04 Jul Koy Restaurant, South Melbourne

Maker of the famous South Melbourne Market gozleme, and parent of Göz City in the CBD, Koy has a prime location from which to serve its Turkish fare. The setting was warm and inviting, with dimmed lights and homely decor. It was actually smaller inside than I had expected; the bar taking up much of the floorspace and smaller tables arranged around it. There were quite a number of covered tables outside, but it was too cold and dreary today for them to be enticing.

We took a seat at the large communal table, right in front of the kitchen window, and ordered a few dishes between us: two meze (smaller plates), one büyük tabaklar  (larger plate) and a side. Koy also offers a seven-course banquet on the last Wednesday every month for $35pp, which I’ve been keen to try for a long time now, but haven’t made it yet.

Tavuk Şis – Marinated Chicken Thigh w. Pumpkin Purée Herbed Yoghurt & Salsa Verdé ($14)

The first of the larger plates to arrive was the Tavuk Şis. The chicken was marinated beautifully and it went splendidly with the smoothness of the pumpkin purée, tang from the herbed yoghurt and the vibrance lent by the salsa verdé. It was a real pleasure to eat.

Raki Goat Roll Up – Raki Infused Goat Served w. Crepes, Sumac Onion, Fresh Tomato & Cucumber w. Herbed Yoghurt ($19.50)

Raki Goat Roll Up – Raki Infused Goat Served w. Crepes, Sumac Onion, Fresh Tomato & Cucumber w. Herbed Yoghurt ($19.50)

Slow-Cooked Beef Rib w. Turkish Spiced Glaze On Mash ($14)

Next up, the slow-cooked beef rib with Turkish spiced glaze on mash. I was so distracted by the thought of eating it that I wasn’t thinking clearly about the angle that I took this photo in. Oops. The rib meat was so tender, with a few hints of tasty caramelisation. It came neatly off the bone and made me so very excited in anticipation of what was to come. The glaze was expectedly sweet, but not overly so, and the mash had soaked up much of the delicious sauce. The vegetables, which were the same as those that came with the goat roll up, provided a refreshing balance to every mouthful.

Roasted Cauliflower w. Greens, Sundried Tomato, Feta, Currants, Roasted Nuts & Pomegranate Molasses ($12)

I was impressed by the variety of ingredients used in the roasted cauliflower dish. It was a fine combination with hints of sweetness from the fruit, texture from the nuts and punches of flavour from sun-dried tomato and feta. I would have preferred it to be warm, but it was still a nice accompaniment for the other dishes.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food, and the friendly and attentive service topped off the wonderful experience we had at Koy.

Köy Restaurant
South Melbourne Market
116 Cecil Street,
South Melbourne, VIC, 3205
(03) 8657 8553
http://koyrestaurant.com.au/