybe) and it’s definitely somewhere I would return to on the right occasion. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for somewhere for a small group of people to eat in the local area.
