Zurna, off Emaar Boulevard

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It’s 10am, and I still haven’t had breakfast.

The last time I ate was between 3:00-5:30pm yesterday, in a lil Turkish cafe hidden off Emaar Boulevard, where Al Manzil hotel is situated. And boy was it a good “lunch” 🙂

Now, Zurna is definitely one restaurant to be tried. It’s reasonably priced, right in Downtown Dubai and the food is amazing. The problem is that if you don’t drive into Manzil you would probably never know that it’s there!

Here’s what you’ll get, and my thoughts on it –

Homemade lemonade with mint – This tastes so good, especially after you’ve just been outside in the heat. We all probably had two of these, I highly recommend. Love the jars 🙂

And so we “started” with some hot mezes and salads. Honestly after all of this, I was 80% full. It was so good, my favourite was the Eggplant puree and chopped grilled tomatoes….. 🙂

Gavurdagi (27AED) – Chopped tomatoes, onions and walnuts with a Turkish pomegranate dressing and Nazik Barbequed (23AED) – Eggplant puree mixed with garlic yoghurt, served with grated pistachio.

Ezme (24AED) – Chopped grilled tomatoes, onions and peppers, seasoned with spices

Soon after, came the mains. We tried their lahmacun, as well as their wraps and kebabs. Absolutely loved their Iskendar and Nazik.

Tavuk Citir Kebap (51AED) – Chicken kebap and cheese wrapped in thin and crunchy Turkish bread

Adana Kebap (61AED) – Minced lamb shish kebab

Iskendar (65AED) – Doner on a bed of grilled traditional Turkish bread pieces and yoghurt, served with melted butter and tomato sauce on the top and Veli Nazik (54AED) – Minced chicken kebab pieces or cuts served on a bed of barbequed eggplant with a garlic yoghurt mix

No turkish feast is complete without some sweets and turkish coffee, or….. tea 😉

Zurna Helva (29AED) – Semolina halva topped with roasted pine nuts, served warm with ice cream.

Turkish tea/coffee

Kunefe (27AED) – Shredded filo dough with a filling of melted cheese, topped with pistachios and a side of ice cream

So there you go. It felt like brunch, minus the alcohol. And so good in the company of V & S 🙂

If you’re around downtown, and you’re wondering hmm, what new spots should I check out around Emaar Boulevard, drive towards Manzil Downtown Dubai and you’ll see Zurna. It’s hidden, but definitely not to be missed.