September 2006
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Ethnic Eats
by Celia Cheng
Lamb Gyro Platter
SIP SAK
928 2nd Ave
(49th & 50th St)
Manhattan
212-583-1900
I have always liked Turkish cuisine, and as I am visiting Turkey next week, I’ve been rallying myself up for the adventure I am about to embark on. After reading Frank Bruni’s review of Sip Sak in the New York Times three weeks ago, I solicited two Turkish friends to try this Turkish restaurant with me.
One of the great draws of a restaurant is when it has things that are not on the menu. When you know about these items that are "off the menu," you feel like you belong to a secret society — the privileged few who know something that others don’t. Bruni’s review revealed these dishes, and now the secret is out. I’ve visited Sip Sak twice now, and, as it happens, these off-the-menu items are really just daily specials, a concept that is neither special nor innovative. So did I just fall for a PR gimmick? Regardless, there are some things I really like here, so I thought I’d share them.
Sip Sak is doing extremely well. During my visits (coincidentally both rainy nights), one on a weekend and the other on a weeknight, the restaurant was bustling. There was a wait for tables on both nights, but on the second, my friend and I opted to eat at the bar and were seated immediately.
The translation of Sip Sak is "chop-chop," or "quickly." And indeed, once seated, the ordered food appeared surprisingly speedily. On my first visit, I was still contemplating whether to add some appetizers to the order when all our dishes arrived.
The lamb gyro platter is one of the items Bruni mentions that does not appear on the menu. Its absence is explained by the fact that chef-owner Orhan Yegen does not want to serve the dish unless fresh ingredients are available to prepare it. Thin slices of lamb gyro are served over cubes of sautéed pita bread and dressed with yogurt and tomato sauce. Lamb gyro is not one of those things I naturally gravitate toward, and had this not been a special, I probably would not have tried it. But after two visits, it has made my cravings list. There’s something that truly hits the spot about this dish — it’s hearty and tasty, not heavy, but truly delightful. From the menu, I was rooting for the manti and baked lamb (with eggplant purée) but neither lived up to my expectations. Rather, the combination of tender and fatty gyro meat, garlicky yogurt and bread prevailed as the most popular choice and quickly disappeared. Part of what caught me by surprise was the texture of the bread. The outside is crunchy, but the inside is soft and chewy. Drenched in yogurt, the bread tastes heavily of garlic and is rather addictive.
The stuffed cabbage was also good. I’ve tried many stuffed cabbages lately, from Polish to Balkan restaurants, but none tasted as good as this one. Stuffed cabbage is one of those comfort foods that can be so satisfying. Served with rice, the rolled cabbages were also quickly devoured. I’d opt for this dish if the lamb gyro platter is not available.
Good things come to those who wait, and I must say that the end of the meal at Sip Sak is the highlight for me. The almond pudding is currently my favorite dessert. While not a traditional Turkish dessert (as my friends told me), we all loved it. The pudding is a cross between panna cotta and rice pudding — not too gelatinous and not too runny but just right — with sliced almonds in the pudding. I would go to Sip Sak just for the almond pudding and some Turkish coffee (even better if someone could read my coffee grinds afterward), but honestly, if I’m going to go for the pudding, I might as well have the lamb gyro platter, too, if it’s available that is.
