There are a lot of things that we owe to the Silk Road besides silk itself. Some examples include paper, Algebra and bathroom tiles. Personally I am thankful for kebabs. Served from Xi’an to Istanbul, there is something about kebabs that make them my favourite way to eat meat.

Since I am currently far from the Silk Road, I have to make due with restaurants from the region.

As a Valentine’s date my wife and I tried out the Village Mangal in Amersham and loved it. It is probably the best Turkish restaurant in Buckinghamshire, and possibly the best Turkish restaurant in the South East of England.

Mangal is the Turkish word for barbecue. We were seated right next to the barbecue itself, and the crackling charcoal and puffs of smoke lent an atmosphere of authenticity to our experience.

The food – from the bread, hummus and grilled onion starter – to the kebab, rice and salad main was absolutely delicious.

I am not a coffee drinker and much prefer tea, but I had to make an exception for a cup of Turkish coffee. Who could resist when it looks like this? And the best part was that it was on the house.