Arab Street has long been a popular enclave for authentic Turkish, Mediterranean and middle eastern fare. It's vibrant, bustling streets are back to their former glory with diners spilling out onto the curbs and pathways filled with warming aromas of spices, herbs and grilled delicacies.
Meeting a friend for lunch recently, he suggested we try the newly refurbished and reopened CAPPADOCIA Turkish Restaurant or CAPPA for short. Entering the fresh and vibrant space our eyes were immediately drawn to the brightly tiled tables, the enchanting mural of the famous hot air balloons over Cappadocia city and the delicately hanging Turkish lamps. A colourful, inviting space exuding a relaxed and cosy vibe perfect for meals with friends or colleagues.
We happened to meet the new owner Lynette and discovered that this is more than just a special Turkish restaurant – there is a true love story behind it. Lynette, having long been a fan of the Arab street restaurants encountered her future husband working at a nearby establishment. During Covid lockdowns, their love blossomed and resulted in not only a wedding – they also decided to take on the restaurant space and turn it into their own slice of Mediterranean paradise.
Their focus is very clearly on a high quality and authentic Mediterranean experience, with chefs flown in from the region and traditional recipes using only the best ingredients. We indulged in an absolute feast commencing with the Meze Tabagi, a generous sharing platter of hummus, babaganoush, satsuka, moutabbaal, coban salata and an enormous pillow of fresh lavash bread.
The Halloumi, one of my personal favourites, was deliciously grilled and kept us wanting more while the Falafel were light and luscious accompanied by a divine garlic sauce.
For our mains, we tried the open Lamb Pide, fresh thin bread topped with diced lamb, cheese and herbs. And of course we could not say no to the ultimate sharing platter, the Mix CAPPA Kebab – a selection of meats charcoal-grilled to perfection including lamb, chicken, special butter rice and salad. A very generous serving with more than enough to keep even the hungriest appetites satisfied. We accompanied the meats with a heartly, melt in your mouth vegetable Moussaka – a baked dish with eggplant, potato and cheese.
Dessert was outrageously good – the famed Kunefe – widely regarded as one of Turkey’s most famous treats and made of thin crispy vermicelli pastry baked in soft cheese and served with sweet syrup and cream. Heavenly indeed!
Lynette, her husband and team have certainly taken a concept that is well known in the Kampong Glam area and turned it into a thriving, delicious Mediterranean restaurant with great service and ambience. CAPPA is sure to become one of the most favoured Turkish restaurants in Singapore.
a. 69 Bussorah St, Singapore 199482
fb. www.facebook.com/Cappasg
